Past OISS Photo Competitions

To celebrate International Education Week (IEW), OISS has hosted photo competitions open to all members of the Rice international community. The winners were selected by a popular vote by the Rice international community.

IEW Photo Competition 2023

1st place!

View of dark night sky through the Skyspace. Orange light is reflected on the ceiling of the structure surrounding the window. A dark silhouette of the hill is in the foreground.

The winning photo was submitted by Joaquin Zaror Elte, Masters student from Chile.

2nd place

Evening sky with colors of dusk, surrounded by tree branches. A partial moon is visible in the center of the sky, and a lamp can be seen in the lower part.
Photo submitted by Anwar Khaddaj, PhD student from Lebanon

3rd place

Partial buildings on the left and right of the image with blue sky visible behind them. Shadow of the building on the right is reflected on the side of the building on the left.
Photo submitted by Yudi Xia, Masters student from China

Congratulations to the winners!

Here are the other competition photos, in the order in which they were submitted.

Side of the building with cloudy sky in the background. A partial poem is written on the wall.
Photo submitted by Aayushi Doshi, Masters student from India
Person is sitting in a dark empty classroom with back to camera, working on a laptop.
Photo submitted by Yufan Wang, Masters student from China
Parking lot seen through a bus window. Reflection of the inside of the bus on the window.
Photo submitted by Yufan Wang, Masters student from China
Body of water with rocks visible on the bottom. On the background there is a tree covered hill. A broken tree in the foreground.
Photo submitted by Krittika Choudhary, Masters student from India
Circular structure with columns surrounding a fountain.
Photo submitted by Shung-An Koh, PhD student from Taiwan
City view with ornate, bright light buildings. Water on the foreground with a lot of people sitting on the edge of the water.
Photo submitted by Anonymous
Light blue sky seen through the Skyspace. Pink light reflected to the ceiling around the window.
Photo submitted by Gabriel Sallum Pentagna Guimaraes, Academic Visitor from Brazil
Empty cloister outside of Herzstein Hall.
Photo submitted by Anonymous
A slightly out of focus woman dancing in profile, with her back arched and arms stretched behind her, Leaves falling next to her.
Photo submitted by Tao Li, PhD student from China
Series of images showing a progression of a solar eclipse from corner to corner.
Photo submitted by Tao Li, PhD student from China
Large green tree on green grass with a building partially visible in the background. A cat is sitting in front of the tree.
Photo submitted by Nikhil Chigali, Masters student from India
Ocean in the background, seen from inside a boat or balcony structure. On the foreground a sleeping cat can be seen on a chair.
Photo submitted by Nikhil Chigali, Masters student from India
Dark blue night sky with a roof of a building and chimney on the foreground. A partial moon is visible in a beam of light.
Photo submitted by Yudi Xia, Masters student from China
Trees a sidewalk viewed through a campus archway.
Photo submitted by Shubh Jignesh Vania, Masters student from India
A body of water with some small waves on the surface. Cloudy sky reflected on the water. Tree line and cloudy sky visible in the background.
Photo submitted by Mingzi Niu, PhD student from China
A metal fence with a Rice athletic owl seen behind the bars.
Photo submitted by Yelda Güngör, PhD student from Turkey
Lovett Hall with a large cloud behind it.
Photo submitted by Sage Lee, undergraduate student from South Korea
Buildings with their reflection in some water on the foreground. There is a rainbow in the sky behind them.
Photo submitted by Sage Lee, undergraduate student from South Korea

IEW Photo Competition 2022

1st place!

Lunar eclipse. Moon visible as a red circle in the middle of the image. Background is otherwise blank, but a few stars are visible.

The winning photo was submitted by Daniela Najmias Lang, an undergraduate student (Jones College) from Costa Rica.

2nd place

A tree with multiple branches in front of a red and blue brick wall. Shadows of the branches are visible on the wall.
Photo submitted by Alice Wen, MBA student from Taiwan

Congratulations to the winners!

Here are the other competition photos, in the order in which they were submitted.

