[INTERVIEW] Don't outsource your thinking to AI, NUS president warns

NUS President Tan Eng Chye said the university measures success by how well it prepares students for work and life beyond graduation, not just by research rankings. He warned that students should not outsource their thinking to AI and said pedagogy should guide AI use, not the other way around. NUS began redesigning its undergraduate curriculum in 2016 and made quantitative reasoning and computational thinking compulsory. The university is also using AI for role-playing exercises in fields such as psychology, nursing, law and social work.

Tan said NUS began redesigning its undergraduate curriculum in 2016, after advances such as AlphaGo signaled how fast AI was developing.

NUS made quantitative reasoning and computational thinking compulsory for undergraduates to strengthen their understanding of data and algorithmic thinking.

Tan said students are taught how to use AI and how not to use it before beginning their classes.

NUS uses an AI-powered role-playing system in psychology, nursing, law and social work so students can practice with virtual characters and receive immediate feedback.

Published Sep 24, 2026 7:00 am KST

Tan Eng Chye says educational goals, not technology, should determine how universities embrace AI

National University of Singapore President Tan Eng Chye poses during an interview with The Korea Times at the university hall building in Singapore, Aug. 14. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

This is the fifth in a series of interviews as The Korea Times speaks with leading university presidents across the globe to examine how institutions are redefining education, research and international collaboration in an era shaped by artificial intelligence, demographic shifts and geopolitical uncertainty. The series is supported by the Korea Press Foundation's Press Promotion Fund.

SINGAPORE — National University of Singapore (NUS) has built its global competitiveness not only on research excellence, but also on a strong focus on teaching and preparing students to succeed beyond the classroom.

For NUS, the quality of a university should ultimately be measured by how well it equips students with the knowledge and skills they need after graduation — an emphasis that has placed teaching and employability at the heart of the university’s strategy.

“We take teaching very seriously, and many of these things that we do actually do not count toward the rankings — but yet it’s the mission of our university,” NUS President Tan Eng Chye said in a recent interview with The Korea Times.

He emphasized that research remains an essential mission of a leading university, but global rankings — which tend to place heavy weight on research performance — do not always capture what universities accomplish in the classroom.

For NUS, graduate employability is one of the key measures of whether the university is delivering on its educational mission.

“The employability of our graduates is a very key factor, and that is something the government pays close attention to,” he said.

Tan said NUS takes particular pride in receiving strong assessments from global employers because they provide an indication of whether the university is succeeding in preparing its students for the workplace.

“It shows that the global employers value our graduates highly and they are very much in demand,” he said. “That, in a way, partially fulfills what we hope to achieve in teaching and learning.”

Students work on their startups at NUS Enterprise in Singapore, Aug. 14. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

That emphasis on education extends beyond the classroom, with NUS giving students opportunities to put their knowledge into practice through entrepreneurship and innovation.

Through NUS Enterprise, the university translates research and academic ideas into startups and connects them with global markets, helping turn knowledge generated on campus into real-world applications.

Tan described research and innovation as part of a continuous cycle: universities invest resources to generate new ideas and knowledge, while innovation turns some of those discoveries into economic and social value.

The university has built links with innovation hubs around the world, including Silicon Valley, Munich, Tokyo and Shanghai, creating networks through which researchers and entrepreneurs can exchange ideas and gain access to different markets.

Its focus on teaching is also shaping how NUS responds to artificial intelligence (AI), one of the biggest disruptions facing higher education.

Tan said universities have little choice but to embrace AI as it rapidly transforms teaching, research, innovation and university operations. But he cautioned against allowing the technology itself to dictate how education should change.

“Pedagogy should be driving AI rather than AI driving how we respond to it,” he said.

NUS School of Computing graduate Eugene Chia, co-founder of Ecovolt which is supported by NUS Enterprise, demonstrates how AI and IoT can help buildings reduce energy waste, Aug. 14. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

For NUS, the key is to let educational goals determine how AI is used, rather than adopting the technology for its own sake.

At the same time, Tan stressed the importance of building strong foundations before students turn to AI.

“Every field, every discipline, has foundational knowledge and skills which you have to train our students without AI,” he said. “When they are comfortable, then you use AI to further enhance their learning.”

Tan compared the approach to how calculators are introduced in mathematics. Students first learn arithmetic and mathematical reasoning without relying on calculators, establishing the conceptual foundations they need before technology is introduced to help them tackle more advanced problems.

“Students need to build their own disciplinary knowledge and thinking skills first,” he said. “Only then should they use AI to enhance their learning, rather than relying on it simply to provide answers.”

