Sep 30 | 2026
Opening ceremony context: celebrating a decade of regional progress
The 10th anniversary edition of Bett Asia opened in Kuala Lumpur, celebrating a decade of facilitating regional collaboration, Education Technology innovation, and educational reform across Southeast Asia. Hosted in Malaysia for the third consecutive year, the summit brought together regional ministers, UK government dignitaries, institutional leaders, and EdTech innovators.
Opening remarks paid tribute to the foundational leadership that established the event, including former Malaysian Deputy Minister of Education Datuk P. Kamalanathan, who helped launch the inaugural Bett Asia Summit in 2016. Distinguished attendees included His Excellency Ajay Sharma, His Majesty's British High Commissioner to Malaysia.
Transitioning from tech access to educational agency
Duncan Verry, Portfolio Director of Bett, welcomed delegates by contextualising Southeast Asia as one of the world's most dynamic educational ecosystems. Drawing comparisons across Bett’s four global events in the UK, US, Brasil, and Asia—which collectively gather 150,000 visitors from 150 countries and over 1,500 companies—Verry highlighted the unique positivity and pace of innovation defining Asian education.
Key Initiatives & Strategic Priorities:
Equity and Inclusion in Malaysia: Verry commended Malaysia’s ambitious education strategy leading to 2035, specifically highlighting commitments to double fully funded scholarships for the poorest households and deliver free higher education to 3,000 students with disabilities across universities, polytechnics, and colleges.
Regional Programmes & Celebrations:
Google Asia Schools Challenge: Engaging students in utilising innovation to solve real-world climate change problems.
EdTech10 List & Bett Asia Awards: Celebrating female edtech pioneers and enterprises across Southeast Asia.
Gender Equity: Recognising ongoing efforts by SEAMEO and the Asia-UK Committee to advance girls' learning.
Upcoming Keynotes: Announcements of keynote addresses by Dr. Noeleen Heyzer (former UN Under-Secretary General) and Datuk Nicol David (World Squash Champion and founder of the Nicol David Organisation).
Content Accessibility via Gemini Notebook: In partnership with Google, Bett Asia is capturing all main-stage sessions using Gemini Notebook, publishing text and audio versions post-event to ensure limitless access to content.
Verry emphasised that the broader sector is moving from mere infrastructure access to active learner agency, replacing passive consumption and online risks with constructive digital citizenship, well-being, and balanced technology integration.
Lord Leong CBE: Strengthening UK–ASEAN Educational Alliances & Responsible AI
Representing His Majesty’s Government, Lord Leong CBE, UK Minister for Small Business and Enterprise, highlighted the long-standing educational ties between the United Kingdom and Southeast Asia, home to over 650 million young people.
Bilateral Frameworks and International Policy
Lord Leong detailed the multi-layered UK policy engagement in the region:
Tri-Departmental Strategy: The UK’s refreshed International Education Strategy is jointly owned by three government ministries: the Department for Education, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), and the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade.
Regional Agreements: Institutional ties are reinforced through the UK-ASEAN Dialogue Partnership, the ASEAN-UK Plan of Action (2027–2031), and bilateral agreements with Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam.
Addressing PISA Benchmarks via SAGE: Utilising international assessment data such as PISA, the UK is collaborating with SEAMEO through the ASEAN-UK SAGE Programme to strengthen foundational literacy, numeracy, equity, and teacher training.
UK–Malaysia School Education MOU: The UK and Malaysia have agreed to develop a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on School Education to facilitate practical benefits for teachers and students.
Ethical Guardrails for Artificial Intelligence in Schools
Addressing the rapid deployment of Artificial Intelligence, Lord Leong advocated for balanced adoption:
Pedagogical Purpose: AI must personalise learning, increase system efficiency, and assist teachers rather than attempt to replace them.
Mitigating Risk: Systems must address data privacy, ethical standards, safety, and the risk of widening digital divides.
Pedagogy First: Technology remains an enabler; educational success relies fundamentally on effective pedagogy, robust institutions, and skilled educators.
