This semester, students from the ten BAUHAUS4EU universities and the Simon Kuznets Kharkiv National University of Economics submitted their original photos to participate in the inaugural contest of our Alliance.
The topic of the contest “Inclusive Grounds: Stories of Belonging and Resilience” and the four different categories: Resilience, Sustainability, Inclusivity and Beauty, proved to be challenging. However, we received deeply moving perspectives of university life, full of energy, courage, quiet contemplation, hidden humour and determination. According to our international jury, students embraced storytelling with remarkable sincerity and emotional charge, reminding us of the fact that stories often arise from simple, spontaneous moments and gestures. It was not just the spaces and objects but human presence that made the strongest impact.
After careful evaluation based on the criteria for relevance, creativity, technical quality, and narrative impact, the jury selected four outstanding works that resonated not only visually, but emotionally.
The winners are:
First place:
“Invisible Forces” by Babette Bachofner, enrolled at Université Lumière Lyon 2 (France)
Second place:
“Different stories, one desk” by Anastasia Barmpetaki, enrolled at the University of Macedonia (Greece)
The third place is shared by two students:
“Final round, Fight” by Sofiya Dimitrova, enrolled at the University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy (Bulgaria)
“The University of Connection” by Colleen Nourtier, enrolled at Université de Picardie Jules Verne (France)
All four winning visual stories, in their unique ways, explore the sense of belonging as created not by buildings or schedules alone, but by the ways people share space, support each other, work behind the scenes, and build meaning together. They portray the university as a place that unites people, despite their differences, whether through a piano, a library desk, shared work or a caring gesture of support. Resilience is also a recurring theme – it can be noticed through creativity, shared ambition, hard (often invisible) labour, or everyday gestures of kindness. Each of the images also offers a glimpse of a hidden layer of campus life: the emotional resonance of a common space, the personal world behind study routines, the struggles of staff and the inclusion through a quiet moment of human support.
These multifaceted yet interconnected stories we tell together really matter as they are not solely entries but pieces of students’ lives. We express our heartfelt thank you to all students who participated and shared their inner perceptions through photographs!
A big thank you to all the jury members as well for their thoughtful, generous, and sincere engagement!
Although this photo contest was carried out in a very tight period, it proved to be a shared space of creativity, reflection and connection across universities. We can’t wait to see your stories in the coming 2nd edition!
