Actuarial Studies students from the Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU) proudly secured the top two positions at the highly competitive MadHackers 2025: Hack The Future Predictive Modelling Hackathon. 

Held from 8 to 9 May 2025 at Menara Great Eastern, the event was co-organised by the UTAR Actuarial Science Society and the Mathematics Society and was fully sponsored by Great Eastern Malaysia. 

The hackathon brought together some of the brightest young minds in actuarial science and data analytics, challenging participants to develop innovative solutions to real-world problems in the insurance industry. The competition saw intense rivalry, but APU’s outstanding performance stood out among the rest. 

Rising to the Top

The Champion title was claimed by Team Future Actuaries, comprising four APU students — Wong Weng Hong (Team Lead), Ong Sock Wen, Tan Jun Hong, and Wong Mei Ting — alongside UTAR student Gan Min Liang. Their solution demonstrated a sophisticated grasp of predictive modelling, combining technical depth with strategic insight. 

The team employed an Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGB) model with a Tweedie regression objective to predict policy-level losses using zero-inflated and positively skewed data. To complement this, they implemented a linear regression model to estimate next-year expenses and manually adjusted incentive ratios to fine-tune their premium pricing strategy. This well-rounded approach distinguished them across three rounds of simulated markets. 

In the final stage, the challenge shifted towards effective communication — requiring teams to translate complex technical models into clear, persuasive presentations. The panel of judges, comprising industry leaders in predictive modelling and insurance, praised Team Future Actuaries for their clarity, technical soundness, and practical application. 

Reflecting on their victory, team lead Wong Weng Hong shared a key insight: 

“The biggest takeaway for me was realising how much of a ‘black box’ predictive modelling can be. Often, we rely heavily on packages without fully understanding the mechanisms behind them. This experience reminded us that while tools facilitate implementation, true innovation stems from a deep understanding of the fundamentals.” 

First Runner-Up: Team Ayam Gepukss

Equally commendable was Team Ayam Gepukss, which secured the First Runner-Up position. Led by Deaxell Maverick Suryanto, the team also included Neela Bala Subramaniam, Qays Muhammad Fatih Andri, Wendy Mah Yun Nee, and Patrick Ian Dass — all APU students. 

Their challenge centred on crafting a competitive pricing strategy for a ‘cheapest-wins’ property insurance market — one marked by aggressive pricing and tight margins. The team opted for separate frequency and severity models using the Random Forest algorithm. These were then combined to generate optimised premiums that factored in predicted losses, operational costs, agent commissions, and fixed incentives. 

Deaxell explained their technical approach: “We applied a log transformation to the severity data to reduce the effect of outliers and enhance the model’s resilience. This significantly improved the overall stability and performance of our model.” 

He also reflected on the team’s journey with pride and gratitude: “We faced our fair share of challenges, but every moment was worth it. I’m incredibly proud of the dedication, collaboration, and resilience our team displayed throughout the competition.” 

Expert Mentorship Behind the Scenes

Both teams credited much of their success to the mentorship provided by Mr Lee Chee Nian, lecturer at APU’s School of Mathematics, Actuarial and Quantitative Studies (SoMAQS). His guidance, particularly in model selection, strategy development, and effective presentation, was instrumental in preparing the students for the competition’s rigours. 

Mr Lee shared his thoughts on the achievement: 

“What these students have accomplished is truly commendable. Their exceptional performance is a direct result of the robust foundation they’ve built through APU’s Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Actuarial Studies, particularly through specialisms in Data Analytics and Financial Technology. They demonstrated not only technical proficiency but also critical thinking, adaptability, and a drive for excellence — all qualities that define the future of our profession.” 

Towards the Future

The success of both APU teams is a testament to the transformative power of applied learning, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and perseverance. These aspiring actuaries have not only demonstrated their capacity to solve complex problems but have also shown their readiness to lead and innovate in a rapidly evolving industry. 

Their journey at MadHackers 2025 has laid a solid foundation for even greater challenges ahead — challenges they are now more confident and better equipped to embrace.