Amritha Hariharan was working as a software tester Mumbai when she decided to pursue her Master of Applied Science in Environmental Management and Spatial Sciences at the University of Tasmania.
She loved it so much that Tasmania is now her home away from home.
“I applied to different universities, but I got a generous scholarship at UTAS which was one of the reasons I chose to study here.
The other major reason to choose UTAS was I was told that the Geography faculty here were one of the best in the country.
Amritha initially found Hobart very quiet after Mumbai, but she soon began to prefer the “calm lifestyle” and breathing “the cleanest air on earth.”
She said her lecturers were a stand-out part of her time studying.
“Apart from being very knowledgeable in their field, they were also very passionate about their research, which was inspiring.
All of them were extremely helpful and they always went above and beyond to help me with any issues I faced. The course structure was good too as it was more application oriented and practical.
Amritha in Switzerland, where she now works.
And during her final semester thesis, Amritha had the opportunity to work on a technology called Structure from Motion (SfM) which involves creating 3D models from drone-derived images, under the supervision of Dr Arko Lucieer.
“Working on this technology spiked my interest towards it and I was keen to pursue it as a career. I made the decision to move to Switzerland following my Masters since my husband lived there.
“While applying for jobs, I spontaneously applied to Pix4D, one of the leading softwares for SfM worldwide, and headquartered in Switzerland.
“Given my previous position as a software tester and my experience with the SfM technology, I acquired the position of a tester at Pix4D. My role now involves testing the calibration algorithm - the initial step that converts 2D images into a 3D model.
“I love that my job is very much related to what I studied and in a field that I am interested in. I am happy that it is not a monotonous repetitive job and that it challenges me,” she said.
“I work in a flexible environment where the employees are trusted to work on their tasks in a creative and innovative way. Most importantly, I enjoy the work environment – people are laid-back and fun.”
And while she is passionate about her career, Amritha still misses her island home.
We all know that Tasmania is beautiful, but for me Tassie was something more than just a beautiful place – it became a home away from home.
“I was lucky enough to find friends who became close as family which made my life in Tassie so much more wonderful. I have never missed a place more than Hobart.”
Find out more about the Master of Applied Science in Environmental Management and Spatial Sciences.