Photo Competition

Photo Contest, now through August 31, 2026—Exhibition as part of Sustainability Days

[This content is not available in "Englisch" yet] Photo: Dorothea Hensen, MedizinFotoKöln

Submissions in the form of photographs on the theme of positive visions of a sustainable future can now be submitted online via the registration form.

The goal is to work together to develop positive visions of a sustainable future and bring them to life creatively. The idea behind this initiative is to create a collaborative exhibition and an artistic program on campus, developed by faculty, staff, and students themselves. With this project, we aim to bring staff and students together in a creative way, strengthen our sense of community and shared responsibility for a sustainable future, and promote engagement with sustainability initiatives on our campus.

Entries for the photo contest should be submitted by August 31, 2026 (deadline). After that, our expert jury will select the 20 best entries and the three winners (gift cards worth 40 euros) from all submissions. These works will be exhibited during Sustainability Days.

Information about the photos

Each participant may submit one original photograph. The photograph must be uploaded as a digital image file (up to 10 MB) via the registration form or, for larger files, made available via a file-hosting service (e.g., Dropbox, Google Drive, or WeTransfer). Each photo should have a minimum resolution of 2,000 × 1,300 pixels and be saved in JPEG format.

The image must be submitted with a title entered in the registration form and may include a comment explaining what is depicted, when, where, and why. Photographic objects or other works that cannot be framed are not permitted. By participating in the photo contest, the submitted photographs and image files become the property of the University of Cologne. The copyright remains with the photographers.

This grants permission for free reproduction in university publications, including use on the University of Cologne’s website and in its exhibitions. The photograph must not have been previously published and must not have won any awards in a national or international competition. Please note that portraits (images of a person in such a way that they can be recognized by others) may only be distributed with the consent of the person depicted (§22 KUG, Sentence 1 of the German Art Copyright Act).

Photo Competition – Sustainability Days 2026

First and Last Name of the Author

Email Address

Affiliation (Hospital / Institute / Department / Faculty / Private)

Photo

If the image is too large to upload through the form or is in a file format that the form does not support, you may alternatively upload it to a third-party platform and share the link here.

Alternative: Link to File

Title of the Image

Location Where the Image Was Taken

Captcha

Consent to the Use of the Image

I confirm that I have taken the uploaded photographs myself or that I hold all necessary rights to submit and authorize their use. Where identifiable individuals appear in the photographs, I confirm that the required consent for publication has been obtained in accordance with Section 22 of the German Art Copyright Act (Kunsturhebergesetz, KUG). By participating in the photo competition, the submitted photographs and image files become the property of the University of Cologne. Copyright remains with the photographers. I grant the Sustainability Working Group of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Cologne and the University of Cologne the non-exclusive, royalty-free right to use, reproduce, store, edit, and publish the photographs for exhibitions, publications, press and public relations activities, as well as in print, web, and social media. I further confirm that the submitted photograph has not previously been published and has not received an award in any national or international competition. I understand that published content, particularly on the internet and social media, may be accessed worldwide, stored or redistributed by third parties, and that its complete removal cannot be guaranteed. I may withdraw this consent at any time with effect for the future. Any publications made prior to such withdrawal shall remain unaffected.