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STC Computer Information Technology program Leads the Way for AI Education

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Leadership and faculty with the Bachelor of Applied Technology Computer Information Technologies (BAT-CIT) program say they have now awarded more than 2,250 certificates to students taking BAT-CIT courses in the five years since integrating what the program calls AI-focused “microcredentials” tied to Google and Amazon Web Services (AWS) in fall 2020. STC image

Texas Birder Business

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By Joey Gomez

McALLEN, Texas – Artificial Intelligence (AI) is at the core of South Texas College’s Bachelor of Applied Technology in Computer Information Technology (BAT-CIT) program as it pioneers industry certificates on a statewide and national scale for students.

Leadership and faculty with the program say they have now awarded more than 2,250 certificates to students taking BAT-CIT courses in the five years since integrating what the program calls AI-focused “microcredentials” tied to Google and Amazon Web Services (AWS) in fall 2020. 

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The priority on industry credentials is giving graduates a unique and competitive edge in the job market, according to program Department Chair Saeed Molki.

“In the entire state of Texas and throughout the entire United States, no one has done such a thing,” Molki said, referring to the number of credentials awarded to students. “We do not overstate all the work we have done for students in the last five years.”

Crediting college leadership including STC President Ricardo J. Solis, Ph.D., along with Vice President and Provost for Academic Affairs and Economic Development, Anahid Petrosian, Ph.D., and Dean of Math, Science, IT and Bachelor Programs Ali Esmaeili, Ed.D., for encouraging the push toward microcredentials and AI, Molki said the effort began with a vision to embed industry certifications directly into courses. 

The effort culminated this year in 2025 as the program added four new AI-related courses, which includes an Advanced Artificial Intelligence course for fourth-year students and an upcoming Data Science and Machine Learning in Cybersecurity course which begins in spring 2026.

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Each course is meant to build on the last to create a progressive pathway to advanced AI concepts, according to BAT-CIT faculty.

“So essentially, students are going to be getting a certificate with every class,” said Assistant Professor of Computer Science, Nicholas Hinojosa. “Last semester, we even implemented that every student who is taking our 1301 class, which is our most basic class, will complete a certificate in Google Artificial Intelligence Essentials. These are students who are coming fresh from high school to STC.”

The BAT-CIT program offers seven industry-recognized certifications, that align with coursework so students earn credentials as they progress through the program.

CIT Assistant Professor Menghung Wu, Ph.D., emphasized that the curriculum builds from Python to machine learning and then to advanced AI which ensures students understand both the technical skills and theory behind AI systems.

“AI is no longer just a tool, it’s the foundation of how technology is advancing,” Wu said. “This is why in our program, we don’t just introduce students to the basics, we guide them step-by-step into the core of artificial intelligence. That deeper knowledge is what will set them apart as innovators in the workplace.”

BAT-CIT student Andrea Rios is the founder and current president of the program’s Computer Science Club and organizes various activities and speakers for students. Reflecting on the priority the program places on AI-related credentials, Rios said faculty are doing a phenomenal job by embracing the new technology and gauging the industry.

“The biggest way the faculty in the BAT-CIT program help students is by understanding the market and the workplace and realizing just how quickly it changes, especially in the technology industry,” Rios said. “At STC, we are taught to adapt and I think that’s the most important thing I have taken from my time here.”

For more information on STC’s Computer and Information Technologies program visit www.southtexascollege.edu/academics/computer-info-tech/index.html.

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RFK Jr. testifies on Capitol Hill, AI in education, gen­er­a­tional change in Congress – Spectrum News

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September 6, 2025

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RFK Jr. testifies on Capitol Hill, AI in education, gen­er­a­tional change in Congress  Spectrum News



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Trump Continues Push for AI in Schools as FTC Probes Risks

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September 5, 2025

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White House Kick Off School Year With AI Education Efforts, Public-Private Collabs

Chris Riotta (@chrisriotta) •
September 5, 2025    

Image: VideoFlow/Shutterstock

The White House is rolling out its Presidential Artificial Intelligence Challenge with new commitments to further expand the use of AI in education just as the school year begins – and as the Federal Trade Commission readies a probe into whether popular AI chatbots are harming children’s mental health.