UK Pavilion (Stand D11, Level 1): Featuring 15 curated UK technology providers offering solutions in assessment, Special Educational Needs (SEN), English language training, and TVET, supported by trade advisors across eight regional countries.
Dr. Zambri Abdul Kadir: Malaysia’s 2026–2035 Blueprint & "Authentic Humanity"
Officially opening the summit, YB Senator Dato' Sri Deraja Dr. Zambri Abdul Kadir, Minister of Higher Education Malaysia, outlined Malaysia's strategic vision for higher education in an era disrupted by rapid digital expansion.
The Malaysia Higher Education Blueprint 2026–2035
Dr. Zambri detailed the core philosophy behind the newly launched Malaysia Higher Education Blueprint 2026–2035, asserting that universities are not "degree factories" but institutions entrusted with cultivating civilisations.
Reforming Higher Education Structure
To adapt to changing economic needs, Malaysia is unbundling traditional higher education concepts into a four-quadrant system.
Flexible Pathways: Expanding micro-credentials, TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training), and lifelong learning programmes.
Equal Access: Ensuring no learner is excluded due to economic hardship, geographical isolation, or digital inequality.
Triple-Helix Ecosystem: Driving active collaboration across governments, universities, and industry partners.
Generative AI as a "Teachable Agent" vs. Authentic Humanity
Dr. Zambri noted that Generative AI has evolved beyond a basic software tool into a "teachable agent" that interacts directly with cognitive reasoning. While AI can automate decisions and process vast datasets, it lacks uniquely human attributes:
"AI can generate content and automate decisions, but AI cannot replace wisdom, conscience, or compassion... Technology should always remain our instruments or agents, but never our masters."
He concluded by framing the ultimate objective of modern education reform:
"History will not remember us for creating the smartest machines. History will remember us for preparing the wisest generation... In the age of artificial intelligence, our greatest competitive advantage will always be authentic humanity."
Audio and written summaries powered by Gemini Notebook, a free generative AI tool grounded in your provided sources. Try Gemini Notebook for free. You can listen to the audio overview of the session here.
The 10th anniversary edition of Bett Asia opened in Kuala Lumpur, celebrating a decade of facilitating regional collaboration, Education Technology innovation, and educational reform across Southeast Asia. Hosted in Malaysia for the third consecutive year, the summit brought together regional ministers, UK government dignitaries, institutional leaders, and EdTech innovators.
Opening remarks paid tribute to the foundational leadership that established the event, including former Malaysian Deputy Minister of Education Datuk P. Kamalanathan, who helped launch the inaugural Bett Asia Summit in 2016. Distinguished attendees included His Excellency Ajay Sharma, His Majesty's British High Commissioner to Malaysia.
Transitioning from tech access to educational agency
Duncan Verry, Portfolio Director of Bett, welcomed delegates by contextualising Southeast Asia as one of the world's most dynamic educational ecosystems. Drawing comparisons across Bett’s four global events in the UK, US, Brasil, and Asia—which collectively gather 150,000 visitors from 150 countries and over 1,500 companies—Verry highlighted the unique positivity and pace of innovation defining Asian education.
Key Initiatives & Strategic Priorities:
Equity and Inclusion in Malaysia: Verry commended Malaysia’s ambitious education strategy leading to 2035, specifically highlighting commitments to double fully funded scholarships for the poorest households and deliver free higher education to 3,000 students with disabilities across universities, polytechnics, and colleges.
Regional Programmes & Celebrations:
Google Asia Schools Challenge: Engaging students in utilising innovation to solve real-world climate change problems.
EdTech10 List & Bett Asia Awards: Celebrating female edtech pioneers and enterprises across Southeast Asia.
Gender Equity: Recognising ongoing efforts by SEAMEO and the Asia-UK Committee to advance girls' learning.
Upcoming Keynotes: Announcements of keynote addresses by Dr. Noeleen Heyzer (former UN Under-Secretary General) and Datuk Nicol David (World Squash Champion and founder of the Nicol David Organisation).
