Ras Al Khaimah: Seven leading speakers from diverse backgrounds provided fresh perspectives in eloquent presentations on pivotal global topics – Artificial Intelligence, Sustainability, Leadership and Entrepreneurship – at the debut TEDx event of the American University of Ras Al Khaimah (AURAK) recently.
According to Emirates News Agency, the event, themed ‘Impact Matters-Voices for a New Era,’ explored the power of impact-how individuals, ideas, and innovations can drive meaningful change in the world-through the eyes of expert speakers. They shared stories, ideas, and solutions that challenge the status quo and inspire action.
Dr. David A. Schmidt, President of AURAK, remarked on the significance of the event, stating, “This inaugural TEDx event reflects the completion of our strategic vision to add this prestigious activity to our campus. We believe TEDx is a perfect event to add to our students’ academic progress and support their critical thinking.”
Prof. Stephen Wilhite, Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs and Student Success and Provost at AURAK, expressed appreciation for the speakers’ contributions, highlighting the “invaluable ideas to ponder and pursue,” especially those with emotional resonance.
The impressive line-up of speakers included Cherian Varghese, Senior Vice President EMEA Technology at Oracle; Julie Lewis, an explorer, mountain climber, and author; Rohit Bassi, a well-known self-development guru and founder of ROI Talks; Debbie Botha, an industry council member at the Digital Data Design Institute at Harvard; Belinda Scot, Head of Sustainability at Gulf International Bank; Danyaal Abdul Khaliq, former Director of Innovation at Etisalat; and Chada El Islam Benmahcene, Founder and Managing Director of ENTROGX Ventures.
TEDx is a grassroots initiative, created in the spirit of TED’s overall mission to research and discover ‘ideas worth spreading.’ TEDx events bring the spirit of TED to local communities around the globe, organized by passionate individuals who seek to uncover new ideas, share the latest research, and spark conversations in their communities.