Thai University Partners with US Professor on Future Skills for the AI Age
Behavioural scientist Dr Victor Strecher, creator of a world-ranked Coursera course, visited Chulalongkorn University to discuss how purpose-driven learning is the key to thriving in a rapidly changing, AI-driven world
- Chulalongkorn University partnered with Dr. Victor Strecher, a professor from the University of Michigan, to host a lecture on succeeding in the age of AI.
- The lecture identified "purpose-driven learning" as the essential human foundation for resilience, well-being, and high performance in an AI-powered economy.
- Dr. Strecher argued that a clear life purpose is a critical skill that acts as a compass, helping individuals overcome the fear and uncertainty associated with rapid technological change.
- He concluded that when a person's purpose is integrated with AI tools, the technology becomes a "multiplier force" that amplifies human capability rather than just replacing jobs.
Chulalongkorn University (Chula), through its Center for Learning Innovation and in collaboration with Coursera for Campus, recently hosted its 5th President’s Distinguished Speakers event, featuring a lecture on the crucial role of human purpose in the face of rapid technological change.
The event, held on October 6, 2025, was opened by University President, Professor Dr Wilert Puriwat.
The keynote address, titled “Purpose-Driven Learning: The Human Foundation for Flourishing in an AI-Powered Economy,” was delivered by Dr Victor Strecher.
Dr Strecher, a pioneering professor from the School of Public Health at the University of Michigan, is a renowned behavioural scientist and author.
He is perhaps best known as the creator of the popular Coursera online course, “Finding Purpose and Meaning in Life,” which was ranked by Inc. magazine as the 4th best online course globally in 2020.
Addressing a packed auditorium of faculty, staff, and students, Dr Strecher outlined how purpose-driven learning serves as a vital foundation for building resilience, achieving high performance, and fostering general well-being in the AI era.
He stressed that humans need more than just energy and skills; they need a clear purpose in life to act as a directional compass.
“When we are afraid, the brain immediately constructs a wall, but ‘purpose’ is the only power that can break down that wall,” Dr Strecher counselled the audience. “Do not let fear control your life; the brain is for thinking, not for being dictated by fear.”
He cited research showing that individuals with a clear life purpose are four times less likely to contemplate self-harm, adding that "having a reason to wake up every morning is the best mental cure."
Discussing the future of work, Dr Strecher acknowledged that AI has the potential to either destroy jobs or multiply human capability.
He stressed that the outcome depends entirely on whether the technology is used with a clear purpose.
“We speak of AI as if it is a single thing, but it is actually multiple intelligences that we must learn to coexist with,” he explained. “AI cannot replace humans in everything, but it can amplify our clear self.”
Dr Strecher also noted that when a person’s identity and life purpose are appropriately integrated with AI tools, the technology acts as a “multiplier force.”
This merging of "skills" and "life purpose," he concluded, will create more hopeful learners and leaders, enabling them to move forward with greater confidence in both direction and potential.
