Thursina International Islamic Boarding School (IIBS), through its Sciencepreneur Program, held AI for Productivity Batch 27 at TICH Leiden on Thursday, August 13, 2026.
This annual seminar introduced students to the productive and responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) in education. The program is part of the AI Opportunity Fund: Asia Pacific by AVPN, supported by Google.org and the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
The event was attended by Grade 11 male students of Thursina IIBS Senior High School as part of efforts to strengthen skills that are relevant to today’s technological developments. The seminar featured M. Ziaelfikar Albaba, CEO of Nortis AI Academy and Business Community Lead at Telkom AI Center Malang, along with content creator Hari Obbie.
Head of the Sciencepreneur Program, Ustaz Muhammad Zainur Rifai, S.Pd., M.A., explained that the program was designed to help students understand how AI works while also developing the right mindset in using it.
“We want students to understand how AI works and be able to use it responsibly, especially to support educational activities. Technology should be a tool that strengthens the way we think and create, not something that replaces it,” said Ustaz Muhammad Zainur Rifai, a master’s graduate of Eötvös Loránd University.
Through interactive sessions, students were introduced to the development of AI and its many possible uses in improving productivity. The approach also encouraged them to think critically about its benefits, limitations, and possible consequences.
For the Sciencepreneur Program, the ability to adapt to technological development is an important part of preparing young people for future changes. Digital skills need to grow alongside critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and responsibility in decision-making.
This perspective is in line with the Open-Minded value within Thursina IIBS’s RECODING Values, which encourages students to remain open to developments in science and technology while still being able to evaluate, consider, and use them wisely.
Ustaz Muhammad Zainur Rifai added that the experience was expected to build new habits in using AI more consciously and collaboratively.
“We hope students will become wiser in using AI and be able to use it collaboratively to create meaningful work and support the learning process,” he concluded.
Through AI for Productivity Batch 27, Thursina IIBS once again strengthens its commitment to providing a Holistic & Balanced Education that combines academic development, character building, creativity, and readiness for technological change. (Izz)
