TEDx NYUAD 2020

Ideas Worth Spreading

TEDxNYUAD is part of the TEDx series, a program that brings the spirit of TED’s mission of ideas worth spreading to local communities around the globe.

TEDxNYUAD is a local independently student-organized TED event taking place in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Five years ago, a group of ambitious NYUAD students saw the potential for “Ideas Worth Spreading” within the NYUAD community and organized the first event in 2016. Now, TEDxNYUAD has come to its 6th event. During these years, TEDxNYUAD had themes from “Time” to “In Plain Sight” and hundreds of inspirational speeches such as “Inclusion For Equality” and “How To Win A Rhodes Scholarship”.

This year, we have 16 student members in our team ranging from freshman to senior year, with two staff members as advisors to cooperate with us and to create the best event possible. We also have an amazing lineup of 11 speakers including NYUAD faculty, researchers, students, and visiting guest speakers from our community.

Practicing TED’s slogan “Ideas Worth Spreading,” TEDxNYUAD seeks to instill a sense of curiosity in our community and foster excitement for lifelong learning. The deep engagement and connection with the local Abu Dhabi community also allows TEDxNYUAD to reflect Abu Dhabi’s diversity and form a sense of cultural belonging.

The inspiration of this year’s theme, “Step Two”, comes from the observation that there tends to be a focus on taking the first step: exposing the problem, designing the solution, releasing the technology, boldly claiming that THIS is the future. But, what comes next? More ambition? More awareness? Or, more deliberation? Are these what taking step 2 requires? Maybe. Maybe not. Regarding different beliefs and expertise, this theme calls for individuals to step beyond their first step, challenging one to seek the future—Step 2— of their established ideas. Now that the first step has been taken… What should step two be?