The SPARKS Testing Conference 2025 in Kuala Lumpur gathered over 250 professionals from across ASEAN, where Ms Nur Azyyati Ahmad from APU’s School of Technology (SoT) delivered a keynote on how Artificial Intelligence (AI), automation, and cloud technologies are transforming software testing, reflecting her contributions to APU’s Cloud Engineering and AI research.

The SPARKS Testing Conference 2025, held on 31 July 2025 at the Connexion Conference & Event Centre, Bangsar South, Kuala Lumpur, brought together over 250 professionals from across ASEAN and beyond to explore the evolving world of software testing and quality assurance.

Organised by Synapse QA, a global non-profit community committed to empowering software testers and promoting professional growth, this inaugural international conference marked a major milestone for the testing community in Southeast Asia.

Among its distinguished keynote speakers was Ms Nur Azyyati Ahmad, Senior Lecturer from the Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation’s (APU) School of Technology (SoT).

Sharing the stage with global testing icons such as James Bach, Leah Stockley, and Lalitkumar Bhamare, Ms Nur Azyyati’s participation stood out as a proud moment for APU and Malaysia’s technology education landscape.

With over 20 years of experience in software engineering, teaching, and research, Ms Nur Azyyati has been at the forefront of Cloud Computing, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and technology innovation.

Her keynote, titled “Mastering the Future: AI, Automation and Cloud as the Pillars of Predictive Quality”, captivated the audience as she unveiled how these transformative technologies are reshaping predictive testing and redefining software quality standards.

“Cloud and AI automation are no longer just tools; they are transformative forces shaping the future of predictive quality,” she explained, added “Real inspiration comes from within; every small action we take can create impact far greater than we imagine.”

In her address, Ms Nur Azyyati also reflected on her own professional journey from software engineering and testing to advancing APU’s Cloud Engineering programme, where she has integrated Edge Computing and Generative AI powered by Google into the curriculum.

She further highlighted her completed APU Internal Research Grant project, which explores the use of Generative AI (Gemini LLM) as an intelligent grading assistant in education and was completed in early October 2025.

The conference theme, “Quality of Testing — Then, Now & Tomorrow”, inspired participants to reimagine testing through the lens of empathy, innovation, and human insight.

SPARKS 2025 featured four keynote sessions and 16 expert speakers, creating an energetic platform for dialogue, learning, and collaboration among QA professionals across the region.

“The energy at SPARKS was electrifying,” Ms Nur shared. “It was incredible to witness the global testing community come together in Kuala Lumpur to exchange knowledge, explore AI-driven testing, and inspire one another to overcome the challenges shaping the future of quality assurance.”

For Malaysia’s growing technology and QA community, SPARKS 2025 was more than just a conference and it was a celebration of innovation, collaboration, and the power of shared vision.