Breaking the mold and building sustainable communities with TED x UTAR 2023

Themed ‘Breaking the Mold, Building Sustainable Communities’, TED x UTAR 2023 was held at UTAR Sungai Long Campus on 27 June 2023. A total of 11 presenters from Klang Valley were invited to share their ideas with the participants. TEDxUTAR 2023 was organised by the Faculty of Creative Industries (FCI), the Department of Soft Skills Competency (DSSC) and the Department of International Student Services (DISS) along with a team of UTAR students, who were supported and advised by FCI Department of Modern Languages Head Maxwell Sim Yik Seng and FCI Deputy Dean for Student Development and Industrial Training Ts Ang Kok Yew. The event saw about 50 participants in attendance.

Also present were UTAR Vice President for Student Development and Alumni Relations Prof Dr Choong Chee Keong, Ts Ang Kok Yew, DSSC Head of Sungai Long Campus Fook Oi Yee, Maxwell Sim, lecturers, students and the public.

Prof Choong was invited to give a welcome speech to all speakers and participants. In the speech, he mentioned that TEDxUTAR nurtures an open mindset, embracing innovation, diversity, and continuous learning. “It encourages individuals to break free from conventional thinking and explore new possibilities. By exposing attendees to a plethora of perspectives, experiences, and ideas, TEDx UTAR empowers them to challenge societal norms and think creatively. It urges them to question, explore, and ignite the flames of curiosity within themselves,” he said. He advised participants to seize this opportunity to broaden their horizons, develop soft skills, embrace the right mindset, and relish in the wisdom shared by esteemed speakers.

Prof Choong delivering a welcome speech

Prof Choong (eight from right) with UTAR staff, sponsors and speakers

The 11 speakers who were invited to speak at TEDxUTAR 2023 were UTAR student Chiang Kai Lin, Writer and Playwright Terence Toh, Revolutionary Leader in Global Education Greg Parry, M. Kandiah Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences academic Prof Dr N. Veera Sekaran, Lee Kong Chian Faculty of Engineering and Science (LKC FES) academic Prof Ts Dr Yau Kok Lim, Music Educator Lim Li Wen, FCI Department of Media Head Anthony Gandolfo Miranti Jr, Language Test Educator and Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) PhD student Orlando Xie, FCI academic Zachary Roland Anthony, Opera Singer and Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) academic Chaing Yi Ling and NLP Master Practitioner Dr Suraya Abu Yazid.

Clockwise, from top right:  Terence Toh, Dr Veera, Lim, Dr Yau, Greg Parry and Chiang

Clockwise, from top right: Orlando, Chaing, Dr Suraya, Zachary and Anthony

TED conferences are globally recognised as the pinnacle platforms for sharing groundbreaking and inspiring ideas. With an extensive collection of over 1,000 meticulously curated talks by esteemed speakers from diverse fields, TED has established itself as the standard bearer for thought-provoking presentations spanning a wide spectrum of topics, from the arts to quantum mechanics. In an effort to disseminate the belief that discovering and embracing new ideas and empowering messages is within everyone’s reach, TED has authorised regional organisations worldwide to host their own TED-like conferences known as TEDx events. These independently organised gatherings bring together dedicated teams of individuals who are passionate about providing a platform for those with valuable insights and ideas that deserve widespread dissemination.

A group photo after the event