In 2019, the UN published a report on global biodiversity and ecosystems that drew attention to the severe impact of human actions on animal and plant habitats. Seventy-five percent of land-based environments have been altered by human actions (66% for marine life). The report also found that 1 million species of animals are now threatened with extinction. This issue not only impacts animal and plant species, but also human beings: biodiversity is important for food and water supply, addressing climate change, supporting human health, and aiding economic development.
The first part of the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP 15) was held in Kunming, Yunnan, China in October 2021. At the event, delegates committed to negotiating a post-2020 global biodiversity framework. From April 25th to May 8th, 2022, COP 15 will continue with further negotiations on the framework.
To bring greater attention to this issue in our community, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School (Tsinghua SIGS) will be organizing a photography contest in collaboration with the Asian Universities Alliance (AUA) Secretariat. Under the theme “Community of Life: Biodiversity Through the Lens,” the contest will lead to a photography exhibition in April 2022.
We are calling upon students, faculty, and staff in our member universities to contribute their perspectives on biodiversity through the camera lens. As a community, we can bring awareness to the importance of biodiversity in our everyday lives and join the global effort to protect nature.
Theme and Categories
The theme of the contest is “Community of Life: Biodiversity Through the Lens.” Submitted photographs should center on the subject of biodiversity and can picture animals, plants, ecosystems, conservation and protection work, etc.
Photos will be judged in two categories, those taken with a digital camera and those using a smartphone, based on creativity, originality, quality, and relevance to the theme. Each participant can submit up to 10 photos that will be judged individually.
Eligibility
All students, faculty, and staff from AUA member universities can participate in the photo contest. Participants should be at least 18 years old to enter the contest.
How to Enter
Submissions should be sent to aua.biophotocomp@outlook.com by March 15, 2022 (11:59 PM Beijing time, UTC+8:00), and should include:
1) JPG photo(s) with original resolution (up to 10 photos are allowed per participant). Please name your photo(s) using the following format: UNIVERSITY NAME CATEGORY PHOTO TITLE (e.g., Tsinghua John SMITH Smartphone Blue jay at Dusk)
2) Please download (via the QR code below or by clicking “Read more” at the end of the article), fill out, and attach a completed participant form to the e-mail address provided above in Word or PDF format with a handwritten or electronic signature. Please make sure to write your full name in your preferred order with the last name capitalized (e.g. John SMITH).
3) Please make sure that you receive a confirmation e-mail for your submission. If you have trouble sending your photos to the submission e-mail address, please contact pr@sz.tsinghua.edu.cn. If you have any additional questions about AUA, please contact the AUA Secretariat at aua@tsinghua.edu.cn.
Only minor modifications to the photographs will be accepted (e.g. dodging and burning, aperture, cropping, color balance).
Prizes
Judges will choose 1st, 2nd, and 3rd prize winners in both categories. One person will be chosen for 1st place in each category, two for second prize in each category, and three for third prize in each category.
The 1st prize winner will receive a prize equivalent to 500 USD, 2nd prize winners will receive a prize equivalent to 200 USD, and 3rd prize winners will receive a prize equivalent to 100 USD.
Winners will also be sent digital award certificates.
Selected entries will be displayed online on the AUA Five Year Anniversary website and offline at Tsinghua SIGS in Shenzhen, China. An award ceremony will also be held online in April 2022 (date TBD).
First, 2nd, and 3rd prize student winners will also be given the opportunity to come to Shenzhen, China to participate in a summer program. (The timing of this program is dependent on relevant epidemic prevention and visa regulations. Only currently enrolled students at AUA member universities at the time of the program will be allowed to participate).
Terms & Conditions
1. The Asian Universities Alliance (AUA) reserves the right to modify, extend, shorten, suspend, or cancel the photography contest without notice and without liability incurred thereby (fortuitous event or “force majeure” and any other events that are considered as making it impossible for the execution of the photography contest as initially planned). No compensation will be awarded to the participants. 2. AUA will not be responsible for any internet malfunction preventing access to the photo contest. 3. AUA will automatically disqualify any entrant who tries to increase his or her chances of winning by using technical means, known or unknown to date. AUA holds the right to conduct audits of the methods used by the entrants to determine the consequences it deems appropriate. 4. Reimbursement: Participation in the photography contest is free of charge. AUA is not responsible for any expenses that the participants may be incurred in the creation and submission of the photograph. 5. Data Protection: The information provided by the participants may be used for data processing, excluding commercial or political use. The participants have the right to access, rectify, and remove data about themselves by making a formal request to the AUA. Participants may request to be omitted or removed from the contest before the closing date of the contest via e-mail. 6. Each participant in the photography contest certifies that he or she is the sole copyright-holder of all submitted photographs and they are original to him/her. The participant bears sole responsibility for any disputes or claims in relation to the submitted photos. 7. The participant has full power to authorize the use of the photographs. 8. Each participant in the photography contest certifies that all submitted photographs do not violate or infringe on any existing copyright or any other third-party rights and contain nothing otherwise unlawful. The participant bears sole responsibility for any disputes or claims in relation to the submitted photos. If AUA suffers damages because of such disputes or claims, the participant must compensate AUA. 9. By submitting a photo(s) to the photography contest, the participant authorizes its release (as well as the photographer’s full name, pseudonym, school, city, and country of residence), in the framework of the AUA Biodiversity Photography Contest and its promotion, on the AUA website, AUA 5 Year Anniversary website and those of its partners including the organizer Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School (Tsinghua SIGS), as well as social networks, on digital communication or media (newspapers, postcards, catalogs, books, posters, exhibitions, videos), or in publications related to the event by AUA or Tsinghua SIGS, without any form of compensation. Any other use of the photographs will be reported to the author, who is free to give or refuse consent for their use. The photos will not be used for commercial purposes (sales to third parties) by AUA unless authorized by the author. 10. AUA agrees to state the name of the photography contest winners in all publications. 11. The following credit shall be given: © NAME OF PHOTOGRAPHER/AUA. 12. The participant agrees to indemnify AUA and holds it harmless against any third-party claims for loss, injury, damage (including any legal costs and/or other expenses properly incurred), prejudice, liability or expense suffered as a result of or in any manner in connection with the entry, any other of the acts or omissions or any information provided, including but not limited to, claims for violation of copyrights. 13. The participant grants the organizers the right to use his or her name, photograph, image, or likeness in the context of any recording, any presentation, video, speech, or other forms of publicity, in connection with the photography contest. 14. AUA retains the right to exchange the awards for a similar award of the same value.