The 1st BAUHAUS4EU Photo Contest of the European Universities Alliance was successfully concluded, with the participation of students from the ten member universities of the Alliance, as well as from its associated university in Ukraine. Participants were invited to capture through their lenses the theme “Inclusive Grounds: Stories of Belonging and Resilience.”

Students turned their attention to their study environments, portraying the often invisible forces that shape everyday university life. The photographs - moments of connection, beauty, solidarity, creativity, and reflection - offered personal perspectives on what it means to belong to a university community.

Following the completion of the internal selection process at each university, 25 photographs that stood out across the Alliance were evaluated by a ten-member international jury. The evaluation process was completed on 8 December 2025, with the selected works distinguished based on their relevance, creativity, technical quality, and narrative impact.

Winners of the 1st BAUHAUS4EU Photo Contest

1st Prize:
“Invisible Forces” – Babette Bachofner, Université Lumière Lyon 2 (France)

2nd Prize:
“Different stories, one desk” – Anastasia Barmpetaki, University of Macedonia (Greece)

3rd Prize (shared):
“Final round, Fight” – Sofiya Dimitrova, University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy (Bulgaria)
“The University of Connection” – Colleen Nourtier, Université de Picardie Jules Verne (France)

The awarded works explore the sense of belonging as it is shaped through shared spaces, mutual support, everyday gestures, and the quiet yet powerful rhythms of university life. They reveal the emotional dimension behind study routines, as well as the small but meaningful moments that strengthen the bonds within the student community.

The University of Macedonia student Anastasia Barmpetaki, enrolled in the Department of Balkan, Slavic and Oriental Studies, won 2nd place in the contest with her photograph “Different stories, one desk.” Her work highlights, in a particularly sensitive and creative manner, coexistence, diversity, and the everyday encounters that shape the university environment.

The 2nd BAUHAUS4EU Photo Contest will take place in 2026.

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View more here: 

https://www.bauhaus4.eu/aktuelles/detail/the-challenge-has-been-accepted-visual-stories-compete-for-the-top-three-places/

https://www.bauhaus4.eu/aktuelles/detail/four-winners-for-the-1st-bauhaus4eu-photo-contest/