Artificial intelligence is moving deeper into classrooms, universities and workplaces across Southeast Asia. The next challenge is making sure students and educators have the practical skills to use it responsibly.
AI Ready ASEAN is taking a larger role in that effort. The ASEAN Foundation has received endorsement from the ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Education (SOM-ED) for the programme’s next phase, which aims to equip more than 1.7 million students, K-12 teachers and university faculty members with practical AI skills by the end of 2028.
The programme is being carried out in collaboration with AVPN, with support from Google.org and the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
Group photo, from left to right: Dr Aung Kyaw, Director General, Ministry of Education, Myanmar; Dr. Carmela Oracion, Undersecretary for Learning Systems Strand, Department of Education of the Philippines; Mr Suthep Kaengsanthia, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Thailand; Mrs Odilia Ung Martins, Director General, Office of Policy, Planning and Inclusion of Timor-Leste; Dr Thanh Minh Nguyen, Deputy Director General, Ministry of Education and Training, Viet Nam; Ms Lim Wan Yong (Chair), Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Singapore; Dr Shamsiah Zuraini Kanchanawati Haji Tajuddin, Permanent Secretary (Core Education), Ministry of Education, Brunei Darussalam; Dr Bo Chankoulika, Under Secretary of State, Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, Cambodia; Ms Suharti, Secretary General, Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, Indonesia; Mr Sengsaden Bounlavong, Director- General, Department of International Cooperation, Ministry of Education and Sports, Lao PDR; Ms Fadzilah Fadzil, Undersecretary, Strategic Planning and International Relations Division, Ministry of Education, Malaysia; and Ms Rodora T. Babaran, Director of Human Development, ASEAN Secretariat.
From AI Awareness to Practical Skills
The initiative was introduced during the Open Session of the 21st ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Education. Its next phase forms part of the AI Opportunity Fund: Asia-Pacific, a USD35 million regional initiative led by AVPN with support from Google.org and ADB.
For ASEAN’s education sector, the shift is significant. The programme is moving beyond general awareness of artificial intelligence towards applied learning.
Training will focus on helping educators and students integrate AI into teaching, learning, research and workforce preparation. Responsible use will remain an important part of the programme.
Dr Piti Srisangnam, Executive Director of the ASEAN Foundation, said the next phase will build practical AI skills, helping teachers and students use AI responsibly and confidently.
Dr. Piti Srisangnam, Executive Director of the ASEAN Foundation, during the Open Session of the 21st ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Education (SOM-ED)
Training Designed for Local Education Needs
A regional programme of this scale cannot rely on a single approach.
The ASEAN Foundation plans to work with qualified Local Implementing Partners across ASEAN Member States. These partners will help develop locally adapted curricula and deliver applied AI training for K-12 teachers, tertiary students and university faculty members.
National education authorities will also play a role. The Foundation said it will work with respective Ministries of Education to align implementation with national education and AI priorities.
This could help participating countries build digital skills without separating AI training from existing education systems.
Building ASEAN’s Future Workforce
The programme comes as AI literacy increasingly intersects with workforce readiness.
For students, practical exposure can help them understand how AI may be used in future workplaces. For teachers and university faculty, training can support more informed use of AI in classrooms and research.
The wider AI Opportunity Fund: Asia-Pacific has already trained more than 500,000 workers and 50,000 small businesses across Asia-Pacific as of the end of June 2026, according to the press release.
Its expansion into deeper education-focused training points to a longer-term approach: building skills before young people enter the workforce.
The Open Session of the 21st ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Education (SOM-ED)
Regional Cooperation Goes Beyond Training
AI Ready ASEAN will also bring together government officials, academics, AI practitioners, civil society groups, international organisations, media and programme beneficiaries.
Regional and national convenings are intended to encourage knowledge sharing and generate insights that can support evidence-based AI education policies. The fourth Regional Convening is scheduled to take place in Singapore in December 2026.
The programme also aligns with regional priorities under the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Strategic Plan 2026-2030, ASEAN Economic Community Strategic Plan 2026-2030 and ASEAN Work Plan on Education 2026-2030.
Why This Matters for Southeast Asia
The public benefit goes beyond learning how to operate AI tools.
Building practical AI literacy among teachers can influence how students encounter the technology in everyday education. Training university faculty can also support research and prepare graduates for workplaces where AI is becoming more common.
For Southeast Asia, the economic relevance is equally clear. A workforce that understands both the opportunities and responsible use of AI will be better placed to participate in the region’s digital transformation.
The programme’s regional structure also gives ASEAN countries an opportunity to learn from each other while adapting training to local needs.
A Longer-Term Investment in Digital Skills
AI Ready ASEAN represents a move from introducing people to artificial intelligence towards helping them use it in practical settings.
Reaching more than 1.7 million learners and educators by 2028 will require strong coordination between education ministries, institutions and local partners. If delivered as planned, the programme will widen access to practical AI education while supporting ASEAN’s broader push for digital skills and workforce readiness.
For a region with a large and increasingly connected young population, that capacity could become an important part of future economic and social development.
About the ASEAN Foundation
Three decades after ASEAN’s establishment, ASEAN leaders recognised that shared prosperity, awareness of ASEAN, and interaction among people in the region remained insufficient. Based on this understanding, ASEAN leaders established the ASEAN Foundation during the ASEAN 30th Anniversary Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on 15 December 1997.
ASEAN Foundation is an organisation of and for the people of ASEAN. It carries a single overarching vision: to build a cohesive and prosperous ASEAN Community. As an entity under ASEAN, the Foundation supports ASEAN’s efforts to enhance awareness, identity, interaction, and community development across the region.
For more information, please visit: www.aseanfoundation.org
About the AI Opportunity Fund: Asia-Pacific
The AI Opportunity Fund: Asia-Pacific is a USD 35 million regional initiative led by AVPN, with support from Google.org and the Asian Development Bank, launched in 2024. The Fund aims to equip educators, workers, and MSMEs across Asia Pacific with the tools to navigate AI-driven transitions.
The Fund works with a diverse network of local organisations and empowers them to deliver training tailored to their communities. Their curricula are built on foundational AI courses from Google and expert partners, and are designed to support a wide range of groups, including students, teachers, workers, rural communities, and small business owners.
By the end of June 2026, the Fund has trained over 500,000 workers and 50,000 small businesses across Asia-Pacific.
About AVPN
AVPN is Asia’s largest platform for social impact, where over 700 resource providers, innovators and intermediaries from across 43 markets collaborate to mobilise capital.
Grounded in deep regional expertise and partnerships, AVPN is building a thriving ecosystem that accelerates measurable progress toward inclusive growth, empowering Asia to lead the way in global impact.
AVPN’s mission is to translate intent into impact by bringing together people, ideas, and resources for Asia. It does this by strengthening partnerships, fostering open collaboration, and enabling the coordinated flow of resources across markets and borders.
Together with its community, AVPN is building an impact ecosystem that supports a prosperous and inclusive Asia.
For more information about AVPN and its work, please visit its website and read its latest Annual Review.
