Indonesian engineer in science and technology first prize scandal speaks out

Samuel Alexander's Sound Sorting Trash Product posted in July 2023 - SOURCE: YOUTUBE

Speaking exclusively with Tuoi Tre Online , Mr. Samuel Alexander confirmed that this was the first time he heard about the incident related to the science and technology project of a group of students from Nguyen Sieu High School (Hung Yen, Vietnam).

The project, called Smart Waste Classification System integrating artificial intelligence and sound sensors, has just won first prize at the National Science and Technology Competition for the 2024-2025 school year.

'Never contacted Vietnamese students'

“I noticed some of the images and diagrams were taken directly from my project page. And at its core, this project is built on my product,” said Samuel.

He also said that his entire project is made public on the international platform Hackaday.io as open-source, with full source code, diagrams and detailed designs.

Mr. Samuel Alexander - Photo: ROBOFLOW BLOG

“I share this project so that people can learn, that's the spirit of the open source community. But there's a big difference between learning from someone else's work and presenting it as your own original work.

Even if it is an open-source project, it is very important to cite the source and cite it. Without that, it can be considered copyright infringement,” Mr. Samuel Alexander emphasized.

He affirmed that he has never shared or directly cooperated with any students or educational institutions in Vietnam related to this project.

“I have never contacted or worked with any student groups or educational organizations in Vietnam on this project,” he said.

"I'm happy if students want to contact me - they can reach me via my email address."

'Don't want the children to be severely criticized'

Despite the apparent overlap, Samuel said he had no intention of taking any legal action against the group of students. Instead, he viewed the situation as “an opportunity for students to learn and grow.”

“I don’t want them to be criticized too harshly. At high school age, such shortcomings can happen because they are still developing their awareness of academic integrity,” he shared.

Product of the student group that won first prize in the 2025 National Science and Technology Competition - Source: NM

The author also expressed respect for the technical ability of the Vietnamese students, saying that “recreating such a system is a challenge, even for graduate students.”

“I believe that students have the ability to create their own products or develop more from existing platforms, instead of just copying. I hope that students will learn that they must always acknowledge the source and have faith in their own creativity,” Mr. Samuel advised.

In addition, Mr. Samuel said that schools and educational institutions need to pay more attention to educating students about honesty in scientific research.

“It is perfectly normal to be inspired by existing works in creativity and research. However, the important thing is transparency. It is necessary to emphasize to students the importance of acknowledging and citing sources, which not only shows respect but is also the foundation for sustainable development in the scientific community,” he shared.

On the left is a poster introducing the products of the student group when participating in the competition. On the right are images posted by Samuel Alexander on the Hackaday.io community from 2023. The images are very similar - Photo: NGOC THANH

Samuel Alexander is an engineer and innovator from Indonesia, graduated from Deakin University (Australia) and currently works at Roboflow - a company specializing in providing solutions for artificial intelligence and computer vision.

He stands out in the international technology community through innovative projects integrating AI and sensors into practical solutions, especially educational products and products that encourage innovation.

Controversy over first prize in national science and technology competition

The Ministry of Education and Training said it was aware of the incident. If any violations are found after inspection, the Ministry of Education and Training and the contest organizers will strictly handle them according to the contest regulations and other regulations of the industry.

Previously, the project "Smart waste classification system integrating artificial intelligence and sound sensors" by students of Nguyen Sieu High School (Hung Yen) won first prize at the National Science and Technology Competition for the 2024-2025 school year.

However, this project is facing many questions when it is said to have many similarities with a project published by engineer Samuel Alexander (Indonesia) on the Hackaday.io platform since mid-2023.

According to the reflection, at least three important images in the student group's poster presentation overlap with Samuel's original image, including the circuit diagram, frequency chart, and device structure image. In principle, both models use sound sensors and AI to classify waste - an approach that is rare today.

Industry experts say the two models are “similar in core,” differing only in the level of technical completion. The school said the project has been underway for nearly a year and is currently working with students and teachers to verify the information.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/ky-su-indonesia-trong-vu-lum-xum-giai-nhat-khoa-hoc-ky-thuat-len-tieng-2025032509415073.htm