‘To the Land of the Alps we go’

Winners’ pose: Lai and Ang (front row, from left) with Kiew, Young, Kok, Lim, Lee, Amad and Palvinderjit (back row, from left) after their win.

APU students heading to Switzerland, thanks to win

TALENT acquisition can be complex and tricky.

But with the support of a cutting- edge system, the process can be made easier.

With this idea in mind, five students from the Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU), specialising in information technology (IT), computer science and software engineering, rose to the challenge of developing a solution for the real-world problem.

Their project, which took months to materialise, received a big nod at the 2024 Hilti IT Competition (ITC), where they won the Grand Champion title.

For their reward, Team Sweetzerland will be heading to Switzerland in November. There, they will visit Hilti’s headquarters and have the opportunity to connect with industry leaders, gaining valuable insights.

Their win marked another milestone for APU, which had claimed the championship titles in 2020, 2021 and 2023.

In this year’s edition, the team’s entry was among 53 submissions from local public and private universities that sought to shape the future workforce in the construction industry through innovative technologies.

For their project, the team, comprising team lead Zachary Ang Zi Yang, technology lead Vandyck Lai Kai Yong, machine learning lead Kok Hon Kit, design lead Cheryl Lim Wye Yee and full stack lead Lee Ren Jie, aimed to enhance talent acquisition processes through advanced technology, data-driven insights and interactive user interfaces.

Mentored by senior lecturers Amad Arshad and Palvinderjit Kaur, the students underwent multiple stages, starting with idea submission from November last year to February, followed by a semifinal round in April.

They also received coaching from Hilti professionals Kiew Ee Jet and Glynnis Young, along with APU alumni Tan Wei Siang and Victor Khoo Shien Yang, who provided presentation skills training.

At the finale, held at Hilti Asia IT Services in Selangor on June 6, the team stood out among eight finalist teams.

According to an APU press release dated June 24, the judging panel, comprising Hilti’s senior leadership and academics from various universities, praised Team Sweetzerland’s project for its technological innovation and business viability.

Ang, a final-year BSc (Hons) Information Technology student specialising in business information systems, expressed pride in his team’s collaboration.

“Our team demonstrated exceptional teamwork by leveraging expertise from various roles including development, business, product strategy and design. We successfully convinced the judges with our unique selling points, showcasing the innovation and attractiveness of our system,” he said.

Amad highlighted the team’s dedication and strong bonding over the six months of collaboration.

“The award recognises the soft and hard skills gained by the team. I foresee a long-lasting impact from this achievement on nurturing the professional character of all team members,” he said.

Palvinderjit noted that the skills and knowledge obtained will be invaluable for the students’ final-year projects and career development.

The other teams feted at the competition were the first and second runners-up, respectively: Team 4Sure from Universiti Malaya and Team Pioneers comprising members from multiple universities.

The Hilti ITC is an annual global competition that encourages students from various disciplines to develop innovative IT solutions for real-world challenges.

Hilti is a multinational company known for its construction, building maintenance, energy and manufacturing products.