Content Accessibility via Gemini Notebook: In partnership with Google, Bett Asia is capturing all main-stage sessions using Gemini Notebook, publishing text and audio versions post-event to ensure limitless access to content.
Verry emphasised that the broader sector is moving from mere infrastructure access to active learner agency, replacing passive consumption and online risks with constructive digital citizenship, well-being, and balanced technology integration.
Lord Leong CBE: Strengthening UK–ASEAN Educational Alliances & Responsible AI
Representing His Majesty’s Government, Lord Leong CBE, UK Minister for Small Business and Enterprise, highlighted the long-standing educational ties between the United Kingdom and Southeast Asia, home to over 650 million young people.
Bilateral Frameworks and International Policy
Lord Leong detailed the multi-layered UK policy engagement in the region:
Tri-Departmental Strategy: The UK’s refreshed International Education Strategy is jointly owned by three government ministries: the Department for Education, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), and the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade.
Regional Agreements: Institutional ties are reinforced through the UK-ASEAN Dialogue Partnership, the ASEAN-UK Plan of Action (2027–2031), and bilateral agreements with Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam.
Addressing PISA Benchmarks via SAGE: Utilising international assessment data such as PISA, the UK is collaborating with SEAMEO through the ASEAN-UK SAGE Programme to strengthen foundational literacy, numeracy, equity, and teacher training.
UK–Malaysia School Education MOU: The UK and Malaysia have agreed to develop a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on School Education to facilitate practical benefits for teachers and students.
Ethical Guardrails for Artificial Intelligence in Schools
Addressing the rapid deployment of Artificial Intelligence, Lord Leong advocated for balanced adoption:
Pedagogical Purpose: AI must personalise learning, increase system efficiency, and assist teachers rather than attempt to replace them.
Mitigating Risk: Systems must address data privacy, ethical standards, safety, and the risk of widening digital divides.
Pedagogy First: Technology remains an enabler; educational success relies fundamentally on effective pedagogy, robust institutions, and skilled educators.
UK Pavilion (Stand D11, Level 1): Featuring 15 curated UK technology providers offering solutions in assessment, Special Educational Needs (SEN), English language training, and TVET, supported by trade advisors across eight regional countries.
Dr. Zambri Abdul Kadir: Malaysia’s 2026–2035 Blueprint & "Authentic Humanity"
Officially opening the summit, YB Senator Dato' Sri Deraja Dr. Zambri Abdul Kadir, Minister of Higher Education Malaysia, outlined Malaysia's strategic vision for higher education in an era disrupted by rapid digital expansion.
The Malaysia Higher Education Blueprint 2026–2035
Dr. Zambri detailed the core philosophy behind the newly launched Malaysia Higher Education Blueprint 2026–2035, asserting that universities are not "degree factories" but institutions entrusted with cultivating civilisations.
Reforming Higher Education Structure
To adapt to changing economic needs, Malaysia is unbundling traditional higher education concepts into a four-quadrant system.
Flexible Pathways: Expanding micro-credentials, TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training), and lifelong learning programmes.
Equal Access: Ensuring no learner is excluded due to economic hardship, geographical isolation, or digital inequality.
Triple-Helix Ecosystem: Driving active collaboration across governments, universities, and industry partners.
Generative AI as a "Teachable Agent" vs. Authentic Humanity
Dr. Zambri noted that Generative AI has evolved beyond a basic software tool into a "teachable agent" that interacts directly with cognitive reasoning. While AI can automate decisions and process vast datasets, it lacks uniquely human attributes:
"AI can generate content and automate decisions, but AI cannot replace wisdom, conscience, or compassion... Technology should always remain our instruments or agents, but never our masters."
He concluded by framing the ultimate objective of modern education reform:
"History will not remember us for creating the smartest machines. History will remember us for preparing the wisest generation... In the age of artificial intelligence, our greatest competitive advantage will always be authentic humanity."
Audio and written summaries powered by Gemini Notebook, a free generative AI tool grounded in your provided sources. Try Gemini Notebook for free. You can listen to the audio overview of the session here.
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