iCanStudy venture used globally for learning efficiency 

22 February 2023

Dr Justin Sung’s venture iCanStudy aims to train users to learn like a genius. His research-informed venture is a cognitive retraining programme that incorporates concepts of higher-order learning and self-regulated learning. Servicing over 10,000 learners around the world, iCanStudy was used in 120 countries last year. Designed to be interacted with for a couple of hours per week, the programme teaches research-backed methods to upgrade how efficiently users process information and learn. 

Justin draws a comparison to sports coaching to explain how it works. “Think of it like having a two-hour training session with your coach every week; to truly master the skills, you need to practice outside of those sessions. It’s the same with iCanStudy. You only need to spend a few hours a week learning the theory, but you need to practice applying it in your everyday life to fully internalise it. Luckily, learning is something most of us are doing in our everyday lives anyway, so it doesn’t take up much extra time.”  

The programme is designed for anyone wanting to improve their learning efficiency. “Our programme is particularly popular among students in the medical and STEM fields, as they have demanding workloads. We also see a lot of software developers who need to keep up with a rapidly evolving industry and people who are trying to switch careers and need to learn quickly.” 

Through synthesising insights from cognitive science, education, and learning research, the iCanStudy programme bridges gaps between typically isolated research domains, creating a novel learning theory that offers a unique approach to learning. “While there is supposed to be a strong link between research and practical application the connection is often weak. There are few people who sit in between bridging the gap between research and practice, so that’s where I see my role” says Justin.  

Justin is a seasoned entrepreneur, having founded two social enterprises during his time at the University of Auckland, despite not initially considering himself to be one. His first venture, Foster our Future, focused on mentoring high school students, while his second, JTT, provided equitable career guidance and academic support for aspiring healthcare professionals in New Zealand.  

During the early days of his medical studies, Justin didn’t view entrepreneurship as a practical full-time career path. However, after finishing his degree and working as a doctor, he realised that entrepreneurship was more aligned with his passions and personality and held greater potential for long-term personal and professional fulfillment.  

Justin’s advice for aspiring entrepreneurs is that while there isn’t a set path for how to go about things, there are key principles that you should follow, such as not letting people down and investing in the quality and reputation of your work. “When I first started, I thought I needed to find the secret formula, but the thing is, that doesn’t exist.” He acknowledges that there can be a longing for certainty in the early stages of entrepreneurship, but embracing the uncertainty and recognising that it is not a negative thing can open a world of possibilities.