Group of students sitting in a sports stadium, posing for camera.
Photo submitted by Sara Szymaniak, undergraduate student from Poland
Beautiful landscape with multicolored cliffs and a valley.
Photo submitted by Sam Wu, DMA student from Australia
Blue water and blue sky, with a ship in the middle of the image.
Photo submitted by Asahi Obata, PhD student from Japan
City street crossing with a tall building in the opposite corner. Photo taken from a low angle.
Photo submitted by Ashish Veluguleti, Masters student from India
Two women in front of a mirror. Photo taken from a distance, showing women looking into the camera through the reflection.
Photo submitted by Saara Orav, undergraduate student from Estonia
Lovett Hall at night. Lights are on outside the building. Foreground has a lamppost with the light on.
Photo submitted by Yuan Yuan, Masters student from China
Hallway with bookshelves full of colorful books on both sides.
Photo submitted by Yuan Yuan, Masters student from China
Group of people huddled together in an outdoor patio. Central figure is serious, with the rest holding their face and pouting their lips.
Photo submitted by Carlos Daniel Llanos Rosales, PhD student from Peru
Two people seated at a desk, looking at notes.
Photo submitted by Carlos Daniel Llanos Rosales, PhD student from Peru
Black and white image with a praying mantis on a plant in silhouette in front of a circular moon or sun in the background.
Photo submitted by Mark Munyi, undergraduate student from Kenya
Landscape in silhouette with tree branches on the left and a building structure on the right. Sky is yellow.
Photo submitted by Mark Munyi, undergraduate student from Kenya
View of a city landscape at dusk with buildings in the foreground. Sky is yellow and red, with the sun visible in the center of image.
Photo submitted by Tanushree Dutta, Research Scientist from India
Several various lit candles on a table. Flames are reflected on the surface of the table.
Photo submitted by Tanushree Dutta, Research Scientist from India
Yellow scooter in the middle of the image, surrounded by trees. Brick building in the background.
Photo submitted by Chloe Nguyen, PhD student from Vietnam
Mushroom in sharp focus on the foreground, surrounded by foliage. Red car out of focus on the background.
Photo submitted by Mazin Zareef, Masters student from Saudi Arabia
Lovett Hall shot through the archway in front of Fondren Library. Statue of Rice is visible between the buildings, with a lone figure walking towards it.
Photo submitted by Aayushi Doshi, Masters student from India
A tree at sunset. Sky in the background ranges in color from blue, pink, orange to yellow.
Photo submitted by Shreya Gupta, PhD student from India
Tops of skyscrapers pictures through an opening at the top of a building.
Photo submitted by Shreya Gupta, PhD student from India
Statue of a person with an orange traffic cone on its head.
Photo submitted by Agnishom Chattopadhyay, PhD student from India
Front corner of an old, broken down white van. Rice Police markings are visible on the side of the vehicle.
Photo submitted by Agnishom Chattopadhyay, PhD student from India
Dark buildings visible at sunset.
Photo submitted by Aayushi Doshi, Masters student from India
Beautiful hilly landscape. A person seated in a lawn chair in the foreground, looking at the view.
Photo submitted by Christian Bernardi, Masters student from Argentina
Stretch of open road with colorful trees on both sides, under a clear blue sky.
Photo submitted by Christian Bernardi, Masters student from Argentina
Lovett Hall, lit up at dusk.
Photo submitted by Andres Guggeri, Masters student from Uruguay
Herzstein Hall lit up at dusk.
Photo submitted by Andres Guggeri, Masters student from Uruguay
Trees in the foreground, with bright stadium lights behind them. Sky is dark, with a crescent moon.
Photo submitted by Edwin Low, undergraduate student from Malaysia
Fondren library in the background, with drones in structured lines and rows on the ground in front of the building.
Photo submitted by Edwin Low, undergraduate student from Malaysia
Lilly pads and flowers in the water. Stones and green landscape in the background.
Photo submitted by Mingzi Niu, PhD student from China
Lit up city skyline in the dark. People taking photos of it in the foreground.
Photo submitted by Anonymous
Hallway with shelves full of books on both sides. Person stands in the middle with their back to the camera.
Photo submitted by Anubhav Rajauria, Masters student from India
Lovett Hall in the dark. Several people gathered in the foreground.
Photo submitted by Anubhav Rajauria, Masters student from India
A plant attached to a metal fence. Red building in the background.
Photo submitted by Salma Alhashim, PhD student from Saudi Arabia
A woman stands facing the camera in the Sallyport archway of Lovett Hall. Fondren Library is visible in the background.
Photo submitted by Shuxin Li, Masters student from China

IEW Photo Competition 2021

1st place!