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U.S. President Donald Trump hosted several big tech leaders Thursday night “for discussions centered on harnessing [AI] to propel the U.S. to the forefront of global innovation,” according to a press release the White House published Friday. The meeting followed the second White House Task Force on AI Education summit, where First Lady Melania Trump announced a series of commitments to help further the administration’s AI challenge, including forthcoming toolkits, webinars, classroom guides and agency action items to increase the implementation of AI training materials and tools in K-12 schools nationwide.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon said during the meeting the agency is “fully aligned with the Presidential AI Challenge” and “encouraging students and educators to explore AI technologies with curiosity and with creativity.” Experts have also warned the federal push to rapidly deploy AI tools across American classrooms could come with cybersecurity vulnerabilities, privacy risks and potential harm to minors (see: Trump Wants AI in Classrooms. Where Are the Safeguards?).

Initiatives to further AI in education include billion-dollar commitments from companies like Alphabet and million-dollar agreements with IBM – both of which had their CEOs at the education summit. Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer said that her agency is in the process of building new private sector partnerships to expand access to AI education and training materials nationwide. Google CEO Sundar Pichai said efforts are designed “in the service of helping the next generation to solve problems, fuel innovation and build an incredible future.”

Recent studies have shown AI tools and systems may have some positive benefits when introduced in the classroom but in their present form typically introduce major risks including the presence of inappropriate and harmful content. According to the Wall Street Journal, the FTC is preparing to send many of the top tech companies developing the leading AI tools that were present at the White House this week letters demanding information while investigating whether children’s mental health is impacted by the use of chatbots like OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

The White House Presidential AI Challenge invites U.S. students to complete a project that involves AI tools or systems to address community challenges, and encourages educators to use creative approaches to teaching and using AI technologies in K-12 education. Trump signed executive orders in April encouraging public-privte partnerships to expand AI in K-12 education, establishing the Presidential AI challenge and directing agencies to work with leading AI organizations in creating new resources specifically for K-12 education.

OpenAI has announced plans to create accounts for teens with parental controls amid lawsuits against AI companies over teenage suicides from families alleging their children were adversely affected by their tools.





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NetDragon Showcases AI-Powered Education Solutions at

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September 5, 2025

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Paris, France, Sept. 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NetDragon Websoft Holdings Limited (“NetDragon” or the “Company”; Hong Kong Stock Code: 777), a global leader in building internet communities, was invited to participate in UNESCO’s Digital Learning Week, held from September 2–5 at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, under the theme “AI and the Future of Education”.

NetDragon was featured at key events including the opening ceremony and parallel forums. As the only corporate invitee, it joined over 30 education ministers and senior officials from the UK, India, Thailand, Malaysia, Türkiye, the UAE and other nations at the Ministerial Roundtable. 

Dr. Simon Leung, Vice Chairman of NetDragon, emphasized in his address at the opening ceremony that the future of education must be a collaboration that transcends academic boundaries and national frontiers, enabled by technology.

During the event, NetDragon showcased a range of its AI education capabilities and products and  also explained why Open-Quest Academy (“Open-Q”)  chose to partner with NetDragon. Among the featured innovations were the interactive AI digital human, the Promethean ActivPanel 10 interactive panel, the ROKID AR immersive learning experience, and the “E-Library for Teachers”. The demonstrations drew global attention and garnered acclaim from international attendees.

Addressing Global Content Creation Challenges

Since the resurgence of large language models (LLMs) in 2023, AI has been a key driver in the acceleration of digital education worldwide. Dr. Leung underscored the transformative role of AI in education at the event.

The global education community continues to grapple with significant challenges, including the shortage and uneven distribution of education resources, as well as the excessive concentration of content within limited regions and languages. During the pandemic, over 500 million students lacked remote learning access, 72% of whom were in underserved regions. Meanwhile, 90% of open educational resources originate from Western countries, with the majority dominated by English.

