Journey Around the World: 14 Shots from the BU Global Programs Photo Contest 2025

From a lonely lighthouse in the USA to a giant mirrored building in Saudi Arabia.

The winners of the 13th annual BU Global Programs photography competition have been announced, held among prospective students, current students, alumni, faculty, and other staff from BU colleges and schools. This year, nearly 1,100 submissions were received, setting a new record.

Two winning photographs were taken on opposite sides of the globe, approximately 10,300 kilometers apart - one in Saudi Arabia and the other in the American state of Connecticut.

Student Jafar Al-Obeid received the People's Choice Award for his photograph of the "Maraya" concert hall, a landmark in Al-Ula. The name of the building translates from Arabic as "mirror," and it is the largest mirrored structure in the world.

The jury particularly favored the shot by Professor Scott Linda, depicting the Saybrook Breakwater Lighthouse at the mouth of the Connecticut River, which flows into Long Island Sound.

Below, we have gathered the most striking works that made it to the finals this year.