• "Backcountry Carving" A snowmobiler cuts across fresh snow at Thompson Pass, Alaska, U.S.A. -- Cherise Beatus (International Relations)
  • "View to the Holy of the Holies" During my 15 months of fieldwork in the Middle East, my family came to visit me to take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to visit Egypt and the pyramids. We were struck by how empty these iconic tourist destinations were. The violence in the Middle East over the past few years has impacted the region enormously, wiping out a major component of their economy – and this is particularly evident in Egypt. Here, a tour guide sleeps in Luxor Temple, resigned to the knowledge that almost no one is coming to visit that day. -- Allison Mickel, (Islamic Studies)
  • "Picking Up Speed" The photograph of giraffes running across the Serengeti in Africa was taken during a safari I took with my family. One doesn't normally think of giraffes as especially fast or elegant runners, but Ioved seeing them disprove this. Plus, the early morning light made them look absolutely majestic! -- Allison Mickel (Islamic Studies)
  • "Life of Pi" Kerala is the southernmost point of India. I rented a small boat to float on the water and chill, feeling my own life. It was so serene and peaceful. -- Megumi Yoshinaga (East Asian Studies)
  • "La Infancia Vuela" Childhood flies by, perhaps too quickly. Taken in Havana, Cuba, 2015. -- Magdalena Fitipaldi (Latin American Studies)
  • "La Cigarra" During my Global Studies internship in Bluefields, Nicaragua, I took a trip to Ometepe Island in Lake Nicaragua. The island consists of two volcanoes in the largest fresh water reservoir in all of Central America. While climbing Mt. Maderas with co-workers, I took this photograph of a cigarra – a cicada – that had fallen onto the trail. Cicadas are also found in my native home of Missouri, but I had never seen one so beautiful. This picture remind me both of how big and how small the world is. -- Maria Doerr (Global Studies Internship Program)
  • "I've Been Through the Desert on a Horse With No Name" While exploring Floripa's beaches in Brazil, I came across this horse and set up the shot. He had the most soulful eyes and we stared at one another for minutes. By whitewashing the sky, I've captured the "other worldliness" of our interaction as well as maintained our reflection in the wet sand. -- Allie Ballesteros (Latin American Studies)
  • "Flown" I spent a year conducting research among the Bedouins living in Petra, Jordan, for my doctoral dissertation. My research concerned their experiences with the archaeological remains at Petra, and I took this picture on a day when the guys I was especially close with started playing around at the Temple of the Winged Lions. They made a seesaw out of some excavation equipment, and looking back, I read this picture as the embodiment of the difference between how archaeologists experience archaeological remains – as a research site – and how the local community does – as a home. - Allison Mickel (Islamic Studies)
  • "Candy Man"This picture was taken in the neighborhood of Colaba in Mumbai, India, in a candy shop. The reason I like this picture so much is because of the dominant role the candies play in the overall composition, symbolically reflecting some of what India can offer (or at least what the West captures at first glance) – taste, color, smell and hospitality. All big and extravagant. The twisted reflection of the smiley candy man's face completes this image, calling us to revisit our initial – Western – premises. -- Ravid Itay (Handa Center)
  • "A Sudden Glance" A Tibetan monk suddenly looked back and smiled at me while I was traveling in Qinghai, China, in 2015. -- Jun Wu (Latin American Studies)

Stanford Global Studies 2016 Student Photo Contest Winners

Over 100 images from across the globe were judged and some of the winning photographs are featured in this slideshow.

In April, undergraduate and graduate students affiliated with the Stanford Global Studies programs and centers were encouraged to participate in the 2016 Stanford Global Studies Student Photo Contest. Students submitted images in several categories, including altered images, global events, natural world, people and travel.

Students in SGS travel far and wide for research, language training and internships.  Through these photos, they bring the sights, sounds and memories of these far-off places back to us and share their experiences with a wider audience. The photos are just extraordinary and judging them is always so difficult,” said Jane Stahl, office manager for Stanford Global Studies.