You may submit up to three photographs through our PollUnit submission form. Register for the UNC Global Affairs newsletter for an announcement when the next competition opens.

In line with the educational mission of the Carolina Global Photography Exhibition, photo captions should help deepen viewers’ understanding of the regional and/or cultural context of the photograph. Below are examples of successful photo captions that have been displayed in past exhibitions:  

• Nestled in the vibrant neighborhood of Singapore’s Little India is Little Bangladesh, a lesser-known neighborhood where many migrant workers go to seek the comfort of home. There in the office of Banglar Kantha, Southeast Asia’s only Bengali newspaper, Masud finds peace each week in calling his family and playing his harmonium. The Banglar Kantha, which means “voice of Bengal,” provides opportunities for migrant workers to submit written pieces as well as physical space for them to gather, read, play music and rest.
   
• The Benedictine monks of Keur Moussa Abbey have spent the last 60 years perfecting the design of the kora, a stringed instrument carved from the body of a calabash gourd. The monks build their kora harps in a small workshop on the abbey grounds and offer lessons to teach others. The instrument is featured prominently in the music of Keur Moussa’s masses, where hymns are composed and sung in the monks’ native languages, including Diola, Wolof, and Serer.
   

No. You can submit a photo from travel experiences (personal, professional or otherwise) that are not affiliated with Carolina. There is also no requirement about when the photo was taken. The photo could be from this past summer or from 20 years ago!

Any individual who is affiliated with UNC-Chapel Hill is eligible to participate in the competition. This includes part-time students and students in joint programs with other universities as well as employees (faculty, staff, full and part-time, permanent and temporary) and alumni.

Yes! But by submitting your photo to the contest, you provide permission for Carolina to use your photos for marketing and advertising purposes for both print and digital media. Please refer to Carolina Global Photography Competition terms and conditions in the submission form for more details.

We love to promote the global experiences of our Carolina students, alumni, faculty and staff. In the past, photos have been used on various Carolina websites and social media, printed in publications such as the Carolina Alumni Review, printed for display in campus offices and used in promotional materials such as brochures, calendars and annual reports. 

Winners will be notified via email by winter break using the email address included in your submission form.

Yes! The top three overall winners will each receive a prize. Prizes vary each year.

Photographs will be exhibited in the FedEx Global Education Center beginning in February and running through the end of the calendar year. In 2025, we do have a temporary exhibition planned during August and September, so there will be a partial de-installation of the exhibition during that time.

The exhibition is open to the public, and we welcome and encourage community members and community groups to view the photos on display. Learn more about building hours, location and parking. You can also view the exhibition online through our virtual gallery.

Yes! If your photograph has been selected as a competition finalist, you will receive an email from exhibition coordinators with instructions about how to pick up your printed photograph and caption panel after the exhibition closes. Please note that the frame is not included.