Five Bachelor of Financial Technology (Honours) students from Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU) earned a Top-8 Team placement in the finals of the Dell Business Challenge 2026, gaining valuable exposure to real-world business problem-solving beyond the classroom. 

Representing APU’s School of Accounting & Finance (SoAF), the team comprised Ho Choon Kiat, Jonathan Yip Mun Fung, Ket Yao, Lim Yuan Keat and Pang Yi Huey. Accompanied by Mr Bryan Chan Loke Teng, Lecturer at SoAF, these students presented their ideas at the Grand Finale held on 10 June 2026 at Dell Global Business Centre, Bayan Lepas, Penang.

The Dell Business Challenge 2026 is an annual competition organised by Dell Global Business Centre Malaysia. It is designed to provide undergraduate students pursuing Accounting and Finance programmes at public and private universities and colleges in Malaysia with real-world insights through dynamic case studies, exclusive interview opportunities for the Dell Finance Internship Programme, and direct engagement with Dell leaders and professionals. 

For the APU SoAF team, the journey began on 30 April 2026 during the Pre-Challenge round, where participating teams submitted their case study solutions. From 125 students representing nine universities and colleges, only eight teams, comprising 40 finalists, were shortlisted for the finals.

At the Grand Finale, the APU students competed alongside shortlisted teams from public and private institutions, including AIMST University, INTI International College Penang, Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology, and Universiti Sains Malaysia. Each team was tasked with analysing a real-world business case study provided by Dell Malaysia and formulating strategic, financial and operational recommendations before a panel of judges. 

The challenge tested students’ ability to think critically, work under pressure, apply classroom knowledge to practical business scenarios, and communicate solutions with clarity and confidence. For APU’s FinTech students, the experience became an important platform to strengthen their analytical skills, teamwork, presentation abilities and professional readiness.

At the finals, the APU SoAF team received the Top-8 Team placement certificate from Mr Loh Keng Jin, Business Operations Director of Dell Global Business Centre. While the placement marked a proud milestone, the greater value of the experience lay in the learning, exposure and industry engagement gained throughout the competition. 

Dell Global Business Centre Sdn Bhd is a Malaysian subsidiary of Dell Technologies, incorporated in 2006. It focuses on IT product sales, distribution and global business support services, including IT, customer support and finance-related services.

Through their participation, APU students were able to build rapport with professional learning peers from other universities, experience healthy competition and gain insights that ordinary classroom learning alone may not provide. Such exposure reflects APU’s continued commitment to developing industry-ready graduates who are equipped not only with academic knowledge, but also with the confidence, adaptability and practical experience needed for future career pathways. 

The team’s achievement reinforces APU’s emphasis on experiential learning, industry relevance and student development, while encouraging more students to step beyond campus and embrace external platforms that challenge, inspire and prepare them for the professional world.