NUS began preparing for that shift well before the arrival of ChatGPT in 2022. Tan said the university started redesigning its undergraduate curriculum in 2016, when advances such as AlphaGo demonstrated the accelerating trajectory of AI. It subsequently made quantitative reasoning and computational thinking compulsory for undergraduates, seeking to give students a stronger understanding of data and algorithmic thinking.

Today, students are taught about AI even before beginning their classes, including how to use the technology — and just as importantly, how not to use it.

“You shouldn’t outsource your thinking,” Tan said.

While AI can increase productivity and deepen learning, Tan warned that excessive dependence on it could deprive students of what he called the “productive struggle” essential to education — the process of wrestling with difficult problems, making mistakes and gradually developing the ability to reason independently.

“One of the fundamental things about education is really to teach our students how to think,” he said.

Front view of NUS Enterprise building in Singapore / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

Tan said assessments must also evolve as AI makes it increasingly easy for students to generate answers, shifting the focus toward how they arrive at them.

“You shouldn’t assess based on answers. You should assess the thinking,” he said. “There’s a big difference.”

NUS is also using AI to expand learning opportunities beyond the classroom.

Tan cited an AI-powered role-playing system used in fields such as psychology, nursing, law and social work. Instead of relying solely on actors to simulate patients or clients in class, students can practice with virtual characters based on different scenarios and receive immediate feedback on their performance.

The system allows students to repeat the exercises at any time, giving each of them more opportunities to practice.

Tan said the initiative shows how AI can enhance learning when it is designed around a clear educational purpose rather than adopted simply for the sake of using new technology.

Ultimately, Tan sees the debate over AI as part of a broader question about what universities are for.

“Universities shape society through the graduates they educate, the knowledge their researchers produce and the innovations they bring into the wider world,” he said. “AI could dramatically increase that impact, but only if institutions remain clear about what they want the technology to accomplish.”

Graphic by Bae So-young

新加坡国立大学校长陈永财表示，衡量大学成功的标准不仅是科研排名，更在于它如何帮助学生为毕业后的工作和生活做好准备。他警告学生不应将思考外包给人工智能，并强调教学法应指导人工智能的应用，而非反之。新加坡国立大学于2016年开始重新设计本科课程，并将定量推理和计算思维列为必修课。该校还在心理学、护理学、法学和社会工作等领域运用人工智能进行角色扮演练习。

谭教授表示，在AlphaGo等人工智能技术进步表明人工智能发展速度之快之后，新加坡国立大学于2016年开始重新设计本科课程。

新加坡国立大学将定量推理和计算思维列为本科生必修课，以加强他们对数据和算法思维的理解。

谭表示，在正式上课之前，学生们会学习如何使用人工智能以及如何避免滥用人工智能。

新加坡国立大学在心理学、护理学、法学和社会工作等领域使用人工智能角色扮演系统，让学生可以与虚拟角色进行练习并获得即时反馈。

发布于2026年9月24日 上午7:00（韩国标准时间）

陈永财表示，决定大学如何接纳人工智能的应该是教育目标，而不是技术。

新加坡国立大学校长陈永财于8月14日在新加坡国立大学礼堂接受《韩国时报》采访时留影。（《韩国时报》摄影师：沈铉哲）

这是《韩国时报》系列访谈的第五篇。该系列访谈旨在采访全球顶尖大学校长，探讨在人工智能、人口结构变化和地缘政治不确定性等因素影响下，各高校如何重新定义教育、科研和国际合作。本系列访谈由韩国新闻基金会新闻推广基金资助。

新加坡——新加坡国立大学（NUS）的全球竞争力不仅建立在卓越的研究之上，还建立在对教学的重视以及对学生在课堂之外取得成功的培养之上。

对于新加坡国立大学而言，衡量一所大学的质量最终应该看它能否让学生在毕业后掌握所需的知识和技能——这一重点将教学和就业能力置于大学战略的核心。

“我们非常重视教学，我们所做的很多事情实际上并不计入排名——但这正是我们大学的使命，”新加坡国立大学校长陈永财在最近接受《韩国时报》采访时表示。

他强调，研究仍然是顶尖大学的重要使命，但全球排名——往往非常重视研究表现——并不总是能反映大学在课堂上取得的成就。

对于新加坡国立大学而言，毕业生就业能力是衡量大学是否实现其教育使命的关键指标之一。

他说：“毕业生的就业能力是一个非常关键的因素，也是政府高度重视的问题。”

谭表示，新加坡国立大学尤其以获得全球雇主的高度评价而自豪，因为这些评价表明该大学在培养学生适应职场方面是否取得了成功。

“这表明全球雇主高度重视我们的毕业生，他们非常抢手，”他说。“从某种程度上说，这部分实现了我们希望在教学中达成的目标。”

