INSEAD highlights opportunities to strengthen immersive learning in Singapore

Ithai Stern says global universities are accelerating VR and AI education whilst local adoption remains limited.

Universities are accelerating investment in virtual reality and artificial intelligence training as business schools search for more scalable ways to teach leadership, operations, and decision-making skills.

Ithai Stern, Professor of Strategy, Akzo Nobel Fellow of Strategic Management, and Academic Director of the VR Immersive Learning Initiative, said INSEAD began immersive and experiential learning initiatives using virtual reality in 2019 and has since developed “over 40 different experiences” now used across “over 40 different universities worldwide.”

According to Stern, the school originally expected VR training to benefit disciplines focused mainly on interpersonal behaviour, including organisational behaviour and marketing.

However, Stern said operations professors became some of the earliest adopters because immersive technology helps students visualise operational systems, workflows, and complex business processes that are difficult to explain through traditional teaching methods.

“It's very hard to do this in writing,” Stern said. “It's very hard to do it without really visiting and seeing it with your own eyes.”

The discussion also highlighted how AI is expanding immersive education beyond VR headsets into mobile and computer-based instruction.

According to Stern, students can now receive AI-generated messages from simulated chief executives whilst travelling to school and interact with automated business scenarios in real time.

“We have students who, on the way to school, get a message from the CEO of a company,” Stern said. “Of course, it's AI-powered.”

Stern said AI-powered instruction is now entering “a really big boom,” with “tens” of universities worldwide joining the system and producing content.

At the same time, Stern warned Singapore risks falling behind despite its reputation for technology adoption and education innovation.

“There is only one other university that's teaching in virtual reality,” Stern said.

According to Stern, INSEAD has approached Singapore’s Ministry of Education several times to encourage broader adoption but local participation remains limited compared with international demand.

“We would love to have more than this,” Stern said.

Stern argued universities that fail to modernise teaching methods may struggle to prepare students for increasingly digital and hybrid work environments. He said immersive AI-powered education is moving beyond experimentation and becoming a larger competitive issue for schools globally.

“I believe there is tremendous potential here,” Stern said, referring to future partnerships ranging from “K-12 to graduate learning in universities.”