TEDx AIUB

On Saturday, 12^th December, 2015, a daylong event of TEDx AIUB took place in the auditorium located in the building of Faculty of Business Administration of American International University-Bangladesh. TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas worth Spreading, usually in the form of short, powerful talks delivered by today's leading thinkers and doers. Many of these talks are given at TED's annual conference in Vancouver, British Columbia, and made available, for free, on TEDx.com. TEDx AIUB is a TEDx University event operating under a license from TED. TEDx AIUB is a locally organized TED event, designed to gather the brightest minds in the AIUB community for sparkling conversation and connection. The aim was to create a platform of endless knowledge where those with exceptional ideas get the opportunity to speak. The purpose also lied in uniting a community of curious minds where they can exchange thoughts and opinions.Keeping TED and TEDx events in mind, this year’s theme for the event was ‘Ideas are Infinite’. In this event, we celebrated stories of those who have come up with unique ideas on various topics like science, entrepreneurship, tourism, music, technology and life in general. With their exceptional minds and immeasurable work ethics, these individuals inspired students, faculties and general audiences alike. The event was inaugurated by Prof. Dr. Tafazzal Hossain, Dean, Faculty of Science & Information Technology. He emphasized on how sharing ideas can help the society and also wished good luck for the future journey of TEDx AIUB. Then the event started with a speech by Entrepreneur Arif Nezami who talked about solving problems using technology using empathy.  Next up on stage was Leaping Boundaries founder Shagufe Hossain, who took the initiative to provide a platform for the much ignored madrasa students.Following the first session, there was a quick snack break for attendees and speakers alike which also acted as a networking opportunity in disguise. People from various different fields, students and professionals alike, talked about ideas they are interested in. During this break, the interaction was further enhanced by letting the attendees acknowledge their inner TEDster. They were asked to choose a stick with their names on it and were asked to give an impromptu speech on the idea mentioned behind the stick. This break was also utilized by the photo enthusiasts who used the photo booth to capture some fun snapshots.During the second session, the stage was graced by Dr. Tabin Hasan, Associate Professor & Head, Dept. of FSIT, AIUB. Next up was a short speech by NSU faculty member Saqiful Alam. The second session was ended by Samid Razzak, Initiator of 10 Minute School, a web based school. Following the second session, the lunch break was announced.In the third session, first up was Mr. Fazlay Rabbi, who manages the most popular Facebook page for the travelers based in Bangladesh. Next up was Ms. Maliha Mohsin, who talked about a different kind of homelessness and finding a place to belong to. After her, Mr. Shams Jaber was up on stage, who is the Co-founder of The Tech School. The audience also enjoyed musical performance Lead Vocalist of Black, Mofizul Haque Chowdhury, who performed two covers and one song from the band itself. Finally, the crowd was heavily entertained and charmed by magician and comedian Mr. Max Mystel whose standing up comedy was just as good as his card tricks. The event ended with crests that were handed out to speakers and certificates that were given to the attendees. The organizers closed the show by thanking the sponsors and the attendees for their presence.It was a significant event for the university and for the local TED and TEDx enthusiasts. They say that a TEDx event is like a massage for the brain. These events help you think out of the box.  It is a chance to be a part of a global event on a local level. That is just what happened at TEDx AIUB this year. Audience members and the organizers alike had a memorable time, experiencing bursts of innovation and ideas from some of the brightest minds from our society. The event ended with a promise of an even better show in the following year, with lesser shortcomings and bigger attractions.