SCU student receives recognition at the National ICT Awards for innovative project on Deepfake Detection Research
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Vishaal Shanmugaraj, a BSc (Hons) in Computer Science student at SCU, received the Merit Award at the 27th National Best Quality ICT Awards (NBQSA) 2025 held on Friday 10, at Hotel Taj Samudra. Mr Shanmugaraj was recognised for his project titled “Hybrid Deep Learning System for Deepfake Image Detection using Few-Shot Learning”.
Speaking about his achievement, Mr Shanmugaraj said, “I’m honoured to receive this award considering the fact that it’s the national award [and the recognition] it gives to the hard work that I put in for almost 10 years”.
The project was supervised by Dr Yasas Jayaweera, Dean – SCU.
“I warmly congratulate Vishaal Shanmugaraj on receiving the Merit Award at the 27th National Best Quality ICT Awards for his project “Hybrid Deep Learning System for Deepfake Image Detection using Few‑Shot Learning.” Dr Jayaweera, who supervised Mr Shanmugaraj’s project stated. “His system delivers accurate, adaptable detection with minimal labelled data, enabling rapid identification of emerging manipulated media and strengthening trust in our digital landscape.”
Speaking further on his student’s achievement, Dr Jayaweera shared, “This Merit Award honours Vishaal’s technical skill, intellectual persistence, and applied research mindset, qualities we actively cultivate at SCU. SCU remains committed to mentoring students who combine technical excellence with societal impact, and we look forward to supporting Vishaal as he advances AI and computer vision research for wider public benefit.”
“My supervisor gave me really good insights on what needs to be done,” Mr Shanmugaraj appreciated. “The corrections and insights helped me to achieve significant success throughout the project timeline. And also it helped me to discover new things that I didn’t even think would be possible with such a short time span”.
Recognition events like the National ICT Awards provides exposure to students and their projects at a national and global level, opening career doors and research opportunities.
Mr Shanmugaraj became a student at SCU in 2021, beginning at the foundation level, and proceeding in to the two-year Higher Diploma in Information Technology. He then began the BSc (Hons) in Computer Science awarded by the University of Bedfordshire, UK.
“Vishaal’s progression from foundation student through the Higher Diploma and into the BSc (Hons) Computer Science programme shows clear intellectual growth and professional maturity, evolving from an eager learner into a disciplined researcher,” commented Dr Jayaweera. “His place on the Dean’s List further recognises this outstanding trajectory.”
Mr Shanmugaraj, with his interest and studies in Artificial Intelligence (AI) anticipates advancing the field of AI and its revolutionary effects across multiple global industries and computer vision, which has yet to evolve further.
SCU is an ideal fit for such an ambitious individual. “I chose SCU because they actually encourage students to explore areas that require exploration, to put more effort into it and identify opportunities that haven’t been introduced and push the boundaries,” said Mr Shanmugaraj. “I think that’s one of the greatest things that we are taught throughout the semesters and our study sessions”.
“I think students attending SCU will get a broader idea of the information technology field. According to my past experience, what I have felt is that there are programmes, specifically the High Diploma in Information Technology, that give students knowledge on every aspect of the information technology sectors,” Mr Shanmugraj explained, while speaking of his experiences as a student at SCU. “So by the completion of their programme, they would have a sense of which direction to pursue; they’ll have the confidence to go into a particular IT sector”.
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