Initiated in Beijing, China at the 2006 Annual Conference of the Education Forum for Asia, the Asian Students Photography Exhibition was opened to young students in the Asia Pacific Region and beyond. It is committed to carrying forward the enormous richness of Asia’s ancient and modern cultures, to display the great diversity of customs and traditions, the magnificent geographic and demographic appearances of the region, to promote exchange in artistic and aesthetic photography, and to spread the values of Asian cultures across the world.

 

Through the First Session in 2006 and the Second Session in 2007, the Asian Students Photography Exhibition has generated great responses and recognition. The last two sessions’ more than 1,600 pictures from students of 14 Asian countries such as China, Hong Kong, Korea, Mongolia, and Vietnam made the event a great one. China State Councilor, Madam Chen Zhili; former President of the Philippines, Mr. Fidel Ramos; Secretary-General of Boao Forum for Asia, Mr. Long Yongtu; Mr. Rashid Alimov, Ambassador of the Embassy of the Republic of Tajikistan in China and other dignitaries all participated in the Award Ceremonies, and all think very highly of the event.

 

To further enhance the reputation and recognition of the event among Asia’s young students, the Third Session (2008) of the Asian Students’ Photography Exhibition was kicked off in September, 2008. It was jointly hosted by the Education Forum for Asia, China Youth Daily and China University Media Union. It was sponsored by Sony Ericsson China. Under the theme of “the Year”, the Third Session collected more than 3,000 pictures from young students, mostly from China, within more than 3 months.

 

Through competitive online voting initially chosen by netizens and carefully chosen final assessments by experts, the Experts Panel, led by Mr. Wu Peng, Director of the Exhibition Department of China Photographers Association, Mr. Ji Yongquan, Director of Photography Department of China Youth Daily, selected the 28 best pictures in seven categories. The First Prize went to ‘My Kids’ by Mr.Tang Tao from South China Normal University. ‘The Evening on Our Campus’ by Ji Zhen and ‘Beijing Olympic Games in the Flourishing Age’ by Li Yani won the Second Prize.

 

The youth of today are the hope for our future and the vehicle of our destiny. The Asian Students Photography Exhibition aims to enhance exchange, mutual understanding and respect between people from different cultures and traditions in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.