APU Software Engineering student Kwan Jun Er won two gold and one silver medal in three major international competitions with his blockchain and AI-based urban farming project, which he developed with support from his mentors to address community needs, gain valuable technical skills, and complement his studies; he plans to continue competing to grow professionally and expand his network.

Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation’s (APU) School of Computing (SoC) student, Kwan Jun Er, has achieved an extraordinary hat-trick by winning two gold medals and one silver in three major international innovation competitions: the International Innovative & Creative Ideas Poster Competition (IICIPC 2025), the World Innovative in STEM Competition (WinSTEM 2025), and the Kuala Lumpur International Invention & Innovation Symposium (KLIIIS 2025).

As a Software Engineering student, Jun Er is not only well-versed in cutting-edge technology but also deeply conscious of environmental sustainability. 

This dual focus inspired his project, “Blockchain-Driven Platform Leveraging AI to Promote Urban Farming for Individual Communities and Small Businesses for Enhancing Food Security.”

With invaluable support from his mentors — Dr Adeline Sneha John Chrisastum, Ms Salasiah Sulaiman, Ms Nur Amira Abdul Majid, Associate Professor Dr Muhammad Ehsan Rana, and Mr Dhason Padmakumar — Jun Er’s final year project achieved remarkable success, clinching gold medals at both the IICIPC and WinSTEM competitions, and a silver at KLIIIS.

Competing solo in the Tertiary Level (University Category) across these contests, Jun Er has built an outstanding track record, amassing a total of six golds, two silvers, and one bronze across various innovation challenges.

So far, his gold medals include achievements at IICIPC, WinSTEM, the Virtual Innovation Competition (VIC) 2025, the International Virtual Competition of Creative & Innovative Ideas (IVCCII) 2025, the Engineering, Science and Technology Exhibition 2025 (ESTE’25), and the International Research & Information Science Expo 2025 —where he also earned the Emerging Innovation Special Award. 

His silver medals came from KLIIIS and the 2I2C International Informatics Creativity Competition (2I2C), while he secured a bronze at the 35th International Invention, Innovation, Technology Competition & Exhibition (ITEX 2024).

Solving real-world problems with smart tech

Reflecting on his success, Jun Er explained that his continuous research and in-depth understanding of the challenges faced by urban farmers enabled him to create a solution that truly meets their needs.

“My approach involved actively engaging with the community to pinpoint real issues and designing a product that empowers them to improve productivity, transparency, and sustainability,” he said. 

“By staying abreast of the latest technologies such as Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence (AI), I was able to incorporate innovative features that enhance traceability, trust, and efficiency within the urban farming ecosystem.”

Through this and previous competitions, Jun Er also honed valuable skills in creating compelling pitch videos and mastering emerging AI technology stacks.

“The competitions deepened my knowledge of full-stack development, from front-end integration to back-end and blockchain implementation,” he added. 

“I truly enjoyed the challenge; putting my creative ideas to the test under real-world pressure was both exhilarating and rewarding.”

Jun Er emphasised that these competitions complement his academic studies by providing hands-on experience that enhances his coursework.

“They allowed me to apply theoretical knowledge to practical problem-solving, particularly in areas such as AI, Web3, and project pitching. In fact, the experience exceeded my expectations by exposing me to new technologies and industry best practices.”

Looking ahead, Jun Er is keen to participate in more competitions, explaining, “Each event offers a unique learning experience, helps me grow technically and professionally, and provides a great platform to network with like-minded individuals and mentors. I plan to continue competing through to my Master’s degree and beyond.”