At ICMR 2025, our President Dr. Winnie Wong delivered an opening keynote titled:
Educating the Future Without Losing Our Past: Culture, Identity, and Human Flourishing in the Age of AI
Drawing from personal narrative, educational philosophy, and cross-disciplinary perspectives, Dr. Wong’s keynote explores how artificial intelligence can support learning without replacing the human relationships, cultural memory, and moral wisdom that shape identity and belonging.
The talk reflects on intergenerational learning, storytelling, and cultural inheritance through the lens of AI and education. Using the concept of a “Local Wisdom → AI → SDG continuum,” Dr. Wong examines how technology can be intentionally designed to strengthen culture, deepen empathy, widen access to knowledge, and support human flourishing across generations.
Rather than framing tradition and innovation as opposing forces, the keynote invites participants to consider how education can advance through “both-and” thinking — where local wisdom, human judgment, and emerging technologies work together to build more sustainable and humane futures.
The session will challenge attendees to reflect on their own disciplines, communities, and educational systems, asking:
- What forms of knowledge are at risk of being lost?
- How can AI help preserve and extend cultural wisdom?
- What human capacities must remain at the center of education in the AI era?
The keynote ultimately calls for a future in which technological progress is rooted in care, continuity, responsibility, and shared global purpose.
The 8th International Conference on Multidisciplinary Research (ICMR) 2025 brings together scholars, educators, researchers, and professionals from around the world to explore how interdisciplinary collaboration can help address some of today’s most urgent global challenges. Held fully online via Zoom, this year’s conference centers on the theme:
“Artificial Intelligence and Local Wisdom Synergy for Achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”
The conference highlights the importance of balancing rapid technological innovation with human values, cultural heritage, ethical responsibility, and sustainable development. Participants from fields including science and technology, medicine and public health, economics and education, as well as philosophy, religion, and law will engage in conversations about how AI can support more inclusive, equitable, and human-centered futures.
ICMR 2025 also serves as a global platform for cross-cultural dialogue and multidisciplinary exchange, encouraging researchers and practitioners to rethink how knowledge, technology, and local wisdom can work together to strengthen communities and advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
