Stanford Global Studies student photo contest winners

Students affiliated with Stanford Global Studies’ 14 centers and programs shared photos that showcased the wonder of the natural world and the beauty of everyday life in countries around the globe.  

Contest jurors selected the image “Khmer Woman at Home” as the grand prize winner of the 12th annual SGS Student Photo Contest. Taken during a field research trip in Prasat Bakong, Cambodia by anthropology major Victoria Chiek, the photo shows a Cambodian woman on her farm—a captivating scene of everyday life on the other side of the world. “My interviewee, a Khmer woman, stands in front of her plots of water grass, a common vegetable in Cambodia,” said Chiek. “Her beauty and calm, small smile is something I'll never forget.”

The annual competition, which celebrates the artistic talents of students across SGS, received more than 90 submissions this year from undergraduate and graduate students who traveled abroad for internships, field research, and language study.

This year, the contest featured six categories: the natural world, travel, beautiful mundane, then and now, it’s a mood, and optical illusions and abstracts. Photos were judged on criteria including impact and storytelling, creativity and originality, composition, and technique. Winning photographs from the 2023 contest captured unique subjects in nine countries across three continents. Read more about the SGS Student Photo Contest Winners here >>>