Media students of the year

The annual Ibda'a competition produced 10 winners this year. Maysam Ali was at the awards ceremony and got to know some of them, their projects and future plans.

Three UAE national students from the Higher Colleges of Technology were among the 10 winners of the Ibda'a Media Student Awards 2008. The annual student competition invites entries in animation, analogue photography, digital photography, film/TV feature, graphic design, journalism, print advertising, TV advertising, TV documentary and radio.

The winners were announced at a gala dinner last week at Dubai Media City (DMC) after a five-day exhibition of projects by 42 shortlisted candidates from universities around the world. Those shortlisted were invited to Dubai to present their projects. The top students won internships at media outlets worldwide.

In its seventh edition this year the awards began at a local level, but were transformed into an international competition five years ago. Over 65 students have been awarded to date. This year organisers received over 2,200 entries from 25 countries.

Meet the winners

Fatima Saleh, Sharjah Women's College applied media student, was inspired by the bias in Western media while covering the Middle East. She made a television advertisement about how Arabs and Muslims are portrayed negatively in the Western media.

"I asked a question: how impartial is a news story? I opened the topic for viewers to let them decide," said Fatima, who won for Best UAE Project.

Fatima divides her time between her studies and her job at Sharjah TV, where she is a programme executive. She said she had a feeling she would win because she saw enthusiasm in peoples' reactions to her work.

Fatima said she is inspired by everyday news. "I often watch the news and I like to watch all the channels to get a balanced point of view."

Fatima's childhood friend, Khowla Abdullah Al Marzouqi, who will be joining her at Sharjah TV, came first in the digital photography category. Her project portrayed a woman's face wearing the burqa. A fourth-year applied communications student at SWC, Khowla couldn't pursue fine arts, the major she had hoped to study, because it is not available at SWC. "I had to combine my love for photography and painting to do what I really wanted," she told Notes.

Khowla was awarded $4,000 (Dh14,680) for photography equipment. "I am so happy; I feel like a bride now that I have won. I have one hope and it is that the government initiates more competitions for the youth to give them the chance to show their work," she said.

In a previous interview with Notes, Khowla had said: "Sometimes I feel there are not enough chances given to students who are talented but shy to show their work. They need much encouragement, especially women."

The third Emirati winner is Abdullah Bu Farousha, a Dubai Men's College (DMC) applied media student. His win in the TV advertising category earned him a place as an internship with Leo Burnett.

His project, completed in association with two other DMC media graduates – Abdul Rahman Bin Thalith and Mohammad Al Maidour – was a TV advertisement on the Dubai Metro. It shows a UAE national, a tourist and a labourer using the Metro to go to work, the beach, etc. It could very well be of help in advertising the Metro.

"We wanted to show that the Metro will be everywhere and it doesn't belong to any specific group of people; it's a lifestyle," Bu Farousha said, adding they have not shown their advertisement to the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) or any other government agency but would appreciate interest in their project.

The group is planning to open their own media company; however as fresh graduates they are seeking more experience at this stage.

A good experience

Mona Abou Issa, an Egyptian-Russian student at Modern Science and Arts University in Egypt, won the journalism award for her article on a community of people with hearing disabilities in Egypt. She told Notes she is planning to be a journalist as soon as she gets the right opportunity.

Those who did not win celebrated with the winners and dined at DMC before leaving for their last night out in the city. Umar Hameed, a student from Pakistan who entered the analogue photography category, told Notes that although he didn't make it into the top 10, the experience was worthwhile. "Students are a good representation of the country and I had a good cultural experience in Dubai."

2008 Ibda'a winner

Journalism: Mona Abou Eisa, Modern Science and Arts University (MSA), Egypt

Radio: Robert Leeroy Lim, Colegio De San Juan De Letran, The Philippines

Animation: Hadeil Mahmoud, El Minia University, Egypt

Graphic Design: Ganesh Nayak, Sir J.J. Institute of Applied Arts, India

Analogue Photography: Mohammad Usman Jamshed, Punjab University, UAE

Digital Photography: Khowla Al Marzouqi, Sharjah Women's College, UAE

Print Advertising: Rachana Hakani, Sophia Polytechnic, India

TV Advertising: Abdullah Bu Farousha, Dubai Men's College, UAE

TV Documentary: Norah Samy Farhat, MSA, Egypt

TV/Feature: Roqiye Tavakoli, Sooreh University, Iran
Best UAE Project: Fatima Saleh, Sharjah Women's College, UAE

- Prizes awarded included internships at CNN, Motivate Publishing, the Arabian Radio Network, Xische Studios, Team Young & Rubicam, Saatchi & Saatchi, CNBC and MBC.