DIGITGAL (Driving Girls in Technology, Growth & Leadership), a women empowerment organisation at the Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU), organised Women in Digital Leadership: Empowering Diversity (WINDLED), held in collaboration with Payments Network Malaysia (PayNet) on 24th September 2024.

WINDLED marked a significant initiative designed to enhance leadership and digital skills for women, foster personal growth, and create vital networking opportunities. The day started with an inspiring keynote by Dr Meera Eeswaran, Senior Lecturer & Lead of APU’s DIGITGAL followed by an inspiring speech by Ms Jun Maria Abdullah, Senior Director of PayNet Akar, and APU’s Adjunct Professor Ms Izzana Salleh, co-founder of Girls for Girls International (G4G), who addressed Girls in Resilience & Overall Well-Being (GROW). 

APU students were joined by students from three other universities: Taylor's University, Heriot-Watt University, and UCSI University. The emcees, Ms Iman Danish and Ms Krithika energised the room with the day's agenda.

The event featured interactive breakout sessions, including Girls in Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (GIST) – The Spaghetti Project and Girls in Financial Technology (GIFT) – The ‘Shake-Spear’ Debate, supported by Associate Professor Dr Chong Lee Lee, Head of the School of Accounting & Finance (SoAF). Both sessions emphasised the importance of teamwork and communication in a FinTech environment. All sessions were co-conducted by PayNet, APU academics, and students.

Attendees were further equipped with essential skills through workshops like Crafting Your Future: Leveraging AI for Professional CV Excellence, led by Ms Karen Puah, former President of FinTech Malaysia. 

The event concluded with a panel discussion on Cultivating a Sustainability Mindset in Modern Entrepreneurship, featuring industry experts such as Ms Karen Puah, Ms Maizitun of Malaysia Aviation Group, and APU’s School of Marketing & Management (SoMM) Head, Associate Professor Dr Devinder Kaur. The discussion was moderated by Ms Subaashnii Suppramaniam, a Senior Lecturer at APU. 

The event marked the official soft launch of APU’s Women Empowerment Club, also known as DIGITGAL - Student Chapter, celebrated through a dynamic gathering.

At the heart of the event was the Women Empowerment Club’s Founder and President, Nishrina Binti Mohamed Jaffurula, an MBA student at APU, whose leadership aims to promote women’s empowerment within and beyond the university. 

The event left a strong impression on the participants. “The event was insightful and an inspiring day filled with connection, collaboration, and empowerment. I had the opportunity to network with individuals from different universities and industry leaders,” shared Darshinii Sivasubramaniam, a Computer Science (Cyber Security) student. 

Zaahirah Binti Mohamed Jaffurula, a Business Management student, added, “The event was an eye-opening experience, helping me understand the challenges faced by women and girls. Ms Izzana Salleh’s session was particularly engaging and relevant.” 

“The talks were incredibly insightful, with industry leaders sharing their wisdom on leadership, resilience, and understanding your value,” noted J. Lavanesswary S. Jeevametha, a Diploma in Business Information Technology student. 

Normurodova Shakhrizoda Uktam Kizi, an MBA student from Uzbekistan, said, “The event was fantastic! Every moment was worth it. The advice from industry leaders made me feel like this programme truly fosters great leaders for the future, especially women.”

Interested in joining APU’s Women Empowerment Club? Scan the QR code below and take the first step toward becoming part of the DIGITGAL community.