AI and the Future of eLearning & Corporate Training

Cherie Diaz is Executive Director, Education Innovation at Western Sydney University. Joining in 2022, she heads up the Postgraduate Transformation and Lifelong Learning initiatives focused on developing highly differentiated, sector-leading microcredentials and programs, with curriculum co-created with industry and focused on current and emerging skill needs. To deliver on this remit, Cherie and her team are pioneering technology-enabled learning through its EdTech Innovation Hub,AI Pilot Committee membership; and being the Principal Partner in EduGrowth’s Higher Education EdTech Innovation Network.

Cherie is an Advisor to the Board of the Future Skills Organisation, Non-Executive Director for MEGT (Australia) Ltd, and Technology Advisory Committee member forAruma Services Limited.

In his role with Maybank, Fong Tuan leads people strategy, practices and policies to accelerate a transformative, purpose-driven workforce. He is a Chartered Fellow ofCIPD, UK and a qualified professional engineer, holding an honours degree in Electrical & Electronic Engineering, an MBA in Organizational Behaviour and a CFA. He is currently a Doctoral candidate researching on the reliability of quantitative correlation between psychometric traits with success profiles.

He started his career with Tenaga Nasional, Malaysia’s power utility company, where he was a scholar, subsequently leading and holding senior HR leadership roles for global MNCs and blue-chip corporations: Coca Cola, OCBC, Watson Wyatt, British American Tobacco, Maybank Group, B. Braun, Samsung and most recently, he headed HR for one of Malaysia’s largest and most diverse consumer group - Berjaya Corporation. Fong Tuan has been personally recognized regionally including HR Icon 2023 -100 Top HR Leaders in South East Asia, 40 Most Influential HR Leaders in Southeast Asia 2022 and HRM Asia Watchlist 2018.

Mr. Freddy Teo is the Head of the National Centre of Excellence for Workplace Learning at Temasek Polytechnic (NACE@TP). The centre supports companies in building robust workplace learning capabilities, guided by a framework inspired by the Swiss and German apprenticeship models. Freddy actively pursues industry collaborations with trade associations, councils (TACs), small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and consultancyagencies to help businesses reduce time and costs by enhancing talent retention and workforce training.

Freddy, an engineer-turned-entrepreneur who previously ventured into the café business, believes that effective leadership begins with developing one’s own people. He recognises the time and cost challenges faced by SME owners and advocates that skills development in the workplace and lifelong learning are key solutions to workforce challenges.

Freddy holds a Bachelor of Engineering and a Master of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering from Nanyang Technological University. Additionally, he earned a Master ofScience in Technopreneurship and Innovation from NTU, which included an overseas immersion program at Stanford University and Babson College, USA.

Andrew has broad experience in the education sector, working in multiple education spaces across Australia, Southeast Asia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. He has extensive experience in managing complex end-to-end projects in the Australian government, Higher Education and VET sectors, as well as corporate and secondary education. Andrew’s expertise in learning design is significant, and he is skilled in learning needs analysis, learning design, development, and evaluation. Andrew has extensive secondary teaching and pastoral care gained through working in schools in Australia, Singapore, and the United Kingdom.

Dr Jehana Ermy binti Jamaluddin serves as the Director of the Centre for Academic Advancement and Flexible Learning (CAFEL) at Universiti Tenaga Nasional (UNITEN), Malaysia and is a faculty member in the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering at the College of Engineering. With a specialization in computer networks, Dr. Jehana is deeply committed to advancing blended learning and engineering education. To date, UNITEN's digital learning initiatives have expanded to include micro-credentials (MC), MOOCs, and online distance learning (ODL) courses. This year, her centre's focus is on developing micro-credential courses, with 36 currently in progress and 23 MCs and MOOCs already available on the marketplace.

Aqashah is deeply passionate about leveraging technology to create impactful learning and digital solutions that address complex global and local challenges. His notable project, Safetynet One Health One Team Operationalization, exemplifies this dedication. Funded by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) under the Global Health Pandemic Preparedness Action Plan, this initiative is the first to operationalize One Health principles across healthcare, veterinary health, environmental health, and wildlife domains. With successful deployments in Malaysia, Taiwan, and Canberra, it stands as a global example of interdisciplinary collaboration in public health training and how AI-enhanced tools can be useful for pandemic preparedness.

Aqashah’s expertise extends beyond e-learning. He has made significant contributions to designing and deploying digital solutions in Malaysia, including healthcare services for expatriates in partnership with FOMEMA and the scaling up & deployment of MyDigitalD – Malaysia’s Digital ID framework. These initiatives underscore his ability to address diverse needs, from enhancing healthcare accessibility to advancing digital infrastructure on a national scale.

As part of Hayat Technologies Sdn Bhd, a Malaysian health tech company focused on AI-driven health solutions, Aqashah channels his passion into creating scalable and impactful tools. Collaborating with partners such as SAFETYNET, his work empowers professionals and communities to navigate evolving public health landscapes effectively.

Aqashah’s dedication to AI-enhanced e-learning and digital innovation reflects his belief in the transformative power of technology to drive meaningful change in global health and a more equitable digital society.

Dr Chua Wen-Shyan is currently the Head of Malaysian Smart Factory 4.0 under the Selangor Human Resource Development Centre (SHRDC). He obtained his PhD in Control Systems Engineering and BEng in Mechatronics Engineering from Monash University Malaysia. His key area of expertise lies mainly in the area of Control and Automation Systems, Fault Detection and Identification (FDI), and Predictive Maintenance Strategies; which are widely used in Industry 4.0 applications. He is also appointed by the Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC) in collaboration with the Machinery and Equipment Productivity Nexus (MEPN) as one of the mentors (advisors) for the PRODUCTIVITY1010 initiative to support the industries in their journey towards digital transformation.

As the Head of Malaysian Smart Factory 4.0, Dr Chua and his team are focused in delivering high impact talent development programs to accelerate the growth of local talents who would be the workforce in supporting the growth of Industry 4.0. The programs developed by his team at the Malaysian Smart Factory 4.0 are also able to support the industries and community towards achieving sustainable digital transformation through high impact talent development strategies.

Adam is a visionary entrepreneur driving transformative change in Artificial Intelligence (AI) within the education landscape. As the Founder and CEO of OpenLearning, he's been at the forefront of revolutionising learning experiences. A double-degree holder in Engineering (Software) and Arts (Politics) from UNSW, Adam's passion for innovation garnered him recognition as a Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia honoree in Consumer Technology in 2017, as well as induction into The Pearcey Foundation's 2018 NSW Tech Entrepreneur Hall of Fame. In 2012, Adam co-founded OpenLearning alongside luminaries like UNSW Prof Richard Buckland and David Collien. This social learning platform has since attracted over a million students, hosting groundbreaking short courses, micro-credentials, and degrees across Australia and Malaysia.

David holds a Bachelor of Science (Computer Science) with 1st Class Honours from the University of New South Wales (UNSW). His former PhD research topic at UNSW centred on Computer Science and Education: pedagogy, motivational mechanics, and social dynamics which facilitate effective online learning communities, self-directed learning and online heutagogy. David founded OpenLearning in 2012 with fellow UNSW coursemate Adam Brimo, and later graduated from Telstra's Muru-D programme. David is actively involved in the Sydney Edutech and startup scene.