The British University in Dubai organises its second TEDx talks

Dubai, UAE

Sallam Sallam

The British University in Dubai (BUiD) organised its second TEDx talks at the Marriott Hotel Al Jaddaf with the theme ‘The new normal or future normal? What did we learn in the past two years?’ Six distinguished speakers shared their personal experiences and perspectives; the line-up of speakers was expanded this year to include students.

Professor Abdullah Alshamsi, BUiD’s Vice Chancellor, welcomed the audience and said, “For the second year we organised BUiD’s TEDx talks to share our thoughts and experiences after two years of a pandemic. It is time for us to shift our focus onto what comes next, and we are very happy to be part of a platform that challenges conventional thinking and inspires change.”

In his talk about the future of teaching, ‘The Ego and the (K)Id’, Professor Christopher Hill discussed what role the learner should play in higher education.

BUiD’s student, Bianca Badando, asked “In a world that is driven by highly ambitious individuals, the milestones we have attained as a human race are breath-taking. However, can we truly conquer the world and beyond when we cannot even conquer ourselves?”

Two speakers shared their personal experiences. Danielle Wilson-Gulston took us on an introspective journey of her experience with raising a child with dyslexia. While Mamta Saha focused on how self-awareness is a vital ingredient for a better understanding of ourselves and others.

In his talk ‘Should we quit social Media?’, Dr Joe Hazzam noted that social media platforms will continue to emerge in the future, and asked that before we connect, we need to question if this connection is valuable, trustworthy, durable and safe?

In his talk, ‘Education 4.0 – are we ready for it?’ Dr Solomon David told us that the only way forward to face this uncertain future is to design and deliver forward learning curriculum.

BUiD offers a unique not-for-profit brand of higher education with high standards for study and research designed to contribute to the technological innovation and socio-economic development of the Arab world and beyond. 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.