MarcoPolo700 Foundation Announces Strategic Partnership with Krystal Institute

Krystal Institute will offer its expertise in digital media, innovation, and education through free AI tutoring for school teachers under a strategic partnership with the MarcoPolo700 Foundation, supporting its pioneering Artificial Intelligence (AI) Digital Art Youth Competition.

Krystal Institute is proud to announce a strategic partnership with the MarcoPolo700 Foundation to support its pioneering Artificial Intelligence (AI) Digital Art Youth Competition through free AI tutoring for school teachers. As a leader in digital media, innovation, and education, Krystal Institute is introducing an education curriculum that integrates a curated set of AI tools into the Foundation’s High School Digital Art Competition to promote free trade, cultural diversity, and meaningful East–West exchange. Under this collaboration, the MarcoPolo700 Foundation will provide participating schools with free access to Krystal Institute’s course materials and mentoring, leveraging the potential of third-wave AI and digital asset technologies to empower young creators.

David Piesse, co-chair of the AI Digital Arts Competition Committee and The Foundation’s trustee, remarked, “We hope the competition will help bridge the gap in today’s world, marked by trade wars and polarization while helping to facilitate peace & cultural exchange between Europe and Asia as inspired by Marco Polo seven centuries ago.” The Foundation plans to recruit Young Ambassadors from the East and the West to facilitate free tutoring and recruit teams from schools using the curriculum and AI tools. He added: “This novel approach marks a significant departure from traditional competition structures, offering participants unprecedented opportunities for engagement and rewards. We are very pleased the Foundation is making the leap towards using an innovative course curriculum utilizing these latest AI technologies.”

David Piesse

“Our collaboration with the MarcoPolo700 Foundation marks a pivotal moment in our mission to empower the next generation of creators,” said Raymond Neoh, Director of Krystal Institute. “In an era where AI is becoming ubiquitous, it is imperative that we move beyond rote learning and the unconditional application of AI. We must instead focus on cultivating Creative Intelligence—the uniquely human ability to dream, to imagine, and to innovate, augmented by the power of technology. This partnership is not just about teaching students how to use AI; it's about inspiring them to become digital-age artisans who can harness these powerful tools to express their creative visions and tell compelling stories that bridge cultures and generations. Together, we will nurture a new wave of talent equipped not just with technical skills, but with the critical thinking and creative spirit necessary to shape a more imaginative and interconnected world.”

Raymond Neoh

At the heart of this initiative is the integration of generative AI into a structured learning and competition framework. High school teams from across Europe and Asia will securely access multiple generative AI technologies, using them to create digital artworks inspired by cultural heritage, traditional art, calligraphy, Silk Road history, and contemporary digital storytelling. The curriculum is designed to reward consistent effort, collaboration, and thoughtful use of AI, reflecting the Foundation’s values of inclusive and supportive educational environments. To further empower educators and students, Krystal Institute will offer 45‑minute online tutoring sessions each month for participating schools between February and June 2026, ensuring that teachers are equipped to guide their students through this new creative landscape.

The MarcoPolo700 Foundation, together with Krystal Institute, invites high school students worldwide to participate in this forward-looking digital art competition, which will officially launch in 2026, with registrations opening in summer 2026. Students and teachers interested in joining the High School Digital Art Competition can pre‑register on the Foundation’s website (www.marcopolo700.org) from the first week of July. As preparations continue, the Foundation is also finalizing an advisory panel of regional partners along the Silk Road, with the goal of engaging as many local high schools as possible and assembling an international panel of judges. Through this collaboration, Krystal Institute and MarcoPolo700 aim to provide the tools, resources, and mentorship needed to help young artists become confident, AI‑augmented storytellers who connect cultures through digital creativity.

About Krystal Institute

Krystal Institute engages in teaching, research, training, and certification to empower the people, provide upward mobility, and bridge the global digital divide. We deliver essential knowledge for excellence in the digital economy. We prepare students to fully utilize their knowledge, skills, and tools in the digital economy by fostering their creativity and providing open-source technologies.

Our Founders have decades of experience collaborating with educational institutions worldwide, such as Nanyang Technological University, Shenzhen University, and City University of Hong Kong. Founder Raymond Neoh produced China's first 3D CG animated feature film, Thru the Moebius Strip (2004). To date, the Institute of Digital Game Technology and Institute of Digital Media Technology have trained close to 10,000 media professionals for China's digital content creation industry.

In Hong Kong, we collaborate with training and industry partners to offer courses in over 40 different areas within the Digital Economy Core Technologies (DECT) framework. We have established academic collaborations with the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the University of Hong Kong, and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, driving our research and development.

About MarcoPolo700 Foundation

The MarcoPolo700 Foundation, is a UK charity established in 2024 on the 700th anniversary of Marco Polo’s passing and is driven by the vision of a world enriched by curiosity, and mission to amplify Marco Polo’s legacy by inspiring exploration, education, and cultural exchange.

Programmes include an AI Digital Arts Competition that enables secondary school students to collaborate and to merge AI technology with human artistic expression.

MP700 FoundationMarcoPolo700 Foundation Limited

For more information about the MarcoPolo700 Foundation, please visit http://www.marcopolo700.org or contact MaroPolo700 Foundation Limited at (contact@marcopolo700.org).

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