Dr LJ Rayphand of the Caroline College and Pastoral Institute, Federated States of Micronesia, has joined The 11th IAFOR International Conference on Education in Hawaii (IICE2026) and The 6th IAFOR International Conference on Arts & Humanities in Hawaii (IICAH2026) panel titled ‘Education, Culture, and the Environment in an AI-Driven Era’.
Dr Rayphand was selected as a panellist due to his leadership and research in integrating indigenous knowledge, culture, and storytelling with emerging AI technologies to support culturally responsive education. He will be joined by Professor Jun Arima, The University of Tokyo & IAFOR, Japan; Professor Michael Menchaca, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, United States; and Dr Peter J Mataira, Hawai'i Pacific University, United States, who have also been chosen as panellists for this topic.
This panel will be held both onsite in Hawaii and online via live-stream. To participate in IICE/IICAH2026 as an audience member, please register for the conference via the conference website.
The panel presentation will also be available for IAFOR Members to view online as part of their membership benefits. To find out more, please visit the IAFOR Membership page.
Speaker Biography
Dr LJ Rayphand
Caroline College and Pastoral Institute, Federated States of Micronesia
LJ Rayphand is an educational leader and researcher from Chuuk State, Federated States of Micronesia. He earned a PhD from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, United States, and has significantly contributed to education by preserving and promoting Chuukese culture through storytelling and technology.
Dr Rayphand is currently the Dean of Outreach Education at Caroline College and Pastoral Institute (CCPI) in Chuuk, an official partner of Chaminade University of Honolulu. Dr Rayphand also teaches at the Chaminade University of Honolulu, the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, and the College of Micronesia-FSM, Chuuk Campus. His work focuses on integrating indigenous knowledge with modern educational practices to enhance learning outcomes for Pacific Islander students.
Dr Rayphand also serves in various capacities in Micronesia and Hawaii. He is currently a Professor in Residence with Chaminade University of Honolulu and a Faculty in Residence with the NSF INCLUDES Alliance. He is also a member of the REL Pacific Governing Board, Chuuk State Board of Education, Chuuk Vicariate Parish Council, and the Diocese of the Caroline Islands Board of Catholic Education.
Abstract
Education, Culture, and the Environment in an AI-Driven Era
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been presented to us as a technological tool that helps advance knowledge, delivering innovations and solutions to our many challenges in a much more productive and efficient way than ever before. While AI continues to evolve rapidly and open new doors, this progress also comes with a price. AI helps analyse complex data, yet has immense environmental impacts. It can empower learners, yet it can be culturally biased. AI has already significantly changed how students engage in research, yet what they gather comes from models indexed mostly from specific cultural sources of knowledge rather than a diverse range.
This panel will look at the promise of AI and the pitfalls we should be aware of in areas such as education, culture, and the environment. Panellists will discuss what our growing daily reliance on AI means for the future and how we might harness its benefits while minimising costs and risks to society.
