TEDx is a series of local, independently organised events that bring people together around a given theme. TEDxWageningenUniversity will provide a stage for short inspirational talks, which aim to motivate and encourage discourse among both speakers and attendees. The event will be held on 6 November – in the last week of the 100 years WUR celebrations – at the Junushoff theatre in the Wageningen city centre.
Inspiring ideas
‘WUR is constantly improving itself to be a more sustainable university’, explains Voskamp. ‘As WUR students, we should challenge ourselves and ask ourselves: what can we do to be more sustainable? We hope to positively influence audiences by providing activating, passionate and empowering TEDx talks.’
Besides this, Voskamp wants to give the people who usually work behind the scenes a chance to present their inspiring ideas on stage. In order to involve the best people in this field of study, he is looking for people from both Wageningen and other locations.
People who work in the field of sustainability will be invited to come and speak. Others can present their ideas during a pitch night, for which there will be a jury selection process sometime in early September. In total, approximately 12 speakers will be selected to give talks varying from 5 to 18 minutes. A maximum of 100 people can register through social media or through the official website to attend the event. For those who are interested, the talks will also be recorded and available through live streams on social media.
TEDx trees
Not only will the topics focus on sustainability, the event itself will also try to balance out its ecological footprint. In order to make this happen, 60 TEDx trees will be planted in a collaboration between the TEDx team and local businesses. The TEDx trees will be located throughout all of Wageningen.