Study Abroad international photo contest is back

Studying abroad not only has great academic and professional benefits, but many students also agree that the opportunity to immerse themselves in a culture different from their own is an experience of a lifetime. To showcase these experiences, the Study Abroad Office at the University of Calgary is once again hosting its international photo contest in February.

Each year more than 200 submissions are received by current UCalgary students and staff, which are evaluated by a panel of judges on technical elements such as lighting, quality, creativity, and international focus. However, the public can also support their favourites by voting in the people’s choice category.

Get a glimpse of what life abroad is like during this year’s exhibit, which features all submitted photos in the Mac Hall North Courtyard from Feb. 4-7. To vote for your favourite international photo for the people’s choice category, cast your vote through Facebook (@UCalgaryAbroad) or by visiting the exhibit. The winners of the 2019 contest will be announced in late February.

“This contest is a great opportunity for students to show their international experiences to the UCalgary community,” says Colleen Packer, director of international learning programs. “Each year we receive hundreds of entries from students who have gone abroad, and to see how these experiences have helped them to have better understanding of another culture and its people is inspiring.”

Award categories:

• Best People photo
• Best Place photo
• Bucket List Item photo
• Best Overall photo: Selected by the judges
• People's Choice: Two winners selected by the University of Calgary community.

“We offer over 150 programs worldwide, which gives students the opportunity to continue earning credits towards their major or minor options without requiring them to pay foreign student tuition while they’re abroad,” says Packer. “There are over 1,100 students every year that internationalize their degrees through one of our offered exchange or study abroad programs, and through this contest we hope students become more aware of this unique once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that is available to them through the school.”

Are you looking to take your studies outside of Canada? There are still spots available to study abroad this spring/summer, and the 2019/20 academic year however; all programs fill quickly on a first-come, first-served basis. Contact the Study Abroad office today at study.abroad@ucalgary.ca to start travelling and earning credit by spring.