Life without plastic, extendable shoes for Syrian refugees and the role of religion amongst tomorrow’s youth were some of the hot potatoes being kept aloft at Brunel University London’s first TEDx event.
Hosted by the Union of Brunel Students, the packed event invited an eclectic group of speakers – including some of Brunel’s own staff and students – to tackle the theme ‘The Future of Us.' Amongst the topics explored were youth engagement in politics, work-life balance and the power of networking.
TEDx is an offshoot of the popular TED platform, which invites those with an idea with spreading to talk on their chosen subject for up to 18 minutes.
Dev Aditya, Vice President (student activities) for the Union of Brunel Students, said, "I'm proud to have brought this great idea to Brunel and give our students the opportunity to share their unique ideas to a global audience and strengthen their careers".
Professor Bill Leahy, Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Brunel said: “What a fantastic day of TED talks – it really was the perfect showcase for Brunel’s diverse and inquisitive community.
“Very few other institutions can boast the sheer range of expertise and personality that was on display, and I’m very much looking forward to future events like this.”
Speakers
Sola J Browne - Learn, Understand, Share, Heal
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/l626Klh3bN4" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Reena Ranger - Power of Connectivity
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bFHlUF-9Nmo" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Mete Coban – Youthquake: fake or real?
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/q4J647pXHjo" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Bridget Boylan – Can the UK be plastic neutral by 2030?
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gpLZdHqcZa0" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Satish Sharma – The future of us is ‘ME not us’
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FX8c70dc1Ms" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Albion Thaqi – How 20 eggs show me the solution to the Balkan crisis
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vN7UMiPoIG0" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Ryan Raghoo – How to empower a billion people
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZPe9PeGQwtU" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Sarah Devos – A plant-based lifestyle
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RhfvKj1i_Co" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Nathaniel Peat – Learning through doing
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ua1AauWKydA" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Dhamen Khanna – How to live a ROC lifestyle from B to D
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rhu-fYZblJE" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Faisal Tayan – Shoes for refugees
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/A50QuCklaO0" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Andrew Agerbak – I don’t believe in work-life balance (but perhaps there’s a better goal)
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ldNcAp80mXQ" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Reported by:
Tim Pilgrim,
Media Relations
+44 (0)1895 268965
tim.pilgrim@brunel.ac.uk