The Graduate School is calling on members of the HKU research community to take part in its inaugural Research Image Competition. The Competition challenges contestants to capture the essence of their research and showcase it to the general audience in a visually captivating way.
Whether your research is carried out at the bench or in the field, on campus or around the world, we invite you to share the beauty in your research, or behind the scenes of your academic pursuits, and make science accessible to a wider public.
Submit your entries by 30 April 2025 for a chance to win HK$5,000 and have your work exhibited in the Graduate School’s virtual gallery and live exhibition. The Competition is open to all current HKU PhD and MPhil students and professoriate staff.
Show us your research and join the Competition now!
How to Enter
- Capture or create an image that represents your research.
- Write an image narrative in layman’s terms within 200 words to tell the story about your research.
- Submit your entry via this form by 30 April 2025. Late submissions will not be accepted.
Submission Requirements
- Images must be generated from the research work carried out by HKU PhD/MPhil students or professoriate staff. It can be an image of your research itself, an activity related to your research, or the impact of your research.
- Entries can be photograph, micro-imaging, graphics or data visualisation.
- Entries must be in the form of JPEG, PNG or PDF format and be compressed to a file size not more than 10MB for uploading on the Graduate School’s designated platform. Shortlisted contestants may be required to submit high-resolution files for usage of the Graduate School including but not limited to its online gallery and live exhibition.
- All current HKU PhD and MPhil students and professoriate staff can submit entries. Entries can be submitted by an eligible student or staff, or a team comprising up to five eligible students and/or staff.
- Each student/staff or team can only submit one entry.
- Each entry must be accompanied by (i) an image title (max. 10 words in English); and (ii) a brief non-technical narrative describing your image and how it relates to your research (max. 200 words in English).
Selection
A Judging Panel will be formed to assess the entries based on the following criteria:
- Aesthetic quality
- Visual impact
- Creativity and originality
- Ability to inspire, amaze and illustrate knowledge
- Connectivity between the image, text and research
The best 30 entries will be featured in an online gallery for voting by the HKU community. The Competition results will be announced by September 2025. The decision of the Judging Panel is final.
Prizes
- First Prize: HK$5,000
- Second Prize: HK$2,000
- Runners-up: HK$800
* All eligible contestants will be given a coffee coupon as a token of appreciation.
Terms and Conditions
- Entries must be original and free from infringing on the rights of third parties.
- Contestants must be the copyright owners of the images they submitted.
- Shortlisted contestants may be required to submit the high-resolution files for usage of the Graduate School including but not limited to its online gallery and live exhibition.
- By entering the Competition, contestants agree to grant permission for the HKU Graduate School to use contestants’ names and works for education, publicity and/or promotion purposes, including but not limited to website display, print materials and exhibitions.
Acknowledgement
The Competition is supported by the Knowledge Exchange Fund of the HKU Knowledge Exchange Office.
Enquiries
Please contact gradsch@hku.hk.