NJIT Computing Student Part of Winning Team in International Competition

Sophomore computer science major Hari Sah was on the gold medal team at this year's Project/Problem-Based Learning competition, hosted by National Taipei University of Technology, where students from New Jersey Institute of Technology brandished their skills against peers from around the world.

Sah and three fellow Highlanders - data science major Haripriya Kemisetti, biomedical engineering major Aliza Mujahid and mechanical engineering technology major An'Jolae Seabrooks - were each assigned to different teams, composed of international students who navigated language barriers by using Google Translate.

Sah attended an English school in his hometown of Birgunj, Nepal, along the border with India and about 80 miles south of Kathmandu. He learned of NJIT at a college fair and also from a friend already studying in the United States. After beginning his own studies here, he learned of the Taipei Tech opportunity from NJIT's Office of Global Initiatives, which organizes study-abroad programs.

At the competition, each team used CAD software to design a robot, 3D-print most of the parts and program it in to complete industrial tasks, such as picking up the correct box based on color and moving it to the correct location. On his winning team, where he joined with members from India, Japan, Poland, Thailand and Vietnam, Sah personally worked on designing the robot's arm, giving the daily and final presentations and coding in C++ to calculate angles and distances.

Now back in New Jersey, Sah has transferred into Albert Dorman Honors College. He is keeping busy by taking 18 credits per semester, working a part-time job and participating in the Google Developer club, Nepali Student Association, robotics club and Undergraduate Student Advisory Council.

"It was the best trip ever so far in my life. I liked the experience. I got to know about different people and learn about them. My favorite part was the people. They were very friendly," he said. "The food they had was amazing. I tried the chocolate dumplings. It was the best thing!"

"I would definitely say, if anything is coming your way, try to grab the opportunity. I gave it a try and everything worked out well," Sah added. "It was a great experience learning about their culture and everything."