Entrepreneurs, Duke neuroscientists and a beatboxing flautist will be coming to Duke April 2 under the banner of the TED brand, known for its compelling series of online lecture videos.
In an independently organized event, TEDxDuke will feature 15 Duke students, faculty and surprise guests speaking to an audience about their intellectual passions. The event will be held in the form of a conference that aims to mimic the short, diverse and creative format of TED talks, said organizer Chelsea Ursaner, a junior.
“The TED format of the short speech is perfect, it appeals to people like me who have a short attention span but are interested in a lot of things,” Ursaner explained. “That’s the beauty of a TED or TEDx conference—it makes you realize that there are so many things that you weren’t aware you were interested in.”
TED, which stands for Technology, Entertainment and Design, is a nonprofit organization which puts on lectures and performances by scientists, entrepreneurs, artists and other public intellectuals. The organization also licenses the TED brand in the form of TEDx programs, which are independently coordinated events organized along the format of the TED talks.
TEDx—a branch of the TED organization that was established in 2009—is now experiencing rapid growth in its use among universities and other groups. According to its website, 186 TEDx events took place in 46 countries last month.
Although organizers for TEDx events apply to use the TED name and must abide by certain rules, they have control in selecting the presenters at their conferences. According to its website, TED only requires that each TEDx event retain the TED format of combining short talks with performances and demonstrations, feature two pre-recorded TEDTalks videos and avoid a commercial or political bias.
To recruit speakers, the general public was asked to nominate non-student candidates who were then invited by TEDxDuke to present. Students also directly applied for the opportunity to give talks.
Sophomore David Watson—who will present the story of his cross-country bike tour to raise awareness for peace initiatives in the Democratic Republic of the Congo—said he sees the event’s role as a collaborative learning experience as its greatest strength.
“[TED] is about how you can present an idea in a short format that encourages people to interact afterwards,” he said. “There’s a lot of interplay between the audience and presenters.”
Six presentations will be given by students with another six given by Duke faculty, including Tony O’Driscoll, professor of the practice of business administration at the Fuqua School of Business, co-Director of the Haiti Lab Deborah Jenson and Dan Ariely, James B. Duke professor of psychology and behavioral economics.
Ursaner declined to disclose the remaining presenters and said she wished to keep some elements of the event a surprise.
The event has been highly anticipated, and 150 free student seats were sold out within an hour of going on sale with several hundred students placed on a waitlist. TEDxDuke is also selling general admission seats for $25.
With a budget of $20,000, the talks were sponsored through a variety of sources, including the John Spencer Bassett Fund Committee, the Student Organization Finance Committee and the Smart Home.
Junior Vansh Muttreja will be presenting a tool he created that allows real-time remote collaboration on white boards. Noting in an email that TED is known for showcasing innovative and creative ideas, Muttreja said he is excited for the potential of the event.
“I am of the opinion that TED is now one of the premier platforms for individuals to introduce the world to their ingenious ideas,” Muttreja wrote. “I am extremely excited to share my project.”
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