For the past five years, TEDxAUA has become a place for members of the AUA community to share their diverse ideas and spread those among the wider public. By bringing the TED spirit to the AUA campus, thanks to the organization, many great ideas, research and stories at AUA have become TED talks delivered by our professors, students, alumni and local community members.
“TEDxAUA serves as a way to bring new ideas from around the world to our community and spread the ideas from our community to the world,” said Seda Babayan, AUA alumnus and licensee of TEDxAUA. Seda shared that while she was studying at AUA, she noticed the remarkable projects the youth were doing around her. She wanted to give a voice to her community by encouraging and empowering people to speak up for the big ideas and share them as they often stayed unrecognized by the larger community.
“My decision to organize a TEDx event at AUA was inspired by the university environment and my desire to bring a change into the AUA community,” detailed Seda. The more she got involved in different AUA events and projects, the more she realized that something was missing. “I wanted people to share their ideas and stories not just among our community but beyond the classroom setting,” added Seda.
Seda didn’t want any thought-provoking ideas to remain in the classrooms, or in the university corridors when they could inspire someone else the way they have inspired her.
Lana Andjergoli, a BAB senior, shared that as the organizer of TEDxAUA 2022 the hardest part of her job was making sure everyone’s ideas on the team were heard and everything was in order for the big day. “This was my fourth year at TEDxAUA. It honestly made my whole AUA experience more precious,” admitted Lana.
As an organizer, Lana mentioned that TEDxAUA gave her the patience and courage to do everything that was needed in the team. It gave her the sense of responsibility to ensure everything was according to the standards of TED. “It gave me the chance to connect with people from different backgrounds and listen to their ideas and make sure that the world also listens to them,” added Lana.
Lana encourages people to join TEDXAUA as it gave her a safe space to connect, have fun and make great friends.
Every year, TEDxAUA organizers open the application for new members to join their team and bring the event to life together. There are different students from various backgrounds working together on the team. Everything is planned and organized by AUA students with the help of the university’s staff and faculty.
Gayane Yesayan, BAB senior, is co-organzing TEDxAUA 2023. She joined the student organization three years ago as part of the organizing team and last year she became the organizing team leader.
“TEDxAUA taught me how to delegate work to members and make sure they imagine the big picture,” shared Gayane. She is looking forward to expanding the team and welcoming new members. “We can’t wait to see what this year’s event will bring,” added Gayane. The most rewarding part of TEDxAUA for Gayane has been seeing her professors and other members of the AUA community who attended the event acknowledge the huge work that was done by the team.
TEDxAUA has become the ideal platform that ignites AUA’s great thinkers, brings a passion for ideas, sparks conversations, and has already become a great tradition for students, alumni, professors, staff and the local community to gather together and discuss ideas that matter.
Stay tuned for the TEDXAUA 2023 event that will be covered by The Highlander.
