APU Bags MDEC PDTI Outstanding Faculty Award

APU’s academicians of four Schools celebrating the winning of the MDEC PDTI Outstanding Faculty Award 2022. (From left) Assoc Prof Dr Tan Chin Ike, Zailan Arabee Abdul Salam, Assoc Prof Wong Bee Suan, Prof Dr Vinesh Thiruchelvam, Assoc Prof Dr Thang Ka Fei, Debbie Liew Pooi Kuan, and Assoc Prof Dr Siva Kumar Sivanesan.

THE Asia Pacific University of Technology and Innovation (APU)’s strength and dedication to producing high-quality graduates through its cutting-edge research and educational approaches, strong industry engagements and collaboration, active career development and placement services were well recognised through its achievements in the recent MDEC PDTI Awards. 

Followed by the appointment as a Premier Digital Tech Institution (PDTI) by the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) in 2017, APU further received MDEC PDTI Outstanding Faculty Award 2022 during the first quarter of 2023.

The accolade was particularly presented collectively to its group of four Schools, comprising the School of Computing (SoC), the School of Technology (SoT), the School of Engineering (SoE) and the School of Media, Arts and Design (SoMAD). 

The four Schools had proven their strength particularly in the number of awards won by students and staff as well as the impressive 100% employability track record achieved. 

Additionally, the establishment of the Centres of Excellence (CoE), national and international recognitions gained and the highly effective branding efforts were also counted. 

Apart from that, the strengths and capabilities in digital tech exhibited by APU’s students and academic staff were also recognised. 

The Second Best Student–Individual Award was accorded to Dooshyant Rai Kallychurn, from Mauritius, who studies a Master of Science in Data Science and Business Analytics Degree after having obtained his Software Engineering Degree from APU. 

Dooshyant was recognised for multiple awards won by him recently, including a Gold in Connecting Academia Society and Industry Alliance competition, a Silver at International Invention, Innovation and Design Expo (INoDEx), and another Silver at International Research and Symposium and Exposition (RISE).

To round off the awards won by APU, Dr Siti Azreena Mubin, senior lecturer from APU’s School of Computing, was among the academics who were honoured under the “Best Faculty Member” category. 

Dr Siti Azreena's notable accomplishments in her career included her efforts and success in ensuring a higher degree of industry immersion and innovation in teaching/learning – particularly in her pet subject area of Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality (AR/VR). 

During the awards ceremony, MDEC talent and capability (tertiary) senior manager Nik Hishamuddin Nik Mohd Yusoff, presented the group award to APU chief innovation and enterprise officer, Prof Dr Vinesh Thiruchelvam. 

Also present were APU’s School of Technology senior head, Assoc Prof Dr Thang Ka Fei, its School of Computing head Assoc Prof Dr Tan Chin Ike, and its senior lecturer, Zailan Arabee Abdul Salam. 

Prof Vinesh, while commenting on APU’s winning factors and strengths, shared that, “To achieve this, we continuously strengthen our unique model of outcome-based education that prioritises the transformation of our students into highly employable professionals, while our industry partners consistently play an active role in quality assurance, curriculum and content development and student mentoring. 

“Besides providing students with real-life projects that help them develop their skills, our industry partners also offer academic staff valuable exposure to industry practices. 

“In this regard, APU’s eight innovation and technology centres on campus have completed projects based on research and industry applications through these industry collaborations.”

Asia Pacific University of Technology and Innovation (APU) developed its IR4.0 strategy to nurture the world’s future innovators and uphold its vision as a University of Technology and Innovation.

As a PDTI, APU taking a lead in digital transformation for higher education, all academic programmes it offered are technology-driven in all fields, tapping into the Internet of Things (IoT), Software Engineering, Data Science, Cybersecurity, Digital Forensics, Cloud Computing, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Game Development, Mechatronics Engineering, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, E-business, Digital Marketing, Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), Digital Leadership, Finance Technology (FinTech), Accounting Technology (AccTech), Industrial Design, Mobile Technology, Animation, VFX, and more. 

“In our IR4.0 immersion strategy, all academic programmes offered here at APU tap into the new technologies proliferating all over the world, very much in response to the global explosion in demand for technology and innovation and digital transformation,” APU vice chancellor, Prof Dr Ho Chin Kuan, explained. 

The Asia Pacific University of Technology and Innovation (APU) purpose-built campus with ultra-modern design is strategically located in Mranti Park, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur.

For aspiring tech lovers, if you wish to know more about the tech programmes that APU offer, we welcome you to speak with our counsellors to help you to understand your options and choose a programme that is right for you.

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