Hosted by the Chinese YMCA and supported by the Smart Education Charitable Foundation, the launch ceremony for the “Metaverse English Learning World - AI Companion Robot and Virtual Environment to foster Students' English Speaking Skills" project took place smoothly on October 26, 2024, at the Chinese YMCA College. The event featured the project’s technical director detailing the platform's design concept. Numerous guests shared insights into the role of "Virtual" and "Artificial Intelligence" in education, drawing interest from many school representatives.

Since April 2024, Smart Education has partnered with the Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong on the “Metaverse English Learning World - AI Companion Robot and Virtual Environment to foster Students' English Speaking Skills" project, part of the Quality Education Fund's e-learning initiative. Using generative AI and big data aligned with the Education Bureau’s curriculum, the project develops English-speaking courses for upper primary and junior high students, enhancing listening and speaking skills, sparking interest in learning, and encouraging independent study.

MyAIBuddy AI English Oral Platform

MetaLingua, Metaverse AI Chatting app

During the ceremony, Mr. Anthony Ng, supervisor of the Chinese YMCA, opened the event with remarks on the importance of English proficiency for students. Further speeches were given by Ms. Elsa Tsang, the President of the Smart Education Charitable Foundation and Chairman of the Hong Kong E-Textbook Association, and Mr. Willy Choi, Senior Project Manager at the Education Bureau IT Section. Dr. William Tang, Acting Head of the Department of Education at the Metropolitan University of Hong Kong, delivered a keynote on transitioning from information literacy to AI literacy and the evolving role of educators.

Supervisor of the Chinese YMCA Mr. Anthony Ng

President of Smart Education Charitable Foundation and Chairman of the Hong Kong E-Textbook Association Ms. Elsa Tsang

Senior Project Manager at the Education Bureau IT Section Mr. Willy Choi

Acting Head of the Department of Education at the Metropolitan University of Hong Kong Dr. William Tang

Mr. Cheung Wai Hung, the project’s technical director, presented the design concepts of the MyAIBuddy MyAIBuddy AI English Oral Platform and MetaLingua MetaLingua, Metaverse AI Chatting app, accompanied by a demonstration video. Principal Ching Chi Cheung of The Salvation Army Ann Wyllie Memorial School, a program partner, shared firsthand experiences with the platform, providing attendees with a comprehensive understanding.

Project Technical Director Mr. Cheung Wai Hung

Principal of The Salvation Army Ann Wyllie Memorial School, Mr. Ching Chi Cheung

The event also featured an interactive session where teachers explored the AI English conversation platform firsthand. This allowed participants to experience the platform's capabilities and provided an opportunity to gather feedback for ongoing improvements.

There was also an AI English conversation experience session on that day.

If your school is interested in joining the scheme, fill in and submit the google form below on or before Oct 31, 2024. We will contact you as soon as possible. 

https://forms.gle/AwGdFSRSWq1MoM557