Keynote and panel discussions, and research presentations by members of the ASEAN University Network focused on “Student Engagement and Technology-Enhanced Personalized Learning” during the 5th AUN-TEPL Symposium held on Oct. 2 at the University of the Philippines Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. The hybrid international symposium hosted by UP Diliman, which was held on-site and online, was attended by more than 200 university officials, faculty, students, and staff. Most of the on-site delegates were from Singapore Management University, Universiti Malaya, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Mahidol University, and UP.
The symposium served as a venue for international experts to share insights about strategies for leveraging technology in adapting learning experiences to suit individual student needs, with the goal of enhancing both engagement and outcomes.
Singapore Management University professors Lieven Demeester, former Chairman of AUN-TEPL, and Tamas Makany, current Chairman of AUN-TEPL, expressed optimistic views on teaching and learning, and “experimentation and data gathering becoming more personalized” through innovative technologies; sharing of digital resources, online courses, and collaborations among member universities; curated learning and certifications; and improving student well-being. “I see the AUN-TEPL becoming the go-to network, the leading platform, that will benefit all members,” said Makany.
UP President Angelo Jimenez said that “every student deserves an empowering, personalized, fair, and inclusive education”. He encouraged educators to pool expertise, share lessons, and design systems that respect diversity to close the digital gap, build trust, and ensure mutual progress.
AUN Executive Director Thanapan Laiprakobsup, associate professor of political science at Thailand’s Chulalongkorn University, emphasized that “education can’t be one-size-fits-all” and that integrating technology can create personalized pathways for learners. He added that activities such as this “create an inclusive, future-ready ASEAN education,” and help advance ASEAN’s contributions to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by “extending lifelong learning for all.”
Keynote speaker Dragan Gašević, professor of learning analytics at Australia’s Monash University, discussed best practices, important lessons and developing trends in TEPL. Among these are generative AI and chat bots supporting students with information needs and tutorials; but chat bots alone are not fully equipped adaptive learning systems. These tools could provide quick information but they can’t replace educators … students need to know how to use the tools, he explained.
Gašević further stated that evidence is still emerging, showing significant improvements in learning gains but with limitations. Generative AI provides automated and readable feedback, can help students formulate better essays, and help in assessments and getting better insights, he said. “Generative AI isn’t flawless,”which means AI-empowered skills rely on high human skills.
In presentations and forum discussions focusing on “Student-initiated engagement with TEPL and Teacher-motivated student engagement to TEPL,” Universiti Brunei Darussalam Assistant Professor Juraidah Hj Musa discussed her research and resulting insights on the impact of TEPL on students. Dr. Siti Rohaiza Binti Ahmad of Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Asst. Prof. Jessica Junio-Jimenez of UP Diliman, and Assoc. Prof. Lo Siaw Ling of Singapore Management University exchanged ideas and best practices in the context of their respective universities.
Winning teams who joined the event’s undergraduate student competition “Great Ideas: Student-driven Technology-Enhanced Personalized Learning Showcase (STEPS)” were also awarded by AUN-TEPL officials. The ceremony recognized AUN-member university students’ use of technology or “study hacks” such as using timer apps, online spreadsheets, and collaborating in online platforms and gamifying tasks, to personalizing their learning experiences, as shown in their short video contest entries.
The internationally-acclaimed UP Madrigal Singers serenaded the delegates of the international symposium with their heartfelt renditions of Filipino folk songs.
In his closing message, UP Diliman Chancellor Edgardo Carlo Vistan II thanked the organizers and symposium participants. “We look forward to strengthening our partnership and collaboration,” he said, noting that society and institutions are always trying to catch up with newer technologies.
Vistan opined that “with AI in education, it is technology that is trying to catch up with human intelligence.” He noted that what AI is trying to mimic is achieved without technologies. “Time-honored processes like memorization are key or indispensable in developing talented and highly skilled individuals,” reminded Vistan.
The AUN-TEPL steering committee met the following day, Oct. 3, at the UP Executive House in Diliman for its members to assess past activities and to prepare for the next ones under the theme “AI Ethics in Personalized Learning” to be hosted by the Universiti Brunei Darussalam in 2026.
As a thematic network under the AUN and hosted by the Singapore Management University, the AUN-TEPL aims to foster deeper collaboration and sharing of expertise among ASEAN universities.
Photos taken at the UP Executive House on October 3, 2025
