The British University in Dubai organises its third TEDx talks

Dubai, UAE

Sallam Sallam 

The British University in Dubai (BUiD) organised its third TEDx talks at the Radisson RED Hotel in Silicon Oasis with the theme ‘Sustainability: from ideas to reality’. Six speakers discussed varied issues surrounding sustainability. Our speakers portray varied opinions and perspectives and reflect the diversity of our student and staff body.

BUiD’s Registrar and Chief Administrative Office, Hugh Martin FRSA, welcomed the audience and said, “Our TEDx talks this year have the theme of sustainability – this is timely for the region as it comes in the wake of COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt and as a precursor for COP28 in Expo City, Dubai in November this year.”

Professor Abdullah Alshamsi, BUiD’s Vice Chancellor, noted, “We are proud to be a university which partners with various government organisations in an effort to create a more sustainable society. Our programmes in the Sustainable Built Environment at both the Masters and doctoral levels cement our commitment to providing positive solutions and best practices.”

In our third edition of the event, our speakers are an all-female line-up, including a unique duo TEDx talk, for the first time, bringing new perspectives to sustainability.

In her talk, Sepideh Samadi, BUiD’s senior career advisor, highlighted the importance of self-awareness in identifying and harnessing the power of our thoughts – both positive and negative – to make sustainable change in our lives.

Two of our postgraduate and undergraduate students, Zina Abohaia and Maryam Abdullah, explored how we can practise sustainability simply by changing our choices when it comes to what we eat and what we throw away.

Hurmat Ansari, a recent BUiD graduate, contrasted the prevalence of fast fashion in today’s world with how some other countries, such as her own, still have sustainable clothing based on traditional practices. Moreover, she questioned the current discourse around the sustainability of the fashion industry.

Master’s student,Siham Abukhalaf shared her thoughts on the advantages of building underground houses as a way of eco-friendly living and conserving energy for future generations.

Engineer and BUiD graduate,Taqwa Wriekat, discussed sustainability from a new perspective as she asked children aged 6 to 12 what they think sustainability is. She shared their perception of sustainability and their fresh point of view on the three sustainability pillars: environmental, social and economic.

The British University in Dubai is one of the region’s leading research based universities not only providing world class education for the past 20 years but also servicing the community through its commitment to training and research. BUiD is keen to contribute to the knowledge-based economy of the UAE and by organising events like TEDx, BUiD highlights the importance of sharing ideas and knowledge.

TED is a non-profit organisation devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. Started as a four-day conference in California 30 years ago, TED has grown to support its mission with multiple initiatives.

TEDx is a programme of local, self-organised events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TED Talks videos and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection.