PENANG, 19 January 2026 – Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Student Development Affairs and Alumni (HEPA), Professor Dr. Wan Ahmad Jaafar Wan Yahaya was recently in Japan to present a topic in a ‘Pocket Talk’ session entitled "The Challenge of AI in Education: How AI is Reshaping Gen Z Resilience."

Held as part of the Global Student Leadership Summit (GSLS) 2026 in Ibaraki, Japan, Wan Ahmad Jaafar touched in the session on how Artificial Intelligence (AI) would not only change the approaches to learning, but would also ‘reshape’ the resilience of Gen Z in dealing with academic pressure, social norms, and change in workplace demands.

"Gen Z is now facing a unique challenge; they not only need to be smart, but they also need to be able to adapt quickly (to their surroundings), to be critical (in their thinking) and could manage their emotions in a swiftly moving digital world,” he said.

Thus, he said, 21st century education needs to provide a balance in the use of technology and in inculcating the growth of human soft skills and values.

Wan Ahmad Jaafar also shared the best practices at USM in developing students to be resilient through programmes based on the principles of HEBAT (Holistic, Entrepreneurial, Balanced, Articulate, Thinking) and in instilling them with digital ethics.

Through its participation in GSLS, USM demonstrates a strong commitment to amplifying the student voice on the global stage, particularly in the areas of leadership, effective communication, and strategic networking.

The GSLS 2026 programme was held from 9 - 11 January 2026 at Tsukuba State University in Ibaraki, Japan.

Original Text: Hafiz Meah Ghouse Meah, Student Development Centre, BHEPA, USM/Translation: Mazlan Hanafi Basharudin/ Photos: GSLS 2026 delegation