Building Healthier Futures with AI

Written by: Joshua Choo Guan Yu (4A3, 2026)

From 14 to 20 July 2026, Hwa Chong Institution hosted the AI Forum & Immersion Programme, bringing together students from the High School Affiliated to SUSTech (HSAS) in Shenzhen, China, Gyeonggi Science High School for the Gifted (GSHS) in South Korea, and Hwa Chong Institution (HCI) in Singapore. The programme culminated in the 2026 AI Forum, themed “AI for Everyday Wellness: Smart Tools for a Healthy Lifestyle” (智享健康：人工智能助力健康生活). 

Throughout the programme, students worked in cross-school teams to develop AI-powered solutions that could support healthier living. In fast-paced societies, individuals often face growing pressures arising from academic demands, workplace stress and digital overload. Against this backdrop, the forum encouraged students to consider how AI could help people manage their physical, mental and emotional well-being.

The theme invited students to design practical and innovative tools that could promote physical health, mental clarity and emotional balance, while helping individuals adopt healthier and more sustainable lifestyles. Their projects explored a range of issues, including dietary planning, screen-time management and other everyday wellness concerns.

Before the forum, students participated in a series of student-led workshops designed for both beginners and more advanced learners. The beginner workshops introduced foundational concepts such as Python programming and application programming interface integration. The advanced workshops explored machine learning, neural networks and the complex algorithms that underpin AI applications.

The forum was honoured to welcome our alumnus, Mr Chia Wee Luen, Managing Director of Microsoft, as Guest of Honour. During a panel discussion with Principal Mr Lee Peck Ping, they shared their perspectives on the impact of AI on society, industry and education.

Selected teams subsequently presented their project proposals and prototypes to the participants. Their presentations demonstrated how relatively simple technological tools could be developed to address complex, real-world challenges. Although the students had known one another for only a few days, they displayed strong commitment and enthusiasm throughout their discussions. Most teams produced comprehensive proposals, while several developed working prototypes to demonstrate the feasibility of their ideas.

The top five teams, selected by teachers and judges, were recognised for the creativity and innovation of their projects and received certificates and prizes.

Beyond developing students’ technical competencies, the programme also sought to foster meaningful relationships among students from HCI, HSAS and GSHS. Through close collaboration and the exchange of ideas, participants gained a deeper appreciation of one another’s cultures and formed new friendships.

These partnerships will continue through future exchanges. HCI’s Secondary 3 Computing Talent Programme (CTP) students will visit HSAS in Shenzhen in October, while the Secondary 4 CTP students will visit GSHS in November. These opportunities will allow students to build on the connections established during the programme and further strengthen the relationships among the three schools.

By bringing together artificial intelligence, healthy living and cross-cultural collaboration, the AI Forum offered students an enriching opportunity to apply their knowledge to meaningful challenges. It was a memorable experience that demonstrated how technology can be harnessed not only to solve problems, but also to improve people’s everyday lives.