Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU) won gold and silver awards at IMU University’s International Learning Resources Festival (ILRF) 2026, with NeuroSync securing Gold for its multimodal AI screening tool for early childhood ADHD and autism, while Congkak Kita by Aminah took Silver for combining Malaysia’s traditional board game with Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support elderly cognitive health.

Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU) celebrated a remarkable double victory at the prestigious International Learning Resources Festival (ILRF) 2026, organised by IMU University, as two student-lecturer-led teams clinched gold and silver awards for their groundbreaking technological innovations.

Taking top honours in the Professional Category (Undergraduates, Academic Researchers, and Industries) during their debut entry, team NeuroSync secured a coveted gold award for their pioneering healthcare solution. 

The gold project, titled ‘NeuroSync: Beyond Gaze Through a Multimodal Paradigm for Early Childhood Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Screening’, set a new benchmark in how early childhood neurodivergence is identified.

Developed by Data Analytics undergraduate Christian Teo Li Xin, alongside senior lecturers Ms Chong Mien May (School of Computing), Ms Zety Marlia Zainal Abidin (School of Technology), and Ms Zaireeda Mohd Fauzee (School of Technology), the system moves past conventional gaze-tracking limitations. 

By introducing a rich, multimodal screening model, NeuroSync provides an accessible, non-invasive, and timely diagnostic tool designed to empower parents, educators, and clinicians to initiate early developmental support for young children.

“NeuroSync represents our unwavering commitment to creating meaningful, tech-driven solutions that address real-world healthcare and educational challenges. 

“This recognition fuels our passion to push the boundaries of assistive technology even further,” expressed Ms Zety Marlia on behalf of the winning team.

Adding to APU’s success, student innovators Kylan Shane Sedrick (Data Analytics) and Sam Zheng Yew (Artificial Intelligence) claimed a Silver Award in the Interactive Learning Experience Category with their project, Congkak Kita by Aminah. 

Marking their third foray into the competition, the duo successfully bridged heritage and modern technology by infusing Malaysia’s iconic traditional board game with advanced Artificial Intelligence and interactive voice response features.

The team designed the platform to address two growing social challenges: the waning awareness of traditional games among youth and cognitive decline among the elderly. 

By pairing intuitive voice technology with a familiar cultural pastime, the initiative offers senior citizens an engaging, accessible tool for cognitive stimulation.

“We believe this project resonated with the judges because it went beyond pure AI technology to solve a tangible social and cultural issue. Integrating modern artificial intelligence with something uniquely Malaysian made the technology vastly more accessible and engaging for older adults,” explained Kylan.

He added that the competition served as an invaluable testing ground for applying historical elements to modern engineering.

“The biggest takeaway for us was realising that exceptional innovation is not merely about novelty, but about creating meaningful human impact.

“Exploring solutions outside the traditional classroom framework was both challenging and incredibly rewarding,” he said.

The duo was mentored by Associate Professor Ts Dr Vinothini Kasinathan and Ms Sarimah Samsudin, both SoC academics renowned for their work in educational technology and intelligent systems.

By blending compassionate healthcare technology with cultural preservation, both teams demonstrated the transformative potential of applied innovation, cementing APU’s reputation as a hub for purposeful digital solutions.