On Nov. 7, the TEDxNYUAD organizers announced the names of the speakers that will be featured in NYU Abu Dhabi’s first TEDx event, which is planned for April 2015.

NYUAD freshmen Maitha Salem AlMemari, Jovan Jovancevic and Amer Nasr; sophomores Vasily Rudchenko, Charlotte de Bekker and Hayat Seid; junior Sam Ridgeway; seniors Nikolai Kozak, Mohit Mandal and Sara Al Shamlan; alumnus Attilio Rigotti and Sheikh Mohammed Scholar Meera Kahalifa were chosen out of 28 pre-selected applicants after a pitch presentation on Oct. 23, where they were judged according to their stories’ appeal and public speaking skills.

Although the theme for the event has not yet been determined, senior and member of TEDxNYUAD core team Alf Lim shared the team’s vision for the talks:

“Our philosophy is that we all came to this school to build a university. That is what TEDxNYUAD is about, it’s about promoting the incredible students that our school hosts,” said Lim.

The core team is also working with public sponsors and the university to finalize the budget details, including travel allowances for the speakers that will not be in Abu Dhabi during the spring semester.

Nasr spoke about his motivations for participating and the topic of his talk:

“Two years ago I helped put together the Conscious Youth Program in Brasilia, Brazil where over 25,000 students showed up and my story is about reassuring that students have a voice to empower change in the society. The initiative that students having organized TEDx is an example of students realizing their potential to spread ideas and to make an educational difference,” said Nasr.

“[I am] doing a project questioning authenticity and the construction of it. It was inspired by things in the UAE such as … fake vintage furniture and [my] own teenage angst,” de Bekker said of her upcoming talk.

Some students have also expressed interest in the upcoming TEDxNYUAD.

“I’ve been watching TED talks online for the past few years, and I think it would be amazing to get to hear them live from my peers. Given the diverse backgrounds and interests of our student body, there is so much to share and learn from each other, and I think that overall this will be a really inspiring event,” said freshman Paula Dozsa.

The event will be held on campus and will be open to the public. It will also be be streamed live throughout the GNU.