Thirty students from the School of Engineering (SoE) at Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU) participated in Cognizant Sdn Bhd’s flagship programme, “AI for Impact: GenAI Prompt Engineering Workshop” on 25th September 2025.

The delegation was coordinated by Ir Ts Dr Reena Sri Selvarajan (Senior Lecturer, SoE at APU) together with Ms Nishrina Mohamed Jaffurula (Executive, Student Engagement, Corporate Training at APU) and Ms Suganya (Executive, Industry Outreach, Corporate Training at APU).

The workshop, held as Cognizant’s final generative AI (GenAI) training of 2025, brought together a diverse group of participants from various educational institutions, to which it created a dynamic environment for collaboration, shared learning, and practical, hands-on exploration of artificial intelligence (AI) concepts.

Developing Skills through collaboration and practice

Students took an active role in the workshop, supported by Cognizant’s trainers who introduced core concepts and facilitated various hands-on learning sessions:

1. Guided training on prompt engineering techniques, learning how to write effective, structured, and domain-specific prompts.
2. Real-world case studies, where students analysed AI-driven solutions used in financial services and other industry sectors.
3. Problem-based scenarios, requiring students to design prompts that solve practical challenges using GenAI tools.
    

A highlight of the workshop was the practical segment, where students worked in teams across various tasks:

1. Complete hands-on exercises involving prompt experimentation, refinement, and optimisation.
2. Develop AI-assisted solutions in response to real-world case challenges.
3. Present their outputs to Cognizant trainers and peers, demonstrating their understanding, creativity, and problem-solving abilities.
    

Earning Credentials for future-ready Skills

To celebrate the successful completion of the programme, all participants were awarded digital badges (e-badges) and certificates, formally recognising their newly acquired competencies in GenAI prompt engineering.

These micro-credentials not only serve as a mark of achievement, but also enhance their professional portfolios, signalling to future employers their readiness to tackle real-world AI challenges, whilst opening doors to exciting opportunities in the rapidly evolving world of AI and technology.

Bridging learning with Real-World experience

The workshop successfully demonstrated how practical learning and industry collaboration can prepare students for real-world challenges in AI.

Through expert guidance and hands-on experience, the workshop empowered students to gain both technical expertise and the confidence to apply AI solutions effectively.

Dr Reena conveyed her thanks to Cognizant Sdn Bhd for hosting the programme and to Corporate Training at APU for collaborating to provide meaningful, industry-relevant learning opportunities.

She highlighted the significance of such partnerships in bridging academic knowledge with professional practice, helping students build skills that meet the demands of today’s digital economy.