SPE International Honours APU Chapter for Community Impact and Sustainable Engineering Outreach.

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The Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU) has once again reinforced its growing international reputation in engineering education, as the Asia Pacific University Society of Petroleum Engineers Student Chapter (APUSPESC) secured the 2026 Regional Outstanding Student Chapter Award for the Asia Pacific Region under the Community Involvement category (Small Size Group), conferred by the Society of Petroleum Engineers International. 

This prestigious recognition highlights the chapter’s strong commitment to meaningful community engagement, sustainability, and engineering outreach beyond the classroom. The achievement also propels APUSPESC to the global round of the SPE Presidential Award, placing APU prominently on the international engineering education stage. 

Transforming Engineering Knowledge into Societal Impact

What distinguished the APU SPE Student Chapter was its ability to transform engineering knowledge into tangible societal contributions. Throughout the year, the chapter organised a series of impactful and scalable initiatives that combined STEM education, environmental stewardship, and social responsibility, while nurturing leadership, professionalism, empathy, and teamwork among its members.

Among the chapter’s most impactful initiatives was its STEM Outreach Programme at SK Marian Convent, which engaged more than 200 primary school students through interactive engineering activities such as bridge-building, tower construction, and remote-controlled car challenges. Designed to make engineering accessible and enjoyable, the programme successfully inspired curiosity in STEM among young learners through a highly replicable and cost-effective model.

The chapter also organised a meaningful visit to a local children’s home, where volunteers conducted interactive activities and simple STEM experiments to introduce scientific concepts in a relatable manner. Supported by funds raised through a Ramadan charity drive, the initiative reflected the chapter’s emphasis on compassion, inclusivity, and community service.

Further strengthening its sustainability agenda, APUSPESC conducted a beach cleanup initiative alongside APU’s African Society, bringing together volunteers to promote environmental awareness and collective responsibility. In addition, the chapter collaborated with the Free Tree Society on a tree-planting programme that encouraged ecological conservation and long-term environmental stewardship. 

Another standout initiative was the Energy4Me Outreach Programme, which introduced school students to energy-related concepts through engaging hands-on experiments. By blending education with practical discovery, the programme encouraged critical thinking while supporting SPE’s wider mission of promoting energy literacy among younger generations. 

Strong Academic Leadership Driving Student Excellence

A key contributing factor behind the chapter’s success was the strong mentorship provided by Ir Dr Wong Siew Fan, Advisor of APUSPESC and Senior Lecturer at APU’s School of Engineering (SoE). Her leadership played an instrumental role in shaping the direction, execution, and long-term impact of the chapter’s initiatives. 

Through her guidance, student leaders were empowered to design programmes that not only aligned with SPE’s objectives but also reflected APU’s emphasis on ethical engineering practice, experiential learning, and community-driven innovation. 

Commenting on the achievement, Professor Ir EUR ING Dr Vinesh Thiruchelvam, Chief Innovation and Enterprise Officer at APU, said, “This international recognition reflects the true purpose of engineering education, that is to develop individuals who apply knowledge with empathy, responsibility, and vision. 

“Through APUSPESC, our students are not only trained as future engineers, but as compassionate leaders and changemakers capable of creating meaningful impact for communities and the environment. Their success demonstrates how technical excellence, when guided by strong values and social consciousness, can become a powerful force for nation-building and global progress.” 

As APUSPESC advances to the global Presidential Award stage, the chapter continues to embody the spirit of engineering with purpose — inspiring the wider engineering community to use innovation, leadership, and human-centred thinking to build a more sustainable and inclusive future.