Northwestern University in Qatar (NU-Q) hosted an awards ceremony – the 2022 Media and Research Awards – that recognised student projects for journalistic and research excellence.
This year’s awards ceremony was held at the culmination of a week-long series of events where students showcased their creativity and scholarship, and featured submissions in three main categories — Written Word, Moving Image and Co-curricular Projects. The projects submitted ranged from a documentary on access to birth control in Qatar to a research project examining arts and the Palestinian resistance.
Shortlisted projects were submitted and evaluated by a panel of judges, including NU-Q faculty and industry experts from leading media organisations, including Al Jazeera, Al Kass Sports Channels, BLJ Worldwide and others.
Highlighting the variety of topics and issues tackled by the projects submitted, NU-Q dean and CEO Marwan M Kraidy said that while students deserve the recognition they receive, the work they have done is “more than the awards and recognition they may receive. It is also a signal – a signal to the world – of the immense talent, imagination and intelligence that is present here—in our students at Northwestern University in Qatar.”
Among the projects recognised in this year’s awards ceremony is 'Clara', a fictional narrative film by Jannah Collado that showcases the negative emotional impacts of unrealistic women's beauty and body standards. “My film sheds light on a subject that has impacted me personally and many teenagers and young women around the world,” said Collado, who produced the film as part of a course she took on women in film. “This award is a recognition of the hard work my colleagues and I put into producing this film but, most importantly, it is an example of how the films produced by my colleagues and students, in general, can spark conversations on issues that haven't been getting the media attention they deserve.”
The Media and Research Awards is an annual celebration of outstanding student work, featuring nominated projects produced both in and outside the classroom. Projects that have been recognised in previous ceremonies have received recognition globally, receiving awards from The Academy Awards, Doha Film Institute and other media and research organisations around the world.
BOX: List of 2022 Media and Research Awards winners:
1. Written Word
* Creative Writing: To 'Dobrovna Anastasiia Nikolaevna' by Hongji Feng
* Journalistic Writing: 'JoeVincent So: Blue-Collar Fighter, White-Collar Preacher' by Mohamed Wasay Mir
* Strategic Communication: T2 Creative Handbook by Mohamed Wasay Mir, Laiba Mubashar, Mishaal Shirazi, Safae Daoudi and Sarah Shamim
* Research and Analysis – Humanities: 'Gendered Messages in the Handmaid’s Tale' by Kayan Khraisheh
* Research and Analysis – Social Science: 'Compulsive Use of YouTube' by Krishna Sharma, Temesgen Tewolde and Sudesh Baniya
2. Moving Image
* Documentary: 'Against All Odds' by Abdullah Imran, Menna Soliman and Elyssa Gaddas
* Narrative Fiction: 'Clara' by Jannah Collado, Mohamed al-Khulaifi and Habeeba Abdelhamid
* News: 'Melodies in Distance' by Yanis Cherif
3. Co-curricular Projects
* Published News: 'The Hidden Truth About Eating Disorders' by Makeisha Amir
* Funded Moving Image: 'Love for Layla' by Nur Munawarah and Aesha Hussein
Shortlisted projects were submitted and evaluated by a panel of judges, including NU-Q faculty and industry experts from leading media organisations, including Al Jazeera, Al Kass Sports Channels, BLJ Worldwide and others.
Highlighting the variety of topics and issues tackled by the projects submitted, NU-Q dean and CEO Marwan M Kraidy said that while students deserve the recognition they receive, the work they have done is “more than the awards and recognition they may receive. It is also a signal – a signal to the world – of the immense talent, imagination and intelligence that is present here—in our students at Northwestern University in Qatar.”
Among the projects recognised in this year’s awards ceremony is 'Clara', a fictional narrative film by Jannah Collado that showcases the negative emotional impacts of unrealistic women's beauty and body standards. “My film sheds light on a subject that has impacted me personally and many teenagers and young women around the world,” said Collado, who produced the film as part of a course she took on women in film. “This award is a recognition of the hard work my colleagues and I put into producing this film but, most importantly, it is an example of how the films produced by my colleagues and students, in general, can spark conversations on issues that haven't been getting the media attention they deserve.”
The Media and Research Awards is an annual celebration of outstanding student work, featuring nominated projects produced both in and outside the classroom. Projects that have been recognised in previous ceremonies have received recognition globally, receiving awards from The Academy Awards, Doha Film Institute and other media and research organisations around the world.
BOX: List of 2022 Media and Research Awards winners:
1. Written Word
* Creative Writing: To 'Dobrovna Anastasiia Nikolaevna' by Hongji Feng
* Journalistic Writing: 'JoeVincent So: Blue-Collar Fighter, White-Collar Preacher' by Mohamed Wasay Mir
* Strategic Communication: T2 Creative Handbook by Mohamed Wasay Mir, Laiba Mubashar, Mishaal Shirazi, Safae Daoudi and Sarah Shamim
* Research and Analysis – Humanities: 'Gendered Messages in the Handmaid’s Tale' by Kayan Khraisheh
* Research and Analysis – Social Science: 'Compulsive Use of YouTube' by Krishna Sharma, Temesgen Tewolde and Sudesh Baniya
2. Moving Image
* Documentary: 'Against All Odds' by Abdullah Imran, Menna Soliman and Elyssa Gaddas
* Narrative Fiction: 'Clara' by Jannah Collado, Mohamed al-Khulaifi and Habeeba Abdelhamid
* News: 'Melodies in Distance' by Yanis Cherif
3. Co-curricular Projects
* Published News: 'The Hidden Truth About Eating Disorders' by Makeisha Amir
* Funded Moving Image: 'Love for Layla' by Nur Munawarah and Aesha Hussein