Asia-Pacific International University had the opportunity to participate in the 9th ASI Asia-Pacific Convention 2018, held recently at The Ambassador Hotel, Bangkok. The theme for this year’s convention is “Called To Prophesy”. More than 150 lay individuals, professionals, business owners and ministries attended the annual convention from Wednesday, August 29, 2018 to Saturday, September 1, 2018.
In the convention, our student and faculty participated specifically in two major programs — the Business Plan Competition and the Messiah Concert.
In the first event, Alan Kabanshi Kasanda, senior Computer Information Systems major, was among the three finalists who made it to the final stage of the competition. With less than 24 hours to prepare for the ultimate round, Alan presented confidently and answered all questions asked by the panel of judges, as well as audience. The results later revealed that Alan scored the highest among the teams. Dr Paluku Kazimoto, Alan’s advisor and ASI delegate, shared that Alan accomplished a lot within a very short period of time. “We are so proud of him,” expressed Dr Paluku.
In the second event, our music teachers Mr Aylwin Yonathan and Mr Karlton Kent Keller served as key musicians and supporters of the grand Messiah Concert. The teachers expressed their joy to be a part of this historic concert. Indeed, the fundraising concert showcased the first Seventh-day Adventist mass choir comprised of church members coming from different parts of Thailand, along with singers and musicians from Central Philippines Adventist College, to sing the famous G. F. Handel’s “The Messiah.” Mr Aylwin shared, “It was really a humbling experience to be part of this huge project.”
The convention also served as a reunion for Asia-Pacific as many alumni were present at the meeting, especially on Sabbath. It was a chance for Asia-Pacific faculty and staff to catch up with alumni, and many of them visited the University exhibition booth and took group pictures.
Jenjira (Jenny) Velasquez, Alumna 2016, expressed that meeting familiar faces and catching up with University updates made her feel nostalgic. “It feels like home away from home…And the beauty of it is, even though we are from different generations and batches, we are connected.” Jenjira added, “We’re connected because we share the same home, the home we call AIU”.
Asia-Pacific is blessed to be part of the Southern Asia-Pacific Division’s network, and is looking forward to participate in more ASI events in the future.
