The first two pictures were taken by Leona Verdadero, incoming MIA student.

Where: Blue Lagoon, Coron Island, Philippines
One of the most beautiful islands in the Philippines, Coron is located at the northern tip of the Palawan province. It is a well-known diving destination, with abundant Japanese shipwreck sites from  World War II . The contrast between the towering gray limestone cliffs and the clear aquamarine sea is simply stunning!

Where: Banol Beach, Coron Island, Philippines
Two little boys from the Tagbanua tribe docking at Banol Beach.
The Tagbanua tribe is one of the oldest tribes in the Philippines and the first settlers on Coron Island.  To preserve their culture, they obtained land rights under the Philippine government’s ancestral domain program. The tribe has set guidelines in protecting the environment for visitors, promoting sustainable tourism in the country.

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These photos come from Emily Ingram, incoming MIA student.

This photo was taken in Beijing during July 2005. I was struck by the contrast between the chaos of Chinese tourists walking through Tiananmen Square (including the guy in the foreground who is taking a photo of his family while unknowingly squatting right next to the policeman) and the policeman, who happens to be standing so that his head obscures the famous portrait of Mao that hangs at the entrance to the Forbidden City. In what most western tourists can only interpret as a constant reminder of the 1989 massacre, Tiananmen Square still has a very strong police presence and the guards frequently march around in groups, occasionally stopping only to tell people not to photograph them.

This one was taken in Paris on Bastille Day 2008. Around lunchtime, there was a small but raucous crowd around what seemed to be impromptu Brazilian Capoeria. Nearby, picnickers arranged bread and fruit on blankets and sunbathers spread out on towels to reserve a space for that evening’s concert and fireworks. It was unusual and exciting to see so many people participating and enjoying the music, acrobatics and excitement of this Brazilian sport on a French national holiday, in front of THE French architectural icon.

The first three photos come from Jonathan Camuzeaux, an incoming MIA student.

“Faces” was shot in Allur, a village in Tamil Nadu where SEVAI’s main offices are. These children (Bana Pria, Deepika and Keerthik) lived in the Allur Sevai Center and had their education sponsored by the NGO.

“White” was shot in Tamil Nadu, India, in a small village named Pettavaithalai, close to Trichy. I was completing an internship there for the Indian NGO SEVAI (Society for Education, Village Action and Improvement). This old man was waiting, with numerous other villagers, for a free medical check-up organized by the NGO. We started talking and I asked him if I could take a picture of him. I was fascinated by his intense gaze.

“Memories of You” was taken for a friend I haven’t seen for a while, in the 18th arrondissement, in Paris. It is also a tribute to an amazing performance of the eponymous song, by Rahsaan Roland Kirk and Jacki Byard.

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These photos come from Meredith Hutchison.

Emerging at sunset – Kala Refugee Camp, Zambia

Francis and Chicken – Kala Refugee Camp, Zambia.  Francis tries to catch a chicken for dinner.

Ninja vs. girl.  Gaudi Park, Barcelona

The following photos come from incoming MIA student James Canonge.

Where the photo was taken:  Jérémie, Haiti
A brief description of the photo:  These guys would hang around the construction site of an orphanage we were building in rural Haiti.  Eager to show us some local produce, one climbed a nearby tree and plucked this unripe orange.  Haiti’s violent slums are notorious, but here the machete is only used to divvy a refreshing afternoon snack.

Where the photo was taken:  Damascus, Syria
A brief description of the photo:  The covered end of ٍSharia al-Mustaqim is lined with spice vendors and couturiers.  The taxi drivers and goods traders race up and down this busy street from morning until night, but the pace inside the shops is much calmer.  I like how the contrasting atmospheres have been captured in this photo.

The following comes from Diyana Ishak, incoming MIA Candidate.
Where the photo was taken: Isfahan, Iran
A brief description of the photo: This photo was taken during my trip to Iran in March 2007. The photo is a view of Imam Khomeini Square in Isfahan, a large city south of Tehran. Recently, it was the site of demonstrations against the outcome of the June 12 elections. The trip was an eye-opening experience for me, and you are welcome to read more about my experiences there on Foreign Policy’s blog: http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/blog/33. My thoughts and prayers are with Iranians now as they face incredibly challenging times.

The first two photos were submitted by Yi Ren, an incoming MPA student.

This photo was taken in June of 2007 in Lugu Lake, Yunnan Province of China. I was exactly astonished by the purified natural landscape. It was hard to catch this scene because if you went there in a rainy day you would have got nothing but a messy pond of marsh. Good luck to you if you wish to visit the best ever wonderland of minor ethnic region in south west China. It would take a long journey to bring you there which make the place more divine and more marvelous.

This is me. The photo was taken in May of 2009, one month ago. I went to Nanjing for a couple of weeks for visiting my friend, who took it. I don’t intend to show off but it is really a harmonious combination between human and nature. I tore when I saw it. This is a ground of very plain grassland in Nanjing Normal University, quiet but never eye-catching. This case told me that beauty is nowhere until you open you eyes with hearts to discover them.

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The following photos come from incoming MIA student Oleksiy Krylov.

“Capetown”. This photo was taken in October 2008 from the flight deck of USS Theodore Roosevelt near Capetown, South Africa. Famous Table Mountain surrealistically rising above aircraft carrier. We were anchored out and heavy seas didn’t let crew leave the ship on the first day of our port visit.

“Oxford”. This photo was taken in April 2009 inside the gallery of one of the oldest Universities in Europe, Oxford. I loved medieval Oxford’s atmosphere and would definitely go back.

The following photos come from Jamal Haider, incoming MIA student.

Photo Taken at: Sigiriya Rock Fort in Sri Lanka
Description: This picture was taken at the Sigiriya Rock Fort in Sri Lanka during my visit to the country in March 2008. The Fort was built by King Kashypa around 1650 years back. The entrance to the upper part of the fort was constructed to look like a lion’s head. The king actually went into the lions mouth to get to his personal quarters. The massive paws you see is what is left of the construction now.

Photo Taken at: Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Description: An Indonesian fisherman fishing for crustacians, shrimps and little fish to sell at the local market. The net and a bucket is all that they use to catch fish in these rough waters.

Photo Taken at: Ghorra Gali, Pakistan
Description: The picture was taken in a remote village of Ghorra Gali in the Murree District of Pakistan while I was hiking from Ghorra Gali to Islamabad with the Asian Study Group. The total distance was 28 km and it took us 8 hours to complete. This little lady was sitting on the road playing with rocks. She seems unhappy with the passing strangers as none of them brought any sweets or treats for the kids.