Carnegie Mellon Qatar Sponsors the First Student-Run TEDx Event in Education City

February 23, 2011 – Development Solutions Organization (DSO), Qatar Chapter at Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar is organizing the first TEDx event on March 19. TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events designed to give communities, organizations and individuals the opportunity to stimulate dialogue through TED-like experiences. "TED" stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design — three broad subject areas that are collectively shaping our future. The “x” means that the event is independently organized. “Carnegie Mellon is proud to sponsor this first student-run TEDx event in Qatar,” said G. Richard Tucker, Dean of Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar. “At Carnegie Mellon, we encourage interactive dialogue and the exchange of ideas, which in turn inspires our students to go out and do something in the world – whether it be engaging in a community program or starting a new business that addresses a need.”

TEDxCMUQatar is organized by DSO, which is a student organization at Carnegie Mellon Qatar, geared to connect undergraduates who are passionate about making a difference. The goals for TEDxCMUQatar are to give the Education City and Doha communities a platform for involvement in international initiatives and to give people from around the region a chance to share their stories, experiences and ideas with a wider audience. TEDxCMUQatar aims to foster learning, inspiration and wonder about global issues and developments that could potentially change attitudes, lives and ultimately the world.

Under the unifying theme of No Boundaries, this inaugural event will bring speakers who will present their ideas that represent a shared optimism for a promising future through international initiatives across a variety of fields. The event hopes to increase awareness and understanding of the problems that lie in developing countries, and what people are doing about it. Most importantly, it is to explore what the average citizen can do to be a part of changing the conditions for a brighter future for the families and children of underprivileged countries and classes.

The speakers at the event will include Bernardine Dias, Ph.D., assistant research professor at the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University and Founder of TechBridgeWorld; Rachel Morris, first female Managing Director of a newspaper in Qatar; and Ranwa Yehia, co-founder and director at the Arab Digital Expression Foundation.

George White, associate teaching professor of entrepreneurship at Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar said “TED talks are becoming a global force for good. They do this by popularizing videos of powerful ideas explained by the passionate authors, inventors and educators. I’m so proud of our CMU students for having the initiative to organize their own TEDx program, identifying inspirational speakers, setting a noble theme and giving CMU Qatar an opportunity to be seen around the world in the very best light.”

Registration is now open at www.tedxcmuqatar.com/registration.