Speech by Ms Jasmin Lau, Minister of State for Education, at the ITE-VTC 10th International Student Seminar 2026 Closing Ceremony

The Honourable Jeffrey Lam, Chairman of VTC,

Mr Paul Chong, Deputy Chairman of VTC,

Mr Peter Lam, CEO of ITE,

Mr Donald Tong, Executive Director of VTC,

Speakers, Guests, Students,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

1. Good morning, everyone. I am very happy to be here with all of you at today's Closing Ceremony of the 10th ITE-VTC International Student Seminar (ISS).

2. For many of us who are now no longer called 'youths', we can remember an occasion in our younger years when we first saw the world. It could be a holiday, it could be an overseas exchange programme. For myself, it was a netball tournament. We went to Perth, and that was my first experience engaging, speaking with, and making friends with people who have similar interests, but are from another country.

3. For some of you here, this ISS experience may be your first one. It may also be the most memorable one, and I hope that for some of you, that is the case. It is rare to have these opportunities, and I hope that for all of you who have had a chance to experience the past few days, this marks a change in your own life journey.

4. You will start to realise that the world is much bigger than you thought it was. You will also realise that others from different countries have very similar hopes, and very similar worries to all of you. I hope that the past four days has been a great experience, and that all of you will go on to search for and strive for these experiences in future.

5. This is the tenth edition, and ten editions is a milestone worth celebrating. It is a testament to an enduring partnership between ITE and the Vocational Training Council of Hong Kong.

6. The theme of the seminar is "Youth Voices in a Changing World", so I will first speak to all the youths in this room.

7. You are the ones who will live through this changing world the most intensely; but living through this changing world does not always have to feel like something scary, something fearful, because it can also be very exciting for all of you here. You are the ones who will lead the way; you are the ones who will become future leaders who will chart the way for the next generations of youths.

8. Over the past few days, you have experienced and participated in what may be the start of your journey in leading this path forward. You engaged with very pressing questions of our time – sustainability, AI, technological change and so on. You learnt about how our cities can become more sustainable, what AI may mean for jobs and careers in future. But more importantly, what does it mean to belong to a generation that is more connected across borders than before.

9. I know you've visited many of what we call 'tourist spots' in Singapore. These are more than just tourist stops. These represent cultures and communities that we hold dearly in our lives, and that we constantly seek to bring together across many generations. I hope these experiences gave you something to think about, and something to bring home as well.

10. And while you worked alongside peers from a different city, system and culture, I also hope that many of you realise that you are more similar than different: the pressures you may feel about the future; the curiosity you have about where technology will take us; and more importantly, the desire to do something meaningful with your lives. These are all aspirations of your generation and will be extremely important for you as you start your journey.

11. Let me share three thoughts with you – not as answers, but as prompts for you in your journey ahead.

Keeping Our Sense of Agency in an AI World

12. First, keep the human touch in all that you do.

13. We speak about AI all the time. I'm sure your teachers and lecturers talk about AI more than once a day. We are being encouraged to try, to experiment, to use AI. But I hope you remember to stay human, too.

14. AI is meant to be a tool for us. It's meant to help us learn faster, work smarter, and tackle problems in ways that would have taken much longer on our own. But there is a very big difference between using AI as a tool and letting AI think on our behalf. You may say, "Don't worry, it won't happen to me". But trust me, it is already happening to many of us, adults and youth alike.

15. Many of you who already use AI would understand this. You're starting to become more dependent on it. Your instinct is to reach for it the moment there is a difficult question. Gradually, before you know it, it will become the only way you know how to do your work.

16. Where you can stay human is to let things be a little bit more difficult – let yourself sit with the problems for a little while longer, because it will train parts of your minds that are very important to hold on to. While it may be tempting to use AI and to ask AI to think on your behalf, don't let AI own you. Remember to keep in control of your own minds and make sure that AI always remains as a tool and not as something bigger than that.

Staying Human in a Digital World

17. The second thought is – to stay connected to other people, not just stay connected to your devices.

18. Let me share a personal experience with you. Months ago, I met a young volunteer in my community who had been volunteering for a while. He always insisted that he would communicate with me through WhatsApp instead of speaking to me in-person. Every time I asked him for a chat in person, he would say, "I'm busy with something now, we can discuss on Whatsapp".

19. I always wondered why, as it's a bit strange. Then, I realised that his messages were always very polished, very well-written on Whatsapp. After a while, I realised that I was not really talking to him – I was talking to him through AI. He was running all his replies through ChatGPT before sending them to me.

20. It was a difficult situation to be in, because I knew it was not easy for him to talk to me. I knew that he felt a certain pressure to say the right thing. He was not the most eloquent person in my volunteer team, and he did not want to come across as awkward or unsure. So, the device and the tools became defences that he had, to present a more polished and a more perfect version of himself.

21. Eventually, I did sit him down and told him that it's perfectly fine not to sound so perfect. That's how we start building a real relationship, including the awkward pauses, the silence – it's all okay, because that is how you start to build trust over time.

22. Remember that real relationships are not built on perfectly crafted messages. They are often built through very honest, very heartfelt conversations. The more misunderstandings that you have, that you get over, the stronger the trust you will have with each other. Through saying something imperfect, having the other person understand us anyway, and occasionally saying sorry for being a little bit more harsh. Again, these are ways to build trust with each other.

23. I hope that this seminar has given you a taste of that. Relationships can come from in-person exchanges and not just through a screen. Many students tell me, "Maybe I do not have to go for in-person dialogues or seminars. I can do it online via a chatroom. I can even do it while e-gaming, because there is a side chat and I can get to know people." And I say that it will be different. Yes, you can meet new folks online, but nothing beats having a personal and face-to-face exchange and dialogue with each other.

Building a Shared Future Across Borders

24. The last point I will share with you is: do not wait.

25. Many of you already have a role in shaping the world, but there are some of you who will constantly feel that maybe you're too young, maybe you're not experienced enough, maybe you need a university degree, maybe you need a job first before you can do something different.

26. My advice to you is: do not wait. You have energy that many of us do not when we are older. You have courage, you have the ability and willingness to challenge what's already out there. As time goes on, some of that will disappear. So, while you're still young, while you're still full of energy, take on the challenges that you see in the world today.

27. You have experienced some of that in your journey towards this International Student Seminar, and I encourage more of you to make these changes in your small everyday choices – how you treat the people around you, in the communities you show up for, and in the conversations you are willing to have. If you have found a passion in climate change or sustainability, push for it with all of your energy. If you feel strongly for social inclusion, or inequality, find ways in the community that you can contribute towards.

28. That is why platforms like the ISS are so meaningful. The friendships you have made here, I hope, are not just nice memories that you store as photos in your phones after this. I hope that they will become real and lasting connections with people who share your curiosity and your sense of purpose. And I hope that one day, when you're still pushing for sustainability, social inclusion, and inequality changes in our future policies, you remember that maybe some of it started from your ISS experience in 2026.

Closing

29. As this seminar comes to a close, my hope for all of you is not just that you become skilled and confident users of technology. My hope is that you remain thoughtful, grounded, and genuinely human. That you use technology to break barriers and bring people closer, and not to build more walls around them.

30. To all of you, again, I hope that you have had a great experience the past week. And to all our organisers, thank you doing the hard work in putting together the programme.

31. Thank you very much.