Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia — Education took center stage at the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit this year (ASEAN Summit), where leaders, policymakers, and education innovators gathered to discuss the future of learning, jobs, and regional competitiveness in the age of AI and automation. Representing Indonesia and the private education sector, Mr. Jaspal Sidhu, Founder and Chairman of SIS and Inspirasi Group of Schools, shared groundbreaking insights on how scalable and sustainable education models can transform communities beyond capital cities.

Education as ASEAN’s Strategic Agenda

At this year’s summit, a defining shift occurred: education and jobs were no longer viewed solely as social priorities but recognized as ASEAN’s most strategic economic and integration agenda. With rapid advances in technology and shifting demographics, regional leaders agreed that human capital, not infrastructure alone, will define ASEAN’s competitiveness.

For Indonesia, this message resonates deeply. Improving learning outcomes remains a national priority, and innovative models like those developed by SIS and Inspirasi are helping bridge the gap between access and quality, especially outside major cities.

A School Group at the ASEAN Stage

For the first time at such a high-level regional forum, a school group, not just policymakers or government representatives, was invited to speak. SIS and Inspirasi Group of Schools were the only education organizations represented, joining a panel that included:

• The Hon. Senator Dato’ Seri Diraja Dr. Zambry bin Abdul Kadir, Minister of Higher Education, Malaysia
• Datuk Parmjit Singh, CEO, Asia Pacific Institute of IT (APIIT) and Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation
• Dr. Eng Netra, Executive Director, Cambodia Development Research Institute
• Dr. Le Mai Lan, President of the University Council, VinUniversity and Vice Chairwoman, Vingroup JSC

Adapting Singapore’s World-Class Education System for Emerging Economies

During the discussion, Mr. Jaspal Sidhu shared how SIS Group has successfully adapted Singapore’s world-leading education system, ranked #1 globally by OECD PISA, to build high-quality, affordable, and contextually relevant schools across Indonesia and other emerging economies.

“We cannot afford to ignore education standards outside capital cities. Scalable, sustainable, and high-impact education models already exist, and they work.” said Mr. Jaspal Sidhu.

He outlined two of SIS’ most impactful frameworks that are redefining access and excellence in education:

• The Half-Fees Model
  Expanding access to world-class education by lowering tuition costs while maintaining quality.
• The EFFECTOR Model
  Identifying, developing, and empowering outstanding teacher talent in smaller cities through SIS’ structured training ecosystem.

Empowering Educators, Building Communities

Mr. Sidhu emphasized SIS’ “attitude-first” approach to teacher recruitment and training, grounded in the belief that great educators are defined by character before skill.

“In smaller cities, the DNA of great teachers already exists, humility, sincerity, and deep commitment to their communities. What they need is exposure to international best practices. That’s where our model bridges the gap,” he shared.

He cited inspiring examples from Palembang, Sidoarjo, and Kediri, where local teachers trained under the SIS and Inspirasi frameworks are now exceeding expectations and uplifting entire communities.

Delegates from Thailand, Myanmar, India, and Vietnam expressed strong interest in how Indonesia’s private education sector is driving such scalable transformation, a model that achieves both quality and reach.

Education as ASEAN’s Equaliser

Mr. Jaspal Sidhu reiterated SIS’ commitment to inclusive, high-impact education:

“Education remains ASEAN’s most powerful equaliser. We have a responsibility to ensure it lifts every community, not just the privileged ones.”

He added that SIS and Inspirasi will continue expanding across Indonesia and Southeast Asia, carrying Singapore-inspired academic rigor, Indonesian innovation, and a shared mission to provide every child, in every city, big or small, with access to world-class learning opportunities.

Discover how SIS is shaping the future of learning in Indonesia and across ASEAN. Visit SIS Schools to learn more about our scalable, sustainable, and inclusive education models.