The second annual TEDx University of Strathclyde conference took place on April 25 in the Technology and Innovation Centre where a number of interesting and diverse speakers took to the floor to explore the theme of 'Pushing Boundaries' in their various fields including science, technology and education.
Organised and run by students from the Business and Engineering faculties, the team were keen to ensure they brought the Strathclyde values of being collaborative, ambitious, innovative and bold to life so 'Pushing Boundaries' was the perfect fit. They hoped to inspire audience members to interact with speakers and find new ways to tackle challenges or make the most of opportunities whether that was from a personal or professional perspective.
The audience were lucky enough to hear from a plethora of speakers including Professor Massimiliano Vasile, Professor of Space Systems Engineering who shared how he pushes boundaries in his research of active debris removal and asteroid manipulation. Helen Kendrick, Programme Manager for the Institute of Future Cities talked about the City Observatory project, which will increase the efficiency of living in cities around the world and Reza Pakravan, extreme adventurer, motivational speaker and documentary maker revealed how he has set world records against all odds. Student speaker Alex Poignant talked about how we as individuals can act as a catalyst to have a positive change on society.
TED is a non-profit organisation devoted to 'Ideas Worth Spreading'. Started as a conference in California 1984, TED has grown to support those world-changing ideas with many initiatives.
In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, 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 video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organised TED event.