Empowered with trust, guidance and real responsibility, APU students spent seven months building TEDxAsia Pacific U 2026 from the ground up, turning a global platform into a powerful demonstration of leadership, collaboration and workplace-ready professional skills.

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Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU) hosted the second edition of TEDxAsia Pacific U on 1 August 2026, placing students at the centre of one of the university’s ambitious student-led events. 

Fully organised by APU’s TEDx-licensed student club, which holds an official TEDx licence, the event demonstrated what students can accomplish when entrusted with ownership and accountability. 

Every element was student-led: speaker sourcing and curation, coaching, script review, rehearsals, stage and technical production, logistics, hospitality, marketing, sponsorship and post-production. Preparation began in January, with students balancing seven months of planning alongside academic commitments.

Leading the undertaking was Rafa Islam Diba, President and Founder of the TEDxAsia Pacific U Club and a Digital Forensics student. As licence holder and organiser, she carried overall responsibility, supported by a multidisciplinary committee spanning curation, production, logistics, hospitality, marketing and sponsorship. 

Leadership Built Through Responsibility 

For Rafa, the greatest achievement was not simply delivering the event, but seeing the team become capable of carrying it themselves.

“TEDxAsia Pacific U taught me that leadership is not about holding every task in your own hands, but about creating a team that can think, decide and deliver with confidence,” she said. “Over seven months, I watched students stretch far beyond their assigned roles. The curation team, in particular, invested effort in coaching speakers and refining every detail.”

That growth became clear during final rehearsals, when Rafa fell ill, and her team continued seamlessly.

“That moment showed me what empowerment really looks like. They did not wait to be told what to do; they stepped forward, supported one another and kept the event moving. I am deeply grateful to APU, my advisor Ts Umapathy Eaganathan, and everyone who trusted us enough to let us learn by doing.”

A Global Platform, Built by Students

Building on its inaugural 2025 edition, TEDxAsia Pacific U 2026 expanded to twelve speakers across three curated sessions, two performers and a speaker line-up from the United States, China, Singapore and Malaysia. 

Under the theme “Room to Breathe”, the programme invited audiences to consider rest, reflection, originality and personal growth in a society that rewards constant productivity. 

Emceed by Marcus Chan and Eleanor Permata Fry, “Space to Play” featured Nikki Mark, Tay Vui Kit, Amir Ward and APU’s Faheem Ahmed, alongside a performance developed and presented by APU Psychology student Monique Koe.

The second session, “Against the Algorithm”, featured Roger Hurni, Evelyn Ang, Anuradha Mishra and Faith Tang, exploring originality, data storytelling, personal conviction and intentional focus. It also included APU Multimedia Technology student and alternative hip-hop artist Amaresh Raam Murali, known as MISTER TWO FIVE, performing his original track “You Will Never Be Me” in a musical presentation. 

“Plot Twist”, the final session, brought together Alex Tan, Qi Zhai-McCartney, Chan Seet Leng and Dr Manju Appathurai with perspectives on identity, reinvention, relational intelligence and visibility. 

All talks are planned for release on the TEDx Talks YouTube channel in the weeks following the event. 

From Campus Experience to Professional Capability

Advisor Ts Umapathy Eaganathan, Senior Lecturer at APU’s School of Technology, said the deeper value of TEDxAsia Pacific U lies in how responsibility transforms students into confident professionals.

“What began as a student initiative grew into a living classroom for the skills employers value most,” he said. “Students had to communicate across teams, solve problems under pressure, manage timelines, negotiate expectations and take responsibility for outcomes. These are not skills that can be developed through theory alone.”

“By giving students trust, guidance and responsibility, we allow them to discover that they are capable of leading at a much higher level than they may have imagined. The successful event is the visible outcome; the real achievement is the confidence, judgement and professional maturity they carry forward.”

Ts Umapathy credited the support of School of Technology Head Assoc Prof Dr Thang Ka Fei and former COO Mr Gurpardeep Singh for enabling the initiative to grow. 

Passing the Torch Forward

TEDxAsia Pacific U 2026 also marked a leadership transition. After organising both editions, Rafa stepped down, with Omar Amir Samir Fahim, a Computer Science (Cyber Security) student and Lead Curator for 2026, taking over as incoming President. 

Since the TEDx programme began in 2009, more than 49,000 TEDx events have been held across 180 countries. With its second edition, TEDxAsia Pacific U has established itself within that global network—and, more importantly, as proof of what APU students can build when they are given the trust, space and responsibility to lead.