Chancellor Serrano at ICOIE 2026. (Photo from Manfred Wu Man Fat)
Dr. Joane V. Serrano, Chancellor and Professor at the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU), served as a forum panelist at the 13th International Conference on Open and Innovative Education (ICOIE 2026), held from 23-24 July 2026. Hosted by Hong Kong Metropolitan University (HKMU), the conference explored the timely theme of “Artificial Intelligence in Open and Innovative Education.”
During her panel presentation titled “Autonomous Agents, Digital Divide, and Open Education: Opportunities, Challenges, and Boundaries for Learning and Teaching in the AI Era,” Dr. Serrano highlighted how AI introduces a “new layer of inequality” to the existing digital divide. She noted that while AI offers transformative opportunities for personalized tutoring and support, access remains uneven.
“We are no longer only asking who has access to the internet,” Dr. Serrano stated. “We are now also asking who has access to quality AI tools… and whose language and context are recognized.”
She urged educational institutions to protect the boundaries of equity, pedagogy, and institutional accountability to ensure AI supports rather than replaces the human elements of learning. “We must use AI not simply to modernize education, but to widen access, deepen learning, strengthen human agency, and make education more responsive to the realities of our learners and the needs of our societies.”
Chancellor Serrano spoke in a panel composed of Prof. Jenq-Shiou Leu, Dean of the College of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, and Professor of the Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering of Taiwan Tech, and Prof. Morris Jong Siu Yung, Professor, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, and Associate Director, Hong Kong Institute of Educational Research of The Chinese University of Hong Kong.
The event was held as a hybrid conference, allowing for both in-person sessions at the HKMU campus and virtual participation. About 500 delegates and 13 featured speakers from around the world participated in ICOIE 2026.
ICOIE is a global forum for researchers and practitioners to share advancements in delivery modes, curricula, and learner engagement.
Written by Anna Cañas-Llamas | Edited by Primo G. Garcia | Photos by Manfred Wu Man Fat