To address these gaps, NetDragon created the AI Content Factory–a scalable, cost-efficient platform for culturally adaptive content production. By transforming educators’ tacit knowledge into structured data and enabling intelligent multi-agent collaboration across the content creation lifecycle, the AI Content Factory creates a self-improving system that combines human oversight with scalable AI-driven production. Its dual-cycle quality control mechanism integrates real-time teacher feedback and expert reviews, ensuring both accuracy and continuous improvement.

A prime example is the AI Education Platform launched in partnership with Thailand’s Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI) in May 2025. The platform provides AI-powered vocational training to students and young people across Thailand, aligning with the nation’s “Education 6.0” strategy while supporting growth in high-potential fields like AI, electric vehicles, and semiconductors. Beyond Thailand, with support from the World Bank, NetDragon is also advancing digital school transformation in countries including Cameroon. Going forward, the company will continue to leverage the AI Content Factory to deliver highly customized education solutions worldwide.

Partnership with Open-Q

NetDragon, together with the attending guests, witnessed the launch of Open-Q. Open-Q is an open, future-oriented education ecosystem. With education hubs and content creation centers worldwide, Open-Q brings together experts, teachers, and practitioners to collaborate on metaverse-based learning and teaching platforms. Anchored in its three core principles—technology for equity, co-creation of resources, and incentive-driven participation—Open-Q delivers high-quality, localized digital content to advance equitable and effective education worldwide.

Data shows that the unemployment rate among bachelor’s degree holders aged 20–24 has risen by 29% over the past four to five years. In certain fields, such as IT and computer engineering, the rate has surged more than 100% compared with 2018–2019. Amid this challenge, Open-Q is harnessing the power of AI to provide new opportunities and guidance for the future. A core feature of Open-Q is its “Learn-and-Earn” model, a learning community where learners acquire job-ready skills, educators are rewarded for high-quality contributions, and the entire ecosystem benefits from an expanding shared knowledge base.

The decision to partner with NetDragon is grounded in the Company’s demonstrated expertise in platform development, proven through multiple country-level initiatives. The Company’s collaborative history with UNESCO-affiliated institutions further solidified this partnership. In 2021, NetDragon jointly launched the “E-Library for Teachers” with UNESCO IITE—a platform that now supports more than 100,000 educators worldwide, demonstrating NetDragon’s sustained commitment to promoting educational equity through technology. 

Looking ahead, NetDragon will leverage its AI Content Factory as a core AI engine to deepen collaborations with UNESCO, national governments, leading global universities, and corporations. Together, they aim to create an educational ecosystem that transcends academic boundaries and national borders—accelerating the vision of a future where everyone can learn anywhere, anytime.

–End–

 

About NetDragon Websoft Holdings Limited   

NetDragon Websoft Holdings Limited (HKSE: 777) is a global leader in building internet communities, with a long track record of developing and scaling multiple internet and mobile platforms that impact hundreds of millions of users. Over the desktop and mobile internet eras, NetDragon previously established China’s first online gaming portal, 17173.com, and China’s most influential smartphone app store platform, 91 Wireless. 

Established in 1999, NetDragon is one of the most reputable and well-known online game developers in China with a history of successful game titles including Eudemons Online, Conquer Online, Heroes Evolved and Under Oath. In the past 10 years, NetDragon has also achieved success with its EdTech business both domestically and globally. Fully embracing the new AI era, NetDragon is driving its vision of “Infinite Growth” through a dual-focus strategy of “AI+Gaming” and “AI+Education”. With its AI Content Factory empowering operations and working with partners to develop a global learning metaverse, NetDragon is committed to once again building a massive user community in the new AI era. 

NetDragon’s overseas edtech business entity, currently a U.S.-listed subsidiary named Mynd.ai, is a global leader in interactive technology and its award-winning interactive displays and software can be found in more than 1 million learning and training spaces across 126 countries.

   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jghxm1p056M



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