TEDx catches students' imagination

Updated on: Tuesday, March 29, 2011

The first TEDx Chennai organised at IIT-Madras set the ball rolling in 2009. Now, more students going to city colleges are following suit and are considering organising similar independent events on their campus.

TEDx, that is known for providing a platform for vibrant speeches, convergence of professionals from different walks of life and a melting pot of varied interests, has caught the imagination of colleges and youngsters.

Three students from the Madras Institute of Technology, Loyola College and Stella Maris College now hold a licence to plan and organise TEDx on their respective campuses.

A blend of Technology, Entertainment and Design–TED suffixed with ‘x' represents the independently organised event. To organise TEDx, colleges need to apply to the international body of TED, for a licence with one year validity. Various criteria are checked before a licence is given.

“We have had nine applicants from colleges in Chennai apply for a TEDx license and eight were approved,” says Lara Stein, Licensing Director of TEDx.

The Indian ambassador for TEDx, Kiruba Shankar who is propagating the event through online platforms says, “Since TEDx is of international repute, it is a matter of prestige for colleges to organise it.

Organising Tedx provides an experience and exposure of a different kind. “TEDx is vibrant and not confined to one domain. It is a knowledge sharing platform, at the same time there is entertainment,” says Naveen Bharathi, final-year student, MIT and license holder of TEDx.

“The brainstorming sessions to decide on the prospective speakers were exciting and helped network with interesting people,” says Arun Suresh, third-year Information Technology, SSN College of Engineering and a co-ordinator for TEDxSSN, who believes it would be an add-on to his profile.

Organising a TEDx is also considered a valuable learning experience. “The event was planned and organised by a group of students. They formed committees, decided and invited speakers, arranged for their stay and made sure that each talk did not extend beyond the stipulated 18 minutes,” says Rebecca Theophilus, faculty co-ordinator, Entrepreneurship Development Cell, SSN.

However, organising one is not very simple. There are several rules. To charge an admission fee, organisers must obtain permission from TED first. “We strictly prohibit organisers from using their events to make money or to raise funds for charities or other organisations. We do, however, allow certain TEDx events to charge a small admission fee – always below $100– to help cover the event's production costs,” says Ms. Stein.

As per the TEDx stipulations the speakers should not be paid. “Mentioning TEDx is enough and speakers instantly agree to come,” says Arun.

TEDx catches students' imagination

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