Rays of Hope

Dr Shamil Khairov from the University of Glasgow is the winner of our 2021 Images of Hope competition.  

The Images of Hope competition was developed by U21’s outgoing Provost Professor Bairbre Redmond to bring the network together and share positivity across the globe.  Given four headings - ‘resilience’, ‘community’, ‘creativity’ and ‘solidarity’, entrants were asked to collect and share images of the affirmation, kindness and optimism that they have seen or experienced during the Covid-19 pandemic.  

We received over 200 exceptional entries to the competition, and an experienced panel of judges considered the originality of composition, the visual impact of the image, the connection of the image to the competition theme and its narrative, and the creative delivery and innovative approach of the entry. Congratulations to our winners!

First Prize

Shamil Khairov - University of Glasgow. 

December was the darkest month of 2020, but on that particular day the sunbeams for the first time made their way through the fog and life immediately became brighter. These were rays of hope.

View image here

 

Joint Second Prize and People's Choice Award

Iman Khan - University of Auckland.

This photo was taken on an evening walk at the entrance to a tunnel that was going to be demolished. As a local of the area every little change made has an impact. That's to say how big a change and impact covid has had over the entire world. The light at the end suggests hope in everything, as it all comes to pass.

View image here

Joint Second Prize

Marte Krijn - University of Amsterdam.

My image is called 'Huidhonger', which means 'skin hunger' in Dutch. The word has become very popular during the pandemic, so I thought it would be interesting to take a picture with this word in my mind. The picture I took is about someone longing for some intimacy. I think it can be hopeful because it shows the strength of imagination. 

View image here

Third Prize

Prateek Bhan - University of Glasgow.

My ancestral village - Jai Singhpura in Sekhawati - is located in close proximity to the Thar Desert in India. This is a sight of small plant growing in the middle of the desert motivated me a lot in a recent short trip! Water supply is often irregular and disrupted too - yet the resilience of the sapling is noteworthy.

View image here

Further Information