In conjunction with World Cleanup Day, APU’s School of Global Hospitality & Tourism (SoGHT) organised the APU Clean Quest Beach Clean-Up Competition at Tanjung Harapan, Port Klang, where cross-faculty student teams gained hands-on event management and leadership experience while successfully removing 400 kg of waste — including 280 kg of recyclables — to champion environmental sustainability and community responsibility.

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In conjunction with World Cleanup Day, the Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation’s (APU) School of Global Hospitality & Tourism (SoGHT) organised the APU Clean Quest Beach Clean-Up Competition, bringing together students across diverse faculties to champion environmental stewardship, teamwork, and sustainable action. 

Held on 24th September 2026 at Tanjung Harapan, Port Klang, the initiative seamlessly blended environmental action with hands-on experiential learning, allowing students to give back to the community while honing vital practical skills beyond the classroom.

The event saw Event Management students take the helm in planning and executing the competition, under the guidance of SoGHT Lecturers Ms Varalakshmi Sugumar and Ms Siti Fariza Muhamad Amin. 

Generously supported by event sponsor Win Mah Sdn. Bhd., a defining highlight of the project was its vibrant cross-faculty collaboration, as students from various academic disciplines united into teams to pool their unique strengths towards a shared ecological goal.

Their collective determination delivered extraordinary results, removing a total of 400 kg of waste from the shoreline, which included a remarkable 280 kg of recyclable materials. 

Beyond cleaning the beach, this impressive feat underscored the power of coordinated action while highlighting the practical importance of waste separation and recycling.

For the student organisers and participants, the initiative served as an invaluable real-world laboratory.

By managing logistics, coordinating participants, and overseeing operational flow, the students refined critical competencies in event coordination, leadership, communication, time management, and creative problem-solving. 

Furthermore, the project demonstrated how sustainability can be embedded directly into event management frameworks, showcasing how environmental responsibility can shape an event’s core purpose, execution, and outcomes.

The momentum continued during the prize-giving ceremony with an inspiring sustainability talk delivered by School of Business (SoB) Lecturer and Advisor to Sustainable Future Fusion (SFF), Ms Cynthia Mala Paul Dorairaj. 

Her session urged students to reflect on the broader impact of sustainability and the individual roles they play in driving positive environmental change.

The day concluded with a high-energy prize presentation celebrating the dedication and teamwork of all participants. 

The Grand Prize of RM 500 was awarded to Haris Hanee Ahamed, Aroshi Sathyadas Nair, Danial Javed, and Mohammad Sameeullah Khan, while Mohamed Aban Saleem, Zin Min Thant, and Talha Baloch earned the RM 100 award for collecting the most recycled waste.

Far more than a standard coastal clean-up, APU Clean Quest proved to be a transformative learning-by-doing experience. 

By intercepting 400 kg of waste, APU students demonstrated what collective action can achieve, successfully bridging event management, sustainability, experiential learning, and community responsibility.