Engineer Abubokor Hanip expressed his admiration, saying, "Your achievements amaze us and make us proud. We wish you continued success in life." Dr. Hasan Karaburk added, "Ah! I wish I could be a member of that team." Everyone present was deeply moved. This small, youthful team has won their hearts. The Washington University of Science and Technology honoured them on Friday (7 June).
The five-member team clinched the title at the Space App International Competition organized by the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). They are members of Team Diamonds, the NASA Space App Champion team, and all hail from Bangladesh.
The team traveled to the United States at NASA's invitation to celebrate their championship victory. Team Diamonds was recognized by NASA for winning the 2022 competition, receiving their certificate of achievement.
During their visit, the team also focused on learning more about space administration. They toured various NASA offices to explore the agency's latest discoveries. The team was particularly awed by the newly discovered Roman Telescope. However, it was the Bangladeshi community in the U.S. that felt the greatest pride and joy. Community organizations took the opportunity to honor this remarkable group during their visit. As part of this celebration, the team visited the Washington University of Science and Technology, own and administered by a famous Bangladeshi American EdTech entrepreneur Engr. Abubokor Hanip.
At the beginning of the program, the team introduced themselves: Tisa Khandkar, Munim Ahmed, Inzamamul Haque Sonnet, Abu Niaz, and Zareen Chowdhury. All are students from Daffodil University, Bangladesh, with Tisa serving as the group leader. Team Diamonds worked on a project inspired by stars in the sky, naming it after a beloved childhood rhyme, "Diamonds in the Sky."
They shared their story at the event. The university's chancellor, Engineer Abubokor Hanip, President Dr. Hasan Karaburk, and other professors, students, and officials were in attendance.
The audience was captivated by the story of Team Diamonds' victory in the Space Apps competition. The members of Team Diamonds had stars shining in their eyes as they spoke.
"From a distance, we see a bright star, but in real some of them are red, some are blue, some are pink or orange in color. They have different shapes, different look and fill with different distances. And we can show them now."
The team explained that they developed an app that allows users to view the stars in the sky on their computer or device with just the press of a button. Moreover, the app enables children to play and learn about the characteristics of stars, including how far one star is from another, which stars are closer, and which are farther away.
The challenge of the Space Apps competition was no small feat; it was quite an ordeal. The team had only 36 hours in hand to complete the app building challenge, and they met it with sleepless effort. They selected their necessary materials and data through meticulous research from NASA's vast ocean of information.
The team explained that each member played a crucial role: one conducted research, another focused on UI-UX design, one handled coding, and another managed the architectural design while another coordinated the whole process. It was the collaborative team effort that enabled them to overcome the challenge.
However, completing the app was just the beginning. The real competition began after that.
First, the team became the National Champion in Bangladesh, and their dreams grew from there. They began to believe they could achieve something on the international stage. Out of thousands of competitors from 220 countries worldwide, Team Diamonds advanced through the initial selection. Ultimately, only 35 teams were chosen, and Team Diamonds remained among them.
Mahdi-uz-Zaman, one of the team's mentors and a renowned IT expert in the United States, spoke about the process. He explained that the selection process is highly competitive, with a jury board consisting of NASA's top space scientists and researchers. This board meticulously evaluates every aspect of the apps to determine the App of the Year. In 2022, Team Diamonds' app won this prestigious title.
Fresh out of their Bachelor's degrees, these champions are now focused on even bigger dreams. They aim to enhance their app, making it a more effective tool for learning about space in the future.
Engineer Abubokor Hanip, the chancellor and chairman of Washington University of Science and Technology, has promised to support them in realizing this dream. He said, "This victory of yours makes us proud. You are our glory."
