How can stones and buildings reflect a unified Syrian identity across diverse geographic regions? Architect Khaled Al-Fahad explores the connection between architecture and identity, shedding light on how built spaces and materials can preserve memory and express a shared cultural essence.الذاكِرة الحَجَريّة للهويّة السوريّة الجامِعة | خالد الفهد| تيداكس القصّاع صالون 28.06.2025 كيف تكون الأحجار والأبنية دليلاً على وحدة الهويّة السوريّة مع اختلاف المناطق الجغرافيّة؟ يتناول المهندس خالد الفهد العلاقة بين العمارة والهوية، مُسلِّطاً الضوء على قدرة الحجر والفراغات العمرانيّة على نقل الذاكرة وتوثيق ملامح الانتماء السوريّ المُشتَرَك.- Lead architect and expert in project management and architectural restoration - Lecturer at Damascus University and the Syrian Virtual University in BIM and heritage programs - - Participated in the restoration of damaged historical sites in several Syrian governorates. - Aims to connect modern technology with cultural identity through innovative heritage preservation work This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

Kai Bundy, is a grade 10 student. He will bring us a powerful message about the importance of authenticity and self-acceptance. We’ve all had moments where we felt out of place, like we didn’t quite belong. But what happens when we stop trying to fit in and start embracing who we truly are? Kai will explore what it means to let go of expectations and flow through life like water. No description This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

In this personal and thoughtful talk, Qilemuge, a multilingual speaker from the Mongolian ethnic group in the Hetao Plain, reflects on how language shapes identity, perception, and worldview. Having grown up speaking Mongolian at home and throughout her early education, studied in English at university, and communicated in Chinese in daily life, she shares how navigating between languages has become an ongoing journey through shifting cultural landscapes. Qilemuge is an undergraduate student majoring in Accounting at BNBU. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

In an era of rapid technological change, generative AI is emerging as a powerful force shaping our future. From creating original art and translating languages to uncovering patterns in scientific data, its applications are wide-ranging and impactful. Yet these advances also raise critical questions about authenticity, ethics, and the role of human creativity. This talk explores how generative AI is influencing fields like healthcare, climate science, and the arts—while urging reflection on its promise and the responsibilities that come with its use. Dr. Fan Wentao currently serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the Faculty of Science and Technology, BNU-HKBU United International College in Zhuhai, Guangdong, China. His research focuses on machine learning, deep generative models, computer vision, and pattern recognition, addressing a variety of real-life challenges across multiple domains. He has authored or co-authored over 140 publications in esteemed journals and conferences. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

The fields of heritage and archaeology have effectively embraced advances in machine learning, modeling, and various elements of AI. However, a critical question remains: how can we use the past to create a sustainable future in the age of AI? Inspired by the idea of crossroads and designed to be thought-provoking, this talk explores the possibility of leveraging knowledge about the past—with the help of machines—to ensure subsistence and survivability. Gai Jorayev is an academic with interests in heritage management, cultural tourism, and digital humanities. He works at the intersection of heritage—in its various forms—and digital tools and technologies. In addition to working with archaeological sites, industrial heritage, and rural and cultural landscapes, Gai’s research also explores the history and heritage of space exploration and Earth observation. He is actively involved in heritage-based development initiatives and contributes to capacity-building efforts around the world. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

We’re living in a time of fast change, with technology, society, and our environment all shifting rapidly. Some of this is exciting, some of it scary, and a good deal more is plain unpredictable. In times like these, art and culture are more essential than ever—for it is in the arts that we can reflect on where and what we are, and dream of where we are going next. AI, in particular, is changing how we create, distribute, and consume the arts, and forcing us to question what its core is. This type of questioning is useful, as it stops us becoming complacent and makes us alert to the world as it really is. In this talk, the speaker explores how, as an artist and maker of live performances, he works through these issues—and how what can be seen as a threat to established practices and professional careers may also be an opportunity and an inspiration. After all, we have been making art for tens of thousands of years. We won’t stop anytime soon. Dr. Bill Aitchison is an actor, theatre director, and interdisciplinary artist whose work has been presented in galleries, museums, theatres, and festivals across Europe, Asia, America, Australia, and the Middle East. He has worked in diverse contexts including British Live Art, New York downtown theatre, postdramatic theatre, conceptual dance, and Chinese performance art, to name but a few. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx