In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized (subject to certain rules and regulations).

GEMS Wellington International School
Al Soufah Area
Dubai, Dubayy, Sheikh Zayad Road
United Arab Emirates

Christine Nasserghodsi

Educator

Christine Nasserghodsi is the co-founder of Mirai, a strategic innovation consultancy and a doctoral candidate in organizational learning at the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to launching Mirai, Christine was the VP for the TELLAL Institute and the Head of Innovation Strategy for GEMS. At GEMS, was responsible for leading professional learning and development, educational research, and strategic partnerships for schools and corporate entities across the UAE. In this capacity, Christine developed Creating Communities of Innovation, a project run with Harvard University’s Project Zero focused on transforming schools through pedagogical, technological, and leadership innovation.

Daniela Ayad

Student

Fear. It sneaks it’s way into nearly all of our decision-making and thought processes. It makes us second guess and ultimately holds us back from chasing our dreams and creating a life we’re excited to wake up to. ‘How do we let go of this?’ you may ask. Daniela explores what lies beyond this self-limiting, internal barrier, and encourages all to take control of their fears and do the things that their fear begs them not to do. When we believe we can do anything, we’ll start surprising ourselves with the courage we’ve had within us all along.

Divya Manocha

Student

We’ve watched enough shows like Sherlock, House M.D. and The Big Bang Theory to know how important high IQ is. We’ve read enough about the importance of EQ in the workplace and in our social lives. So which part of our cognition should we side with? Perhaps a healthy negotiation between the two factions might be beneficial, but how can we alter our education system to help with that?

Evo Hannan

Innovator/ Teacher

Are you an ‘outside of the box’ thinker? How valuable is your ability to create? Innovation leader Evo Hannan challenges the notion of thinking ‘outside of the box’ with a fresh alternative. Teaching design and innovation for over 18 years has led Evo to believe that everyone can find and use their own abstract thinking to make a difference. This talk will illustrate how we can discover and develop our own ‘creative currency’ and use it to make a positive impact on our own lives and humanity.

Hadi Khan

Student

Hadi is a strong advocate of the belief that exams should be reformed within the schooling system. He thinks that we should adopt a more progressive approach educating students on what learning is really about. Exams foster an environment of unhealthy competition, anxiety and low morale. They encourage students to memorise and absorb rather than consider the implications of their prescribed content. So should they exist?

Lubna Forzley-Badr

Entruepreneur

Lubna is on mission to help others disrupt with purpose and create stories worth sharing. As a mom, Lubna often gets asked: WHY? & WHY NOT?, and wants employers and individuals to ask themselves these powerful questions! WHY do you or your company exist? WHY NOT disrupt yourself and your business and make yourself replaceable, especially at a time when robots and AI are about to replace our jobs? As a person who was raised through the war, Lubna believes that on our deathbed, pretty much everything is replaceable, except three things: 1) Purpose 2) Stories, and 3) Motherhood

Ria Dave

Student

Art is the application of human creative skill. Through the elements of colour, line and imagery, art has a way of controlling our emotions, making us connect with a side of ourselves that we struggle to convey through spoken language. Ria’s talk explores some inspiration from famous artists, and how individuals can interpret art and artists in their own ways to express their emotions. She believes everyone has an artistic side within them.

Rohita Menon

Teacher

Rohita focuses her talk on how dance and movement can influence the way we learn. She talks about her own personal experiences and struggles with learning when she was growing up. She strongly believes in linking vocabulary and movement in trying to overcome hurdles such as pronouncing words like ‘itinerary’. Her talk encourages educationists to review the way students learn, and incorporate different techniques for all, specifically involving movement and creativity in literacy and education.

Saif Soomar

Student

We have undoubtedly been exposed to some vision of an apocalypse, whether that’s through movies, books or folklore. Saif aims to challenge the fear and dread associated with this by asking the big question about the impact the sun’s disappearance would have on our everyday lives.

Tania Mallah

Student

Tania’s talk will be addressing the nature of punitive justice, where it fails, how we instigate and perpetuate its harmful practice as well as how we can fix it. She seeks to inform about the detrimental impacts our societal outlooks on crime and offenders cause and put forwards a small step we each can take in order to fight against centuries of preconceptions about the criminal justice and penal system.