Three students are facing the camera looking at a data sample. Picture is taken through the see through frame that contains the sample.

The winning photo was submitted by Carlos Llanos, a PhD student from Peru.

2nd place

Student sleeping in a dorm room. He is wearing a Rice University shirt and holding a phone in his hand. Laptop is open on the table.
Photo submitted by Putian Gu, Undergraduate student from China

3rd place (shared)

Scenic photo looking over still water. Lone person standing on a paddleboard in the middle of the lake.
Photo submitted by Mingzi Niu, PhD student from China
Green hilly landscape with a mountain on the background. Small white structure is visible among the trees.
Photo submitted by Sam Wu, DMA student from Australia

Congratulations to all the winners!

Here are the other competition photos, in the order in which they were submitted.

Urban view in darkness with light spilling from a few spotlights. Person in silhouette stands at the foreground, with their back to the camera.
Photo submitted by Ziying Zhu, Undergraduate student from China
Trees seen through a Rice archway. Person sitting under the arch in the cloister.
Photo submitted by Maojie Tang, Masters student from China
Person sitting at the foreground, facing the Rice University academic quad with Lovett Hall in the background.
Photo submitted by Maojie Tang, Masters student from China
Colorful chairs grouped around a table in an empty courtyard at night.
Photo submitted by Anonymous

Football field with players standing in a group and spectators in the stands. Large Rice University flag on the foreground.
Photo submitted by Anonymous

Houston downtown skyline.
Photo submitted by Tianyi Zhang, PhD student from China
View of a city street at night with dark clouds on the sky.
Photo submitted by Jiayi Li, Masters student from China
Black and white closeup of a rose.
Photo submitted by Candela Cicinelli, Masters student from Argentina
Closeup of a pink flower, out of focus.
Photo submitted by Candela Cicinelli, Masters student from Argentina
Art piece Mirror, two figures sitting facing each other, surrounded by trees.
Photo submitted by Chia Hsieh, PhD student from Taiwan
Lovett Hall Sallyport arch, photographed from below, looking up on an angle.
Photo submitted by Chia Hsieh, PhD student from Taiwan
Sky with clouds colored red by the sunset, top of hills or mountains visible at the bottom of photo.
Photo submitted by Sam Wu, DMA student from Australia
Statue of a human figure kneeling down.
Photo submitted by Salma Alhashim, PhD student from Saudi Arabia

IEW Photo Competition 2020

1st Place

Houston skyline visible through a hole in a fence containing several locks
There is always a promising path despite the presence of seemingly overwhelming obstacles.

The winning photo was submitted by Salma Alhashim, a PhD student from Saudi Arabia.

Congratulations Salma!

Here are the other 2020 competition photos, in the order in which they were submitted.

Mural on the side of a building on Rice campus
Photo submitted by Nirupma, MBA student from India

Squirrel
Photo submitted by Takudzwa, Masters student from Zimbabwe

Hands in a circle holding seashells
Photo submitted by Takudzwa, Masters student from Zimbabwe

Part of a building in front of a forest in fog
Photo submitted by Sam, DMA student from Australia

Water droplets on a glass surface
Photo submitted by Sam, DMA student from Australia

Two children in an alley
Photo submitted by Sirui

Black bird on a cliff with city light in the background
Photo submitted by Siyang

Person and a dog walking on a beach
Photo submitted by Siyang

Part of a building
Photo submitted by Weinan, PhD student from China

Rice campus at sunset
Photo submitted by Anonymous

Thank you to all the Photo Competition participants and to everyone who voted!

For more information on International Education Week, please see https://oiss.rice.edu/iew.