The power of ideas

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By Xuyang Jingjing (Global Times) 09:47, November 22, 2013

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Lin Shen, one of the founders of TEDxBFSU, speaks as the host at their TEDx event on November 16 in Beijing. Photo: Courtesy of Wang Xianya

What could a multi-media journalist, a gay rights advocate, a modern dancer, founder of an environmental education center, and an improv performer/college professor possibly have in common?

The answer is they all shared the stage at a TEDx event hosted by a group of students at Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU) on Saturday to tell their stories under the theme "xIdentity."

A TEDx event is an independently organized event licensed by TED, a nonprofit organization that started out in 1984 in the US as a conference. TED, which stands for technology, entertainment and design, is devoted to "ideas worth spreading" and brings together "thinkers and doers" to give talks in under 18 minutes.

In 2009, TED started giving out licenses for local communities to host TED-like events. At the moment, there are over 100 independently organized TED events in China.

It is growing increasingly popular among students driven by the passion for sharing new ideas and the joy of creating an event.

Built on a theme

TEDx events are held according to a theme or a specific community, each of which comes with a set of requirements. In China, many events are based on the university theme.

Anyone can apply on the TED website to organize a TEDx event. Candidates have to submit a detailed proposal about the theme and reason for the event. After attending webinars that explain the rules and requirements, candidates are interviewed via Skype.

The TEDx license is valid for hosting one event under the proposed theme within one year. In most cases, the audience must be under 100 people. TED also has specific rules covering aspects from selecting a speaker to finding sponsors.

Zhu Ling, a senior student at Zhuhai College of Jilin University, received a license in February. Their TEDxJLUZH (initials of the school) is planned for December 7 under the theme "Unnatural."

The idea of the theme is to challenge the things that people take for granted, Zhu explained.

Zhu, 21, said she grew interested in TED after attending TEDx events in neighboring schools a few years ago. The format was new to her, and being exposed to new ideas and meeting a group of young people passionate about organizing TEDx events inspired her.

Lin Shen, 25, co-founded TEDxBFSU with two others. He organized a TEDx event back in 2009. When he returned in 2012 after two years studying abroad, he found that more and more students were joining in but didn't necessarily know the best way to go about it, and decided to help.

"There are many aspects, such as recruiting a team, dividing the team, deciding on a theme and finding speakers, funding, and so on," said Lin, an aspiring entrepreneur.

Over 50 students at BFSU have joined Lin and his friends since July, and were divided into groups with different tasks. The event on November 16 was held off campus, at a small theater in a hutong. Despite a couple of technical glitches, the atmosphere was undoubtedly TED-like.