Celebrating 10 years of TEDxUQ
TEDxUQ turns 10 this year. Established by a third-year UQ student in 2013, the event has evolved from a 100-person affair to selling out 500 tickets in recent years. To celebrate this milestone, Contact caught up with some of the UQ community members who have been part of TEDxUQ over the years.
Ten years have passed since Lawrence Wong (Bachelor of Biotechnology (Honours) ’14), then a third-year biotechnology student at UQ, hosted the inaugural TEDxUQ event – The Extraordinary.
Wong organised a dedicated student team to secure sponsorship, speakers and student volunteers for the 100-person event, held in the Physiology Building.
Lawrence Wong at the first TEDxUQ event in 2013.
Lawrence Wong at the first TEDxUQ event in 2013.
Professor Thomas Suddendorf was one of 6 speakers that presented during the inaugural 2013 TEDxUQ event.
His talk, Clues about the evolution of our extraordinary minds, has over 120,000 views on YouTube.
Professor Suddendorf said the event “was fun to do and good preparation for a lot of media I was about to do later that year as my first popular science book The Gap was published.”
Fast forward to today when the team comprises of 20 core members and 50 event-day volunteers.
Wong didn’t realise at the time that his inaugural, independently organised TEDx event would lead to a legacy – transforming into a flagship event for the wider UQ community to look forward to each year.
“It was a pet project with an initial audience size of 100 people. We had a small budget from the generous sponsors who took a chance on us, and we had to be creative with many aspects of the production,” Wong explained.
“For example, our first TEDxUQ wooden logo was too small to be put on the floor, so we needed something else to elevate it. A few of us brought along a bunch of cardboard boxes, painted them black and assembled them like bricks. It looked nothing grand, but we were still proud of it and had a lot of fun.”
Assembling the TEDxUQ logo in 2013.
Assembling the TEDxUQ logo in 2013.
Wong said he was an “avid watcher” of TED talks during his university days.
“The talks were inspiring and taught me mental models that I could apply in different situations. But I was a bit disappointed that there was no local TEDx event,” he said.
“Then I went to South Korea for a summer camp in 2012, where I met with the organiser for a TEDx event there. We had a long discussion about the event, and I came back to Brisbane determined to create one at UQ. After hustling for months together with a few friends, the first TEDxUQ event was born.
“I hope TEDxUQ continues to inspire and becomes a sandbox for the student organisers to experiment, learn and grow.”
Ally Fulton (Bachelor of Advanced Business (Honours) ’22), one of the current Co-Directors of TEDxUQ, has been involved in the event logistics since before she officially started studying at UQ.
As Co-Director, she volunteers 5 hours each week on top of her full-time job to keep TEDxUQ running smoothly, from interviewing potential speakers to coordinating event-day catering, and everything in between.
“I joined TEDxUQ as an operations coordinator over the summer before I even started my first semester at UQ,” Fulton said.
Ally Fulton (right) with TEDxUQ volunteers.
Ally Fulton (right) with TEDxUQ volunteers.
“In 2019, we had a whole range of logistical challenges, going from a 100-person audience to 500 people. Then in 2020 and 2021, we had to consider how to manage such a large event during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“All of these experiences – while scary at the time – have shaped who I am today.
“The best thing about TEDxUQ for me is the people. Thanks to TEDxUQ, I’ve met and worked with everyone from PhD students to teenage entrepreneurs, who I never would've met otherwise. It’s so rewarding getting to meet and learn from so many talented, passionate people.”
One of these past speakers is Claire Ashman – a cult survivor and UQ Bachelor of Arts student.
At the time she applied to be a presenter, she was taking an online course in public speaking because she knew she wanted to share her story and help others.
“I had no idea that my talk would receive so many views, or that I would go on to give more talks and interviews,” Ashman said.
“My intention for sharing my story was to help other people leaving high-demand religion to know that they weren't alone in their experience. In fact, I've made some new friendships through people contacting me because they watched my TEDx talk on YouTube.”
Claire has since appeared on Nine News, Mamamia, ABC, ITV and more.
“TEDx opened the door for many interviews. I have spoken on about 25 podcasts and numerous TV and radio interviews, including international TV,” she said.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed all my TEDx experiences and love publicly speaking about my story because it helps other survivors/leavers of high-demand religions. My university studies have allowed me to have more understanding of my experience, and when I speak this adds more layers to my story.”
Professor Kim Wilkins, author of more than 30 full-length works of fiction and a Professor at UQ's School of Communication and Arts, also presented at TEDxUQ, in 2014 when the event was still in its infancy.
She said it was a new challenge in which she could present an idea targeted at a general audience, rather than her usual lectures and academic papers.
“It challenged me to think about the way that I might present research so that it is accessible to more people,” Professor Wilkins said.
“I get emails from people still, all over the world, who have watched it.”
In 2016, Professor Wilkins spoke on Creativity in the age of distraction – the good and the bad of social media.
Social media has changed, but the message remains the same.
“I still think that we should spend more time in deep thought, reflection, and imagination. There's an opportunity cost in social media, and that is undeniable,” Professor Wilkins said.
“While I'm scrolling Reddit, I'm not writing my stories. But it's all about balance. Sometimes, hopping into bed early and bingeing YouTube videos is just what I need to decompress. I don't have many bad habits, so I forgive myself that one.”
Tickets are now on sale for this year’s TEDxUQ event Small Ripples. Big Waves. taking place on Saturday 19 August. You will hear from a collection of experts and thought leaders including Dr Brendan Walker-Munro, Jodi Ferrari and Dr Chris Rinke – talking on topics ranging from privacy and the law, to cherishing art experiences and potential of superworms for recycling.
UQ students, staff and alumni receive tickets at a discounted price.
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