UCalgary International Photo & Video Contest

Key rules & eligibility requirements:

• The UCalgary International Photo and Video Contest is open to all current UCalgary students and recent graduates (under 1 year). Faculty, staff, and alumni (of more than 1 year) are not eligible to enter.
• Only the creator has the right to submit their photos/videos to the contest. Entry forms must be signed by the creator, and any prizes won will be awarded to them.
• Photos: All photos with an international theme are welcome. This includes, but is not restricted to: photos taken in any country, including Canada; during international programs run by the Global Learning office, Haskayne, Schulich, or other university units; or during any other international study, work, or travel period. Photos may be in black-and-white or colour. Some digital adjustments are allowed, detailed in the rules PDF. Photos also require hard-copy submission, which must be printed on photo paper between 4x6" and 8x10".
• Videos: Video entries may be taken in any country, including Canada, but must depict a UCalgary Global Learning/Study Abroad program. This includes international programs run by the Global Learning office, Haskayne, Schulich, or other university units. Videos must be formatted as a Short/Reel, i.e. maximum 1 minute long and filmed in portrait mode.
• All media copyright remains with the creator. However, by entering the contest, perpetual non-exclusive license is granted to the University, allowing photos/videos to be exhibited and reproduced for the contest as well as other educational, promotional, or marketing purposes, as deemed relevant and appropriate by the University.

Click here for a PDF of the complete rules and requirements. Entrants are deemed to have read, accepted & agreed to all rules. 

If you have any questions about the rules, please contact study.abroad@ucalgary.ca before entering the contest.

You can submit up to 3 photos in each photo category (maximum 6 total photos). 

Your entry webform and photos, including digital and physical photos, must all be received by the deadline, 3:00 pm on Monday January 26, 2026.

Please choose the category best fitting your photo when submitting. Photos will be judged for their originality, image, quality, international focus, caption/title, overall impression, and relevancy to the category.

You can submit 1 video for the video category.

Your entry webform and video must be received by the deadline, 3:00 pm on Monday January 26, 2026.

Videos will be judged for their originality, image, quality, international focus, caption/title, overall impression, and relevancy to the category.

Q: Do I need to have participated in a study abroad program to enter the contest?
A: The video category requires that videos are taken from a UCalgary Global Learning/Study Abroad program. However, the photo categories accept photos taken in any international location (including Canada), whether studying abroad, personal travels, your home country, etc. 

Q: I'm not currently in Calgary. How can I submit the hard copy of my photo? 
A: We recommend asking a friend to print the photo in Calgary and bring it to our office on your behalf. Make sure to give your friend the titles of each photo, so that they can fill out the label provided at our office. If you have any concerns about getting your photos to us, please email study.abroad@ucalgary.ca. (Note: we don't recommend mailing photos to our office due to possible damage or delays.)

Q: Why do I need to submit a digital photo file in the contest entry webform?
A: There will be a shortlist of photos shared online, so we need a JPG or PNG file of your photo for consideration. The digital file also helps us match it to your physical photo submission when we print frames for the photo display in MacHall.

Q: Can I just send you my video file, instead of uploading it to a file sharing platform?
A: No. We have had problems with this in the past, which is why we ask that you submit your photo via a shareable link. If you have concerns about this, please email study.abroad@ucalgary.ca. 

Q: How many entries can I submit?
A: You can submit 3 photos for each category and 1 video for the video category. Remember that photos/videos must be relevant to their respective categories.

Q: I'm a Global Learning Content Creator or a Global Learning Ambassador. Can I enter this contest?
A: Absolutely! We welcome both past & current Content Creators and Ambassadors to enter the contest. You are welcome to submit photos/videos that you previously provided to our office, or brand-new photos/videos.

Q: I'm a recent UCalgary graduate. Can I enter this contest?
A: If you graduated in the past year (February, June, or November 2025 convocation) you are welcome to enter the contest. If you graduated more than 1 year ago, unfortunately you are not eligible to enter. However, our office always enjoys hearing from alumni and hearing what you get up to in the world, so don't hesitate to contact us anyways; we might be able to share your photos/videos more casually outside of the contest.

Q: I received the Global Learning Award. Can I enter the contest to satisfy my promotional requirement?
A: In order to satisfy your full 2 hour requirement, you must either submit 6 total photos with an accompanying written description of each photo, or submit a video plus at least 3 photos with written descriptions. Partial submissions may be eligible for 1 hour, at the discretion of the grant coordinators.

Q: What's the prize for winning?
A: It changes every year! Prizes are provided through generous donation of our community sponsors and often include things such as gift cards and merchandise. The winners will also get special features on our website/social media, and may be included in future displays at our office or used in study abroad posters on campus!