September 15: Human Intelligence has a great opportunity to elevate its potential through Artificial Intelligence. This and several other profound insights on the future of education marked the 4th STTAR Global Education Conference, held at Seth Anandram Jaipuria School, Ghaziabad.
Organised by the Saamarthya Teachers Training Academy of Research (STTAR), the daylong conference brought together education leaders, policymakers, academics, technology experts, career counsellors and educators from across India to deliberate on the theme ‘Leveraging Human Intelligence in the Era of AI’. The conference agenda featured global keynote addresses, national and international speakers, panel discussions, networking opportunities and the STTAR Excellence Awards.
The conference commenced with an inaugural ceremony, during which STTAR’s highest honour, the Shiksha Garima Puraskar, was conferred on Padma Shri Prof. Dinesh Singh, former Vice Chancellor of Delhi University and Chancellor of K R Mangalam University.
Accepting the honour, Dr. Dinesh Singh emphasised that the emergence of AI should not be viewed merely as a technological transformation, but as an opportunity to rethink the purpose of education and unlock the full range of human capabilities. Giving the example of the Greek philosopher Socrates, he urged the educators to be humble. “Don’t be hesitant to admit that you don’t know. More important than knowledge is character.”
He also underlined the need for education to nurture curiosity, imagination, judgement and the ability to think independently.
A deep perspective on the conference theme was shared by Mr. Shishir Jaipuria, Chairman, Jaipuria Group of Educational Institutions, in his welcome address. He said, “Even as we embrace technology, let us remember that there is something profoundly unique about human intelligence. We possess consciousness. We form relationships. We feel empathy. We carry values and lived experiences. We can imagine a future that has never existed and choose to build it.”
The academic perspective was brought in by Dr. Joseph Emmanuel, Chief Executive and Secretary, CISCE. Their addresses focused on the evolving needs of school education in an AI-enabled world. Representing the technology and industry perspective, Mr. Sanjay Jain, Head of Google for Education, India, spoke about the transformative possibilities of technology in education and the need to use AI as an enabler that empowers teachers and learners rather than replacing the human dimensions of learning.
The theme address was delivered by Ms. Sushma Raturi, CEO, STTAR, while Mr. Yash Jaipuria, Director, Jaipuria Group of Educational Institutions, gave the vote of thanks.
The daylong conference featured three thought-provoking panel discussions that explored some of the most pressing questions facing education in the AI era. These panels comprised reputed education leaders from diverse institutions.
The highlight of the conference was the STTAR Excellence Awards, which recognised outstanding educators and institutions from different states across India. The awards included School of the Year, Preschool of the Year, Principal of the Year, Vice-Principal of the Year, Teacher of the Year and Career Counsellor of the Year, besides Special Mention Awards across categories. More than 100 awards were presented, celebrating individuals and institutions that are making a significant contribution to education. The conference agenda also included the felicitation of the awards jury and event partners, who included Bharati Bhawan, Scholastic, Services Export Promotion Council (SEPC), Smart School, and Macmillan Education.
The prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Mr. R.S. Aggarwal, renowned mathematician, educator and author, in recognition of his exceptional contribution to mathematics education and his lasting impact on generations of learners.
The 4th STTAR Global Education Conference thus became a powerful platform for an important conversation on human potential in the age of AI.