8月14日，学生们在新加坡国立大学企业中心（NUS Enterprise）开发他们的创业项目。（韩国时报 沈铉哲摄）

这种对教育的重视不仅限于​​课堂，新加坡国立大学还为学生提供机会，让他们通过创业和创新将所学知识付诸实践。

通过新加坡国立大学企业发展中心 (NUS Enterprise)，该大学将研究和学术理念转化为初创企业，并将它们与全球市场联系起来，帮助将校园内产生的知识转化为现实世界的应用。

谭将研究和创新描述为一个持续循环的一部分：大学投入资源来产生新的想法和知识，而创新则将其中一些发现转化为经济和社会价值。

该大学已与世界各地的创新中心建立了联系，包括硅谷、慕尼黑、东京和上海，创建了研究人员和企业家可以交流思想并进入不同市场的网络。

新加坡国立大学对教学的重视也影响着它应对人工智能（AI）的方式，人工智能是高等教育面临的最大变革之一。

谭教授表示，人工智能正在迅速改变教学、科研、创新和大学运营，大学别无选择，只能拥抱人工智能。但他告诫说，不应让技术本身主导教育的变革方向。

他说：“教育学应该驱动人工智能，而不是人工智能驱动我们如何应对它。”

新加坡国立大学计算机学院毕业生、Ecovolt联合创始人谢宇健（Eugene Chia）于8月14日演示了人工智能和物联网如何帮助建筑物减少能源浪费。Ecovolt由新加坡国立大学企业支持。（韩国时报摄影：沈铉哲）

对于新加坡国立大学而言，关键在于让教育目标决定人工智能的使用方式，而不是为了采用技术而采用技术。

与此同时，谭强调了在学生接触人工智能之前打好坚实基础的重要性。

他说：“每个领域、每个学科都有其基础知识和技能，这些都需要在不借助人工智能的情况下进行培训。当他们掌握了这些知识和技能后，再利用人工智能来进一步提升他们的学习效果。”

谭将这种方法比作数学中引入计算器的方式。学生首先学习算术和数学推理，而不依赖计算器，从而建立必要的概念基础，之后再引入技术来帮助他们解决更复杂的问题。

他说：“学生首先需要建立自己的学科知识和思维能力。只有这样，他们才能利用人工智能来辅助学习，而不是仅仅依赖人工智能提供答案。”

新加坡国立大学早在2022年ChatGPT问世之前就开始为这一转变做准备。陈教授表示，早在2016年，当AlphaGo等人工智能技术的进步展现出人工智能加速发展的趋势时，该校就开始重新设计本科课程。随后，学校将定量推理和计算思维列为本科生必修课，旨在帮助学生更深入地理解数据和算法思维。

如今，学生们甚至在正式上课之前就开始学习人工智能，包括如何使用这项技术——以及同样重要的是，如何避免错误地使用它。

“你不应该把思考外包出去，”谭说道。

虽然人工智能可以提高生产力并加深学习，但谭警告说，过度依赖人工智能可能会剥夺学生所谓的教育中必不可少的“建设性斗争”——即与难题作斗争、犯错并逐渐培养独立思考能力的过程。

他说：“教育的根本之一就是教会学生如何思考。”

新加坡国立大学企业大楼正面图 / 韩国时报 沈贤哲摄

Tan表示，随着人工智能让学生越来​​越容易生成答案，评估方式也必须随之改变，重点应该转移到他们如何得出答案上。

“你不应该根据答案来评判，而应该评判思考过程，”他说。“这两者之间有很大的区别。”

新加坡国立大学也在利用人工智能技术拓展课堂以外的学习机会。

谭教授举例说，一种人工智能角色扮演系统已被应用于心理学、护理学、法学和社会工作等领域。学生们不再仅仅依赖演员在课堂上模拟病人或客户，而是可以利用基于不同场景的虚拟角色进行练习，并立即获得表演反馈。

该系统允许学生随时重复练习，从而为每位学生提供更多练习机会。

Tan表示，这项举措表明，如果人工智能是围绕明确的教育目的而设计的，而不是仅仅为了使用新技术而采用的，那么人工智能可以如何增强学习效果。

最终，谭认为关于人工智能的争论是大学存在的意义这一更广泛问题的一部分。

他说：“大学通过培养毕业生、研究人员创造的知识以及他们带给世界的创新来塑造社会。人工智能可以极大地增强这种影响，但前提是各机构必须清楚地知道他们希望这项技术实现什么目标。”

插图由裴素英绘制