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https://www.zaobao.com.sg/forum/views/story20260701-9295425?utm_source=android-share&utm_medium=app
July 1, 2026
Lianhe Zaobao
Author: Professor Chee Yeow Meng, Provost and Chief Academic & Innovation Officer of Singapore University of Technology and Design
Author: Jenny Lee, Senior Managing Partner at Granite Asia
The Wit and Wisdom of Lee Kuan Yew states: "I have yet to hear of anyone who became a leader by attending leadership courses." This remark hits the nail on the head, laying bare a simple yet profound truth: leadership is not a theoretical knowledge that can be taught in classrooms, but an embodiment reflected through actions. It stems from real-world experience of shouldering responsibilities, overcoming setbacks, and earning the trust of others. In fact, this principle applies not only to leadership but also to all core qualities that shape one’s life.
Holistic education should consist of four mutually reinforcing core components.
Values define what we deem right and worth pursuing. Character refers to the steadfast disposition to uphold and act on one’s values even at personal cost. Mindset embodies the attitudes we adopt when confronting challenges, pursuing learning, navigating uncertainty, risks and failures. Competency framework refers to a full set of practical capabilities required to get things done well, including problem definition, prototyping, communication and presentation, as well as data analysis.
Each of the four components serves a distinct function: values set the direction, character provides inner support, mindset drives growth, and competency frameworks turn ideas into tangible outcomes.
Given such goals of education, how should we design teaching approaches? Classroom instruction remains indispensable for subjects such as mathematics, logical reasoning and fundamental physics. The promotion of active learning in classrooms is essentially the implementation of experiential learning within a classroom setting — students learn through personal participation, practice and reflection, rather than merely listening passively to lectures.
Research has proven this method to be more effective than traditional lecturing. A physics education study published by Harvard University in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that students receiving active learning instruction achieved significantly better learning outcomes than those taught via conventional lectures. Interestingly, despite perceiving themselves to have learned less, they actually grasped more knowledge.
Nevertheless, the true value of experiential learning extends far beyond classroom walls. It delivers its maximum impact only when students step into the real world, collaborate with genuine end-users, communities and people from diverse cultural backgrounds, and solve problems in environments with tangible responsibilities and real feedback loops.
It is within such processes that values, character and mindsets gradually take shape; capabilities such as design and innovation also evolve from abstract classroom concepts into practical proficiency.
As the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle put it: "The things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them." No one becomes an architect merely by reading a book about bricks, nor an accomplished doctor simply by memorizing medical protocols.
Practice is the most fundamental pathway to nurturing these four core qualities. Through practice, we gradually clarify our values; by repeatedly taking on accountability and receiving feedback, we forge resilient character; when confronting the unknown and ambiguity, we cultivate sound mindsets; consistent, intentional practice continuously hones our practical capabilities.
We will examine each of these four dimensions one by one below.
Values
Values only grow clear through interactions with real people and the real world.
The formation of values demands sustained awareness of the world, and such awareness arises from genuine contact and firsthand experience, not isolated contemplation confined within a room. The more diverse people and cultures we engage with, the more mature our values become. Exposure to different individuals and cultures enables us to understand how others perceive the world and the reasons behind their perspectives.
This understanding is especially critical in the current era where geopolitics profoundly shapes economies, technologies and ways of life. Participation in community service, collaborative design projects with actual end-users, and socially impactful initiatives compel students to reflect deeply: what truly matters, and why? They learn to navigate real-world trade-offs instead of dwelling on empty slogans.
Character
Character is forged incrementally through repeated accountability, commitment fulfillment and feedback acceptance. Students achieve genuine growth when teams rely on them, when they dare to acknowledge and take ownership of mistakes, and when they iterate and improve persistently. True growth emerges from challenges, not comfort zones.
The virtues we most wish to cultivate cannot be taught in lectures; they must be nurtured through real-life experiences. Traits such as integrity and sound judgment, resilience and perseverance, adaptability and ethical awareness are all subject to continuous testing. This means embracing reasonable risks, accepting unvarnished, direct criticism, and pressing forward amid slow progress and persistent hardships. Sports offer an intuitive illustration of this principle. Training can refine technical skills, yet the lifelong gains include discipline, self-regulation, persistence and teamwork spirit.
Mindset
One’s mindset dictates how they respond to uncertainty. Two types of mindsets carry exceptional importance in contemporary society.
