2017 Student Photo & Video Contest Results

"Among the Believers," by Wenhong Xie, winner of the Judge's Choice award & "people" category in the 2017 student photo contest. In the image, Orthodox...

Please join us in congratulating the winners of the 2017 SGS student photo contest!

Winners were selected in six categories (below), and featured students from across Stanford Global Studies programs who travelled around the world pursuing research, language study, internships, and more.

View all of the winning photos as well as those that received honorable mentions on the Stanford Global Studies Facebook page.

Natural World

“Winter Wanderers” by Ryan Wauson (Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies)

This photo was taken during an intensive Russian language program I took part in during the 201 5-2016 school year in Almaty, Kazakhstan. On the weekends, a group of us Americans and some local Kazakhs enjoyed getting some fresh air and took advantage of the extensive hiking available in the mountains south of the city against the Tien Shan mountain range. I captured this image during a hiking trip in January that our local Kazakh friend guided us through. As we entered an alpine meadow from a patch of forest, the still early morning sun was hanging low in our path, giving the snow and surrounding pine trees an ethereal appearance and conveying a sense of natural stillness.

People

“Among the Believers” by Wenhong Xie (International Policy Studies)

Orthodox Christians gather to pray at Saint George's Church in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia​.

Travel

“The Indefatigable Harari” by Wenhong Xie (International Policy Studies)

I took this picture outside the ancient walled city of Harar near the Ethiopia-Somali a​ border, where the French boy genius Arthur Rimbaud spent the last ten years of his life while he dealt coffee and firearms. Harar is one of the places where no words can adequately describe the richness and ​
rawness of ​everyday​ lived experience.

Global Events

“The Revival of Maoism in the Post Mao Era” by Lin Le (East Asian Studies)

Every year, one day after the Christmas, Maoists gather at China's Chairman Mao Zedong's hometown, Shaoshan, Hunan province, to celebrate Mao's birthday. In the picture those Maoists came all the way from different places to celebrate the 123th anniversary of the Chairman's birthday, something they call the "Oriental Saint Festival," a name coined deliberately as a counterpart to Christmas. They are calling for a second Cultural Revolution (CR), a political movement launched by Mao that caused huge turmoil in China from 1966-1976. But Maoists today think the CR is the only way the current social inequality and corruption problem in China can be fixed. I went to Shaoshan during the past winter break to observe those Maoists. One of my ongoing research projects examines this social phenomenon in China.

Altered Images

“Where to Exit” by Megumi Yoshinaga (East Asian Studies)

This is just a window, but reflecting choices in life. (Photo taken in Chicago.)

Video

“11 Dwarfs at Salt Flat” by Megumi Yoshinaga (East Asian Studies)