The University of Plymouth is running its second annual TEDx event and is looking for speakers to bring the best in university research, and insights into interesting aspects of the city’s culture, to a wider audience.
TEDxPlymouthUniversity is scheduled to take place in February 2018 and, as well being seen by a live audience, it will be streamed internationally.
Carrying the theme Spirit of Discovery, reflecting Plymouth’s long tradition of exploration and innovation, organisers are looking for people interested in sharing their ideas in a short talk of up to 18 minutes in length.
The event is independently organised under licence from international non-profit organisation TED, which is devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short, powerful talks, and will take place on the university’s city centre campus.
Earlier this year, researchers and others from the wider community united for an evening of thought-provoking talks around the theme Evolution of Inspiration. Topics ranged from particle physics and green energy to the music of The Beatles.
Event organiser John Petrie, from the University’s Formation Zone, said:
“There are so many fascinating things happening in Plymouth and this is a great way to shout about them. For the speakers, it’s a great way of getting more awareness for their research or activities and sharing their ideas with an international audience. Our speakers were all brilliant on the night last time. It was nerve-wracking for us, but it gave people the opportunity to find out more about the University in a fun and accessible way.”
Dr Jeremy Goslin, Associate Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience and one of the participants in 2017, added:
“While I came away from this TEDx event enlightened by the presentations from the other speakers, I also felt I learnt as much from my own. The need to present your work in an approachable and entertaining manner forced me to take a step outside myself, and see my research from an outside perspective. This led me to consider a new direction for my future research.”
The deadline for speaker submissions is November 17 and successful speakers will be chosen by the TEDxPlymouthUniversity team at the beginning of December. They will then learn to speak in the TED style, through a series of workshops and rehearsals, before taking to the stage on the night.
The event itself will be streamed to partner colleges in the United States, India and China, as well as to local groups through viewing parties organised with the university’s TEDx team.
