Theme: Rewiring the Mind, Rewiring Society

TEDxErasmusUniversityCollege was created in the spirit of upgrading to a positive, innovative and open-minded mentality, allowing for a reset of society. The goal is to have our public reevaluate the perceptions they have about people, habits and societal standards. These new mindsets are crucial in tackling the biggest challenges of the 21st century.

KINO Rotterdam
Gouvernestraat 129-133
Rotterdam, Zuid-Holland, 3014 PM
Netherlands

Amanda Gerald

Illuminating the Connection: Using Light to Recalibrate Your Circadian Rhythm

The Circadian rhythm, also known as your 24-hour internal biological clock, regulates a wide range of physiological processes: sleep quality, focus levels, hormone production, and mood, to name a few. The best way to synchronize this clock of yours is through: LIGHT. In today’s world however, we often interact with light in a way that disrupts this rhythm within us. Become equipped with knowledge on how light affects your circadian rhythm. Discover science-based, simple yet powerful strategies that use light to recalibrate your internal clock – and optimize your well-being.

Bruno Moutou

The Freedom of Changing your Mind

"The premise of my talk comes from the famous phrase from Leo Tolstoy that says " Everybody wants to change the World but Nobody thinks of changing themselves." As a society or even as individuals we are trained to believe that external changes have big impact of affect; When in reality it is the internal changes that have long lasting Impact and affect on Society and life." Born in Gabon in Central Africa, Bruno Moutou has outsized continental borders to an emporium of global statute and relevance. Bruno has spoken at several TEDx events in France, Egypt, Nigeria, Cyprus etc. "My philosophy is to INSPIRE, MOTIVATE & ENCOURAGE." As Socrates said "I cannot teach anybody anything. I can only make them think".

Dr. Ana Vasques

A Journey of Interbeing

We are in the midst of an ecological crisis with planetary proportions. In many cultures around the world, we have focused on individual gains, competing over resources and distancing from each other and from nature. Acknowledging that we are intrinsically interconnected and that we can creatively collaborate to tackle major environmental challenges might reconnect us in a meaningful way. In this talk we will embark on a transformative journey to find empathy and empowerment for sustainable action. Dr. Ana Vasques ,is an ecologist, sustainability scientist and transformative education scholar at Erasmus University College and Design Impact Transition (DIT) platform at Erasmus University Rotterdam.

Dr. Anderson Mora-Cortes

A Travel Through Time and Academic Space in the Matrix

I’m passionate about science, education, and knowledge, and about sharing them. Throughout my personal and teaching experience I’ve come to the idea that, as with maths, everyone should learn the principles of programming, or at least give it a try. I will share some thoughts about why, who, and how learning programming…and why it’s worth giving a try.

Dr. Ginie Servant-Miklos

The End of the World is What we Make of it

The science is clear: the world as we know it is coming to an end. We know, rationally, that infinite growth can’t continue on a finite planet, that climate change, biodiversity collapse, resources crunch, and socio-economic strains will reshape civilisation in short order, but we find that emotionally hard to accept. In this talk, I walk with you through the corridors of your mind, confronting the demons of denial and despair so we can commit to fighting for a liveable future together. We will reconcile with death, find meaning in struggle, and reconnect with our humanity to make the end of the world (as we know it) the beginning of something better.

Julia Skupchenko

Sustainable Future is a Homemade Soup

Julia Skupchenko is an award-winning Dutch activist, leading social impact initiatives that reach thousands of people around the world. She is the co-author of the book "The Ultimate Guide for a Sustainable Activist”. She is also the co-founder of AlterContacts, a think tank in the Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. What is there in common between do-good initiatives, entrepreneurship, rural, community, and you? These are all the ingredients of a sustainable future we can build. Where the old obsolete systems are replaced by the ones that actually work.

Kamal Kishore

Stories are the Pills we Need

Kamal is a silent storyteller who believes stories create a strong connection to oneself, people, and society and help change the mindset and ultimately the society. He started an initiative called "The Wanderlust Souls" - a platform to unveil the power of stories. He believes that there are different problems that exist at personal and societal levels and stories can be used to solve these problems.

Raffaele William Bruni

A Brainstorm on Brainwashing

A political philosopher who is adamant about health, wellbeing, love and self-development. I dipped my feet in the pool of academia when I worked as a teacher’s assistant at EUC. Surely, I have been educating myself on the intricate ways systems work in the world thanks to my intriguing degree. On the side, I have explored the hospitality sector whilst working for a couple restaurants and a bouldering gym. I’m a lover of languages, native in English and Italian, I have learned Spanish and Mandarin Chinese. The reason I am so passionate about languages, is because I have an innate drive to travel! About my speech, I will be discussing and critiquing social norms that are based on lies. Some call it brainwashing, others indoctrination, others yet call it every day life. I encourage the audience to view their realities through a different lens, one that challenges their beliefs and allows for a growth toward a healthy and holistic lifestyle.

Riya Divekar

The Twisted Truths Fueling Fitness Culture

Getting “fit” today has become hyper-focused on external proxies. As a result, people ignore how they feel inside, and prioritise their outward appearance. I thought the process of getting my dream body started with my first serious diet, or when I was working out until I was sore. But that was far from true. In reality, it only started when I transformed my mindset.

Sebastiaan West

Sebastiaan West, EUC/Codarts pianist/composer, combines improvisation and precomposition to create music that navigates the lines between planned and spontaneous. His composition, 'wired,' tells the story of a mind breaking free of the boundaries of structured thought, repression, and industrialism, into a more holistic, meditative, intuitive state.

Slaven Monet

What Can Children Teach Us?

Besides being a university student, I am the older brother of two toddlers. As I spend time with them, I realise that as an adult, I should not be the one guiding them in our world. Indeed, today, from an early stage of my life, I am unconsciously guided in a constant race for recognition from others, which is often defined by social status and money. By doing what is expected of me, I quickly forget to give meaning to my life and accord importance to what I truly appreciate. This is the reason why in this society, where success no longer rhymes with happiness, I believe that children need to be the ones teaching adults how to slow down and reset our natural compasses to prioritise happiness.

Somaye Dehban

Layered Partnerships

Somaye Dehban is a Dutchified Iranian with a dream – you may call it a vision if you will. Somaye wants to live in a world with true personal freedom of choice, equality of opportunity and the ability for people to thrive. And this is balanced with personal responsibility to contribute to collective good. To bring this dream to reality, Somaye has developed a synergistic model which she’s dubbed Verbinding – Verbinding is the Dutch term for interconnectedness with an emotional hint towards interrelatedness and interdependencies. Verbinding brings seemingly unlikely allies to not only create a vision but also to collectively implement the associated strategy and generate impact at scale. The essence of Verbinding is that positive impact arises when we combine harmony and progress.