Sarah Manisha Oorjitham, APU Diploma in ICT (Software Engineering) student, won the Silver Award at the 11th International Conference on Global Education (ICGE XI) 2025 for her innovative AI-powered chatbot, CenderaWauBot, designed to preserve Malaysia’s endangered Wau (kite) Pungguk heritage.

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Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU) is proud to celebrate the outstanding achievement of Sarah Manisha Oorjitham, a Software Engineering student, who recently secured the Silver Award at the prestigious 11th International Conference on Global Education (ICGE XI) 2025, held virtually from 26th April to 9th May 2025.

Sarah captured the judges’ attention with her innovative AI-powered chatbot designed to preserve Malaysia’s endangered cultural treasure — the Wau Pungguk, a traditional kite from Pahang Darul Makmur.

The ICGE Innovation Competition, hosted by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), is a highly respected platform that invites students and academic staff from universities, polytechnics, colleges, and schools worldwide to showcase their ground-breaking projects. 

Entrants present their work through concise 3 to 5-minute video presentations in English or Malay, highlighting the innovation’s objectives, uniqueness, benefits, and commercial potential. 

Sarah’s winning project, titled ‘CenderaWauBot: AI-Infused Heritage Revival for Wau Pungguk Preservation’ began as part of her Introduction to Artificial Intelligence (AI) assignment. 

CenderaWauBot is a rule-based chatbot created to digitally preserve and raise awareness about the Wau Pungguk — often overlooked because of the more popular Wau Bulan and Wau Kuching.

The Wau Pungguk risks fading into oblivion as younger generations lose touch with its rich heritage and skilled artisans face declining support. 

CenderaWauBot tackles this by offering an engaging, multilingual experience filled with immersive storytelling, intricate craftsmanship details, and educational content. 

Its seamless integration with social and digital platforms amplifies its reach, bringing this unique cultural icon to a wider audience.

Sarah also conducted user acceptance testing to measure the chatbot’s effectiveness in delivering cultural knowledge, demonstrating how technology can play a vital role in safeguarding intangible heritage.

This achievement not only highlights Sarah’s technical skill but also underscores the potential of AI as a guardian of culture. 

Combine innovation and heritage to inspire future generations

Sarah deeply grateful to APU and her dedicated lecturer and mentor, Associate Professor Ts Dr Vinothini Kasinathan and Ts Mohammad Namazee Mohd Nizam for opening the door to this unforgettable journey and fully sponsoring her participation in the ICGE 2025 Innovation Competition.

Reflecting on her journey, she found this experience truly transformative because she had learned how to craft an engaging three-minute interactive video, blending cultural research, storytelling, and technology into a compelling message.

“It was challenging. I spent countless hours practising, refining, and benefitting from invaluable feedback from Dr Vino, who constantly encouraged me to push further with each version.”

Sarah also shared how much she enjoyed the competition’s hands-on and fun nature, which she believes has strengthened her presentation skills.

“I learnt to think commercially, considering how others might use CenderaWauBot, adding value through ideas for commercial integration, and presenting its significance in preserving Pahang’s kite heritage.

“Building CenderaWauBot was a joy. Discovering its history and stories was an honour and sharing these through the chatbot and my presentation was incredibly rewarding.”

One special memory Sarah treasures is when Dr Vino lent her a Tanjak — traditional headgear crafted from the Malaysian flag — to wear in her video, even helping colour-coordinate her outfit to reflect national pride.

“That gesture meant so much. It beautifully symbolised how culture and technology can blend harmoniously, just like this project.

“Thank you, APU, Dr Vino, and Mr Mohammad Namazee for believing in me, guiding me, and giving me the confidence to let my voice and the story of Wau Pungguk fly far.”