Student blogs

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to attend the TEDxKI event in the Aula Medica. I have grown up seeing TED talks, but only from videos. Therefore, I was excited to attend a TEDx event in person and take advantage of a major event at KI. 

Speakers from diverse backgrounds

The theme for this year’s TEDxKI event was “Unwritten Letters: Voicing the Unspoken.” This theme represented the concept that we all have thoughts, feelings, and ideas that are sometimes left unsaid. The event aimed to encourage attendees to harness the power of our voices to share stories, reflections, and ideas. 

Among the speakers were an economist specializing in sustainable practices, an advocate for bipolar personality disorder, a physician that worked globally in underserved communities, a human rights activist, a professor of philosophy, a Paralympian, and a transplant surgeon. The presenters represented a spectrum of backgrounds that together exemplified a unifying message of speaking up. 

KI is a well-known medical university and I appreciated perspectives on communication, connection, and ethics from speakers in the medical profession. Yet, the event went beyond the realm of medicine and health to tackle issues in voicing the unspoken in other fields. I broadened my understanding of what it means to speak up for sustainability over consumerism, got a glimpse into the struggle between resilience and introspection, philosophical optimism vs pessimism, and overcoming institutional challenges to engage in advocacy.

Multicultural performances

Fascinating multicultural performances were integrated between the talks by the speakers. The first was by a Chinese dance group who put on a brilliant performance, providing a glimpse into traditional dance forms. The second was by a Japanese drum group who incredibly blended vibrant and resonant drumming with traditional Nordic sounds as well.  

I really liked that there were breaks to appreciate performances from different cultures. KI is a global campus with students from all over the world. Therefore, to have an event on campus that takes moments to nod to the beauty of diverse multiculturalism was wonderful.

Creative expression and activities during intermission

Finally, we had two intermissions to appreciate other activities organized by the TEDxKI team. There were musical acts, such as orchestral music played by a small group of students, as well as a set by an independent artist and student. Additionally, students led activities in craft-making and other types of creative expression, such as creating origami or making bookmarks. I believe this positive environment created by the event encouraged idea-sharing and open expression among students and other attendees.  

There were also cool opportunities to engage more with the theme, such as the unwritten letter tree. We could also network with attendees and share our thoughts and reflections throughout the day. I enjoyed the TEDxKI event and we can certainly look forward to engaging in next year’s innovative event as KI students!