NEWS

On Wednesday, August 7, 2025, a team from APU claimed first place at the IEEE Technology and Engineering Management Society (TEMS) Annual Global Student Case Competition 2025, which was held during TEMSCON Global in San Diego. Regarded as a prestigious student challenge hosted by the world’s largest technical professional organization, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) TEMS Annual Global Student Case Competition attracted universities worldwide to tackle real-world problems at the intersection of technology, engineering, and management.

The IEEE 2025 annual challenge tasked teams with solving a growth dilemma at a fictional high-tech software company called MegaSearch. The hypothetical case followed a company that wanted to expand its engineering workforce while simultaneously protecting its culture and maintaining Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) goals. The case required a mix of technical knowledge, business strategy, and innovative thinking to effectively combine Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, Emotional Intelligence (EI) training, and sustainability / diversity measures.

With the mentorship of Professor KHAN Muhammad and the advice from Professor OKUYAMA Ryo, and Professor BEISE-ZEE Marian, the team “APU Innovators” progressed past several elimination rounds that narrowed down just three finalists from a pool of 75 teams across 18 countries. APU team's winning framework was a holistic strategy combining AI-powered recruitment, a hybrid organizational matrix, EI-driven leadership training, ESG reporting, and a sustainable financial model. The judges praised the team’s ability to balance scalability and human-centered management.

The first-place win is especially significant as the APU team comes from a business-school background rather than a traditional engineering program. By leveraging their MBA expertise in strategy, finance, and organizational development along with professional experience in IT management, the students demonstrated the growing value of interdisciplinary problem-solving in technology leadership.

The victory was an academic achievement that reflected the APU Innovators’ ability to practically apply their interdisciplinary learning and leverage cross-cultural teamwork.

Team Members

• Ali Hamza (Graduate School of Management, Pakistan)
• Kalpana Khadka (Graduate School of Management, Nepal)
• Patagi Sourav (Graduate School of Management, India)
• Lo Hin Lok (Graduate School of Management, Hong Kong)
• Mochamad Noverian Syafaat (Graduate School of Management, Indonesia)