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RGU media student wins film prize

Amie Harkins (22), a fourth year media student at Robert Gordon University (RGU) in Aberdeen has been selected as one of the winners of the British Council and Ecorys Lifelong Learning Programme and Youth in Action Competition 2011, entitled ‘Your Story’, following her five month placement in Rotterdam at Inholland University as part of the ERASMUS initiative.

ERASMUS, an educational programme managed in the UK by the British Council, is the European Union's flagship educational exchange programme enabling higher education students in 33 European countries to carry out part of their degree in a partner country. In addition to providing students with the chance to broaden their horizons, discover new cultures, learn new skills and make new friends, the programme hosts several competitions for participants from across the UK.

The competitions give students the opportunity to describe their placement experience through the media of word, photography or film. Representatives from RGU have won one of the competitions in the past three years out of four.

Amie, whose hometown is Edinburgh, was presented with the award for best film at a prize-giving event at the British Council head office in London earlier this month, November 2011. The media student completed a five month placement at Inholland University where she captured her experiences, the sights of Rotterdam and the different culture via video clips and still photography. Hundreds of people from across the UK took part in the competition and shared their fascinating stories and images.

Simon Williams, Head of EU Programmes at the British Council commented, “Both the Lifelong Learning Programme and Youth in Action programme provide fantastic opportunities for organisations, staff and learners involved in education and training to work together, learn from each others' expertise, and widen their experience of other cultures and languages. This competition gives us all the chance to have a glimpse of the life-changing experiences that they enjoy. Their words, films and photographs provide an insight into the benefits of the programme and its impact on the lives of those who take part. We hope their stories will encourage many others to take part.”

Amie beamed, “I was absolutely over the moon to win. I’m hoping to get into advertising once I leave university and my video portrays how passionate I am about the subject.

“ERASMUS provided with me such a good opportunity. I had no intention of going away for five months because I didn't have much self-dependence but I can't express in words how amazing the experience was and I now have the confidence to achieve my goals.”

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