Eyes on Asia Photography Competition Highlights Student Experiences Across Asia
First place winner - Francesca Pala
On 9 May 2025, the University of Leeds hosted the annual Eyes on Asia Photography Competition, an initiative supported by the Business Confucius Institute (BCI). The competition celebrates positive and engaging visual storytelling from across Asia, encouraging students to reflect on their time abroad and share meaningful moments captured through photography.
This year’s judging panel included BCI Head Teacher Xiaolong Liu, who helped select the winning entries.
Showcasing Diverse Cultural Encounters
The competition offered University of Leeds students a platform to visually document their cultural encounters across Asia, whether during their year abroad or personal travels. Through their images, participants shared authentic perspectives on everyday life, landscapes, local communities and cultural traditions.
Second Place - Meda Bausyte
The aim of the project was to deepen cultural awareness within the university community, promote engagement with Asian languages and societies, and highlight the value of international exchange.
A total of over 30 photographs were submitted by 8 participants, each offering a unique window into the diversity and vibrancy of Asian cultures. Together, the entries reflected a rich tapestry of experiences from across the continent.
High-Quality Submissions Lead to a Challenging Judging Process
The judging panel faced a difficult task due to the high standard of submissions. Photographs were assessed based on:
- How effectively they reflected the aims of the competition
- Their ability to capture everyday life and cultural diversity
- Strength of visual storytelling
- Creativity and originality
- Overall cultural impact
After thorough discussion, the judges selected the top five photographs as the winning entries.
Strengthening Cultural Connections and Inspiring Future Travel
From the organisers’ perspective, the competition was a great success. It enabled students to creatively share their experiences of living and travelling abroad while helping to strengthen cultural links between the UK and Asia.
Beyond celebrating the experiences of students who have already visited Asia, the competition also served to inspire others considering study or travel in the region. By highlighting real moments and diverse cultural settings, the project supported the BCI’s broader mission to promote cultural understanding, language learning and global awareness.
Third place - Samuel Richardson
The Eyes on Asia Photography Competition succeeded in creating a meaningful platform for cross-cultural storytelling and deepening appreciation of Asia within the University of Leeds community.
The Business Confucius Institute looks forward to supporting similar initiatives in the future to continue building global mindsets and encouraging student engagement with Asia.