First, an entrepreneurial mindset. Those with an entrepreneurial mindset view problems as opportunities and willingly confront risks, ambiguity and failure. Instead of relying on unfounded assumptions, they validate ideas through small-scale, low-cost experiments, then refine and optimize continuously based on user feedback and practical results. This mindset also demands high personal agility to swiftly adjust course amid shifting environments.
Second, a global mindset. In cross-cultural collaboration, the foremost priority is not self-expression, but learning to listen, understand diverse cultural contexts, adapt communication styles, align disparate values and behavioral norms, and coordinate collective efforts to deliver tangible results.
Neither entrepreneurial nor global mindsets can be acquired solely through classroom lectures. Only within real-world scenarios do individuals face the need to make judgments with incomplete information, collaborate with peers from varied backgrounds, and adjust their approaches amid evolving realities — processes through which these mindsets gradually develop.
Competency Framework
Practical capabilities are built through sustained, intentional practice. Classrooms and laboratories lay the theoretical groundwork for many competencies, with active learning methods yielding superior results. When it comes to capabilities such as design and innovation, classroom learning alone is insufficient. Students must engage in real-world projects at an early stage and maintain consistent practice under mentorship. Studying case histories cannot teach one how to address the genuine needs of end-users.
Meaningful learning stems from observing real scenarios, building prototypes, testing them with actual users, and revising iteratively based on feedback until viable solutions are reached. Authentic project briefs, constrained budgets, real end-users and faculty guidance compel students to pursue rigor and precision. Through repeated prototyping, testing and presentations, students progressively master skills including problem framing, solution development, outcome measurement and effective communication. Artificial intelligence (AI) can rapidly generate creative concepts, yet only long-term engagement with real users enables one to identify which ideas hold merit. Therefore, proficient AI utilization entails not merely content generation, but crucially, the ability to validate outputs.
Students must learn to question AI-generated content, verify source credibility, and cross-check model recommendations against genuine user demands and practical outcomes. Continuous iteration not only strengthens technical proficiency but also cultivates discernment. Innovation originates from hands-on practice, not theoretical deliberation on paper. Real end-users are always the most effective teachers.
As AI gains broader traction in classrooms and workplaces, the significance of experiential learning becomes even more pronounced.
Today, AI can rapidly generate information, draft preliminary solutions and process structured problems at scale. Nevertheless, it still cannot competently execute complex, human-centric work such as defining multifaceted problems, weighing competing trade-offs, rendering ethical judgments with integrity, and bearing accountability for decision-making consequences.
Classrooms can help students grasp these conceptual frameworks, yet true competence arises from repeated real-world practice — engaging with actual users, leveraging authentic data, and bearing tangible consequences. Students are required to frame problems amid incomplete information, conduct small-scale field trials, and revise solutions promptly when outcomes diverge from initial assumptions.
They must also explain their decisions to affected stakeholders, listen attentively to their input, and integrate such feedback into subsequent rounds of improvement. Discernment, accountability and empathy take shape precisely through such iterative practice.
Singapore is advancing steadily along this trajectory. The Lifelong Learning initiatives rolled out by the Ministry of Education encourage students to step outside classrooms, develop interpersonal skills, emotional regulation and resilience through real-life experiences, and establish sound values. Meanwhile, service learning programmes, corporate internships and overseas exchange opportunities grant students invaluable chances to engage directly with society and gain global exposure.
Education is defined not only by what we teach students, but more importantly, by what they experience firsthand. The most transformative growth experiences often unfold beyond classroom boundaries. Classrooms teach students how to think; practice empowers them to build values, shape character, cultivate adaptive mindsets and sharpen problem-solving capabilities. Equipped with these experiences, they dare to embrace risks, adapt proactively to change, navigate uncertainty with composure, grow stronger through failures, and sustain an enduring aspiration to impact the world and contribute to society.
Accordingly, future education cannot rely solely on curriculum design. It must deliberately integrate practice, challenges and innovation into every student’s developmental journey, facilitating consistent growth through thoughtfully crafted learning experiences. Education must not only equip young people with employable skills, but also nurture the character that enables them to lead fulfilling lives.
Author: Professor Chee Yeow Meng, Provost and Chief Academic & Innovation Officer of Singapore University of Technology and Design
Author: Jenny Lee, Senior Managing Partner at Granite Asia
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