Theme: WATER

As the first Swedish university outside of Stockholm, University of Gothenburg is hosting a TEDx conference on November 25. Under TED.com’s banner of “ideas worth spreading” the university-wide initiative aims to bring a TED-like experience to the University of Gothenburg. In a time were patience is in short demand we feel that, the TEDx format with its short and intense speeches is a great way to reach out and disseminate research conducted at the university combined with interesting speeches from the world around us. The aim is that the audience, both those at the conference and those following the event streamed live on our website, will have gained new insights after the conference in order to participate in a continued and broad debate regarding water and future interdisciplinary activities.

The theme - WATER

Water is one of the University of Gothenburg’s prioritized areas and one in which the university performs leading research at all eight faculties. By its mere location on the western coast of Sweden the Gothenburg region is highly associated with the sea and its industry. The theme WATER will be tackled from many different angles for the audience to recognize that water is involved in almost everything we do and offers much more to life than just a cheap drink with your lunch.

Aulan, Vasaparken
Universitetsplatsen 1
Gothenburg, 40530
Sweden

Jan Eliasson

Chairman of the Swedish WaterAid, former Minister of Foreign Affairs in Sweden and currently represented in the UN group of Ambassadors for promoting the Millennium Goals, will offer the opening speech.

Kerstin Johannesson

Kerstin Johannesson is professor in Marine Ecology, director of the Linnaeus Research Centre in Marine Evolutionary Biology (CeMEB) and coordinator of EU-BONUS research programme BaltGene. Performs research on how new species are formed.

Joakim Larsson

Joakim Larsson is associate professor of physiology at the Sahlgrenska Academy, performs research on antibiotic resistance in the external environment – the role of antibiotic pollution in the selection of resistance and subsequent gene transfer to the human microbiome.

Erika Harlitz

Erika Harlitz received her Ph.D. with the dissertation Urban Systems and State Formation in Scandinavia. A Study of the Rise and Fall of Lödöse, c. 1050-1646 at the Department for Historical Studies, University of Gothenburg. She is now a member of the maritime research network Triton.

Jens Thoms Ivarsson

Jens Thoms Ivarsson started as stonemason and fireman before his career within design and art. Jens got his MFA at the School of Design and Craft (HDK) at the University of Gothenburg and Ravensbourne school of Design and Communication in London. Today Jens runs the company Thoms & Nilsson together with his friend and companion Mats Nilsson. Since 2003 the duo has worked with natural ice from the ICEHOTEL in Jukkasjärvi.

Anders Jägerskog

Anders Jägerskog is associate professor at the School of Global Studies and a Programme Director at the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI). He is specialised in transboundary waters and water governance and has vast experience of issues relating to the interlinkages between water, conflict and security.

Folke Rydén

Folke is one of Sweden’s leading documentary and non-fiction programme producers. He was for a long time correspondent for SVT stationed in Washington and Hong Kong. His latest project is on DIRTY WATERS, algae blooms, dead sea beds – the Baltic Sea is suffering.

Viktor Aldrin

Viktor Aldrin received his Doctor of Theology diploma in 2010 from the University of Gothenburg with the thesis ‘The Prayer Life of Peasant Communities in Late Medieval Sweden’. As a theologian, and for TEDxUniversityofGothenburg, Viktor will share his insights and thoughts of different aspects of religious water.

Maria Sundin

Maria Sundin is an associate professor in theoretical physics at the University of Gothenburg. Her main research interests are computer simulations of barred and interacting galaxies. She does also research in astrobiology- i.e. the science of life in the universe. Maria will talk about why the Earth has water and the chances of finding other worlds with water in the universe.

Body Beatbox

A tribute to Yemaya, the Goddess of the sea. A mighty Thunderstorm. With sounds from the body.

Ida Lod & Axel Rudebeck

”Beginnings” is a poetic tale in which voice, movement and music form a unit in which water plays a special role. Ida Lod (vocal, violin, movement) and Axel Rudebeck (live electronics) makes an extract from the show that had premiere in Gothenburg in early November.

Sasha Becker

Sasha Becker has been an actor since she was 14 years old and her debut film was ”Före stormen”. She has also been seen in ”Orka Orka”, ”En ö i havet” and ”Gynekologen i Askim”