I was awarded a First Class Honours with a University Medal degree for my exceptional track record and honours thesis at my recent graduation.
Why UTS
Gitarth was motivated to join UTS for three reasons; studying in Australia, at a uni that supported progressive learning, and the opportunity to attain a scholarship.
“I researched for different unis outside India, my country of origin, because at the time our local unis did not offer cybersecurity and AI courses to undergraduates. I heard about the pleasant weather and multiculturalism in Australia which led me to explore the courses provided here. I narrowed down my search to UTS after noticing that they have flexible courses, and I could tailor my own course. There was also an opportunity to apply for a scholarship because of being an exceptional student in high school.”
“Getting the Undergraduate Academic Excellence Scholarship was exciting because the financial aid I was given amounted to $15,000. These funds were distributed throughout my undergraduate course allowing me to study one tuition-free subject per semester.”
A unique and fruitful journey at UTS
Gitarth enjoyed plenty of successes at UTS with each year bringing him closer to a rewarding career.
“When I studied "Introduction to Data Analytics," in my first semester I found myself helping my classmates with their questions, online, because I understood the subject better. My subject coordinator noticed and recommended that I think about tutoring in the semesters that follow. So, when we resumed to physical learning – on campus - I was happy to trial teaching. I taught a Programming Fundamentals class, and this was noticed by another subject coordinator who approached me to teach programming subjects online. I happily agreed and this sort of launched my teaching career.”
Teaching programming subjects was also a key step for Gitarth’s journey to industry. One of the subjects, Computer Vision, focused on AI which students used to create real-world projects in that semester. Gitarth created a project that led him to connect with a potential future employer.
In 2020, I hosted an AI showcase with my professor which ended up attracting the attention of a potential employer, who expressed interest to work with me after graduation. That was the first job proposal I received, and it felt very special and encouraged me to work harder.
The impact of learning AI at UTS
During his third year, Gitarth worked on a project that marked another important moment in his UTS journey. He partnered with a team of experts in the drone construction and software development sectors to create a programming search and rescue system incorporated with an AI component. This system was integrated with drones for real-world testing and was successful.
“Because of my contribution to this project, the Head of School for Mechanics and Mechatronic Engineering approached me with another job opportunity at the Robotics Institute in Tech Lab. I worked as a casual in software engineering specializing in AI and robotics.”
In his final year, Gitarth focused on his honours project, a critical component of his degree, which led him to receive another job offer and an award at graduation.
“I reached out to a defence company that had received funding for counter-drone defence products. They wanted to integrate AI into their threat analysis system, with a particular emphasis on analysing the potential threat of drones automatically. They agreed to let me join them in this venture, and this became the foundation of my honours research. The success of the project obtained positive responses from the company's clients. As a result, I was offered a job with this company upon completing my degree. I was also awarded the University Medal for my honours thesis.”
Securing a position on the Dean’s list
Gitarth’s hard work throughout his uni life, not only attracted employment, but also led to an honourable finish.
“I was honoured to appear on the Dean's list in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023. This was a great achievement and as I look back, I am grateful for all the great opportunities I seized that led to this moment both academically and with each work that I did”
Learn more about UTS Bachelor of Computing Science (Honours) and UTS Programs and Scholarship offers.
