Surrounded by lush mountains and coffee farms, you can find the tallest palm trees in the world at this high altitude. The hill, lined with the silhouettes of these almost prehistoric-looking palms disappearing into the fog, was otherworldly and absolutely breathtaking. I felt compelled to capture the fleeting moment before the clouds completely enveloped the landscape.
Karina Hilbolling, student
12 November 2025
Student photographs give insight to life on year abroad
Karina Hilbolling, student in the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures, has won the department’s annual year abroad photography competition with a snap of the Cocora Valley in Colombia.
The annual photography competition is hosted by the department for undergraduate students on their year abroad. The photographs give students a chance to show the places they have visited and the cultures they have experienced during this year of their degree.
The contest also provides for first- and second-year students with an opportunity to get a visual taste of what awaits them in their third year.
Karina’s photo was taken in the Cocora Valley, Colombia, on her Canon G10.
In second place came Kristina Krylova with a photo in Saint Moritz, Switzerland, while studying at the University of Geneva. In third place came Jeffrey Zhu with a photo over Lake Geneva, Switzerland, while he was studying at the University of Lausanne.
I took this photo during my year abroad at the University of Geneva, Switzerland. It was shot on my film camera during the university ski camp in St Moritz and it portrays one of the participants of the vintage car show driving to the exposition gates as the heavy snow began to fall. Inspired by the historical Swiss postcards from the early 20th century, I aimed to convey the magical atmosphere of the Concours d'Élégance in the village that evening.
Kristina Krylova, student
This image is a composite of 300 photos captured over two hours late at night at University of Lausanne. The star trails reveal the rotation of the Earth above the serene waters of Lake Geneva, with the lights of Évian-les-Bains on the opposite shore and the Alps standing in the background.
Jeffrey Zhu, student
Forty-five photographs were submitted, and the contest was judged by travel journalist, editor and writer Nina Caplan.
I was so impressed by the quality of entries. Clearly these are students with artistic as well as linguistic talent! The shortlist was so strong, many of the entries are still glowing in my mind’s eye.
Nina Caplan
Entries from competitions in previous years feature across the website for the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures, showcasing what it’s like to study abroad at undergraduate level.
We have been holding the annual Year Abroad photo competition in the department for over ten years now. Thanks to camera-phones, students today return from their year abroad with not just improved language skills and a better understanding of the culture of their host country – which is, of course, the principal object of the exercise! – they also come back with a visual record of new sights, exciting experiences and, very often, original ways of seeing.
Dr Craig Moyes, Reader in French and Quebec Studies
In this story
Senior Lecturer in Modern Languages, Culture and Society