The world is evolving at a far faster pace than ever before. Rapid advancements in technology allow us to take radical leaps forward in the blink of an eye, or the click of a mouse. But are the boundaries we set for ourselves enough to restrain us from reaching too far, too fast?
Exploring the theme of ‘Leaps and Boundaries’ in the modern world, this year’s TEDxOxbridge collaboration is hosted by Cambridge Judge Business School on 17 May 2014 and promises to set the stage for the most diverse series of speakers and discussions yet.
TEDx events are independently organised programmes based on the original not-for-profit TED model that invite people from all walks of life to talk about their ‘Ideas Worth Spreading’.
Now in its fourth year, TEDxOxbridge is an independently organised annual event led by MBA students from Cambridge Judge Business School and Oxford Saïd Business School and invites influential thought-leaders to share their own ideas and provoke an inspiring ideas exchange against a backdrop of two of the UK’s leading educational institutions.
- Christian Busch, Co-Founder of Sandbox, the leading global community of young innovators
- Aubrey de Grey, a biomedical gerontologist renowned for his theory of ageing as a combatable ‘disease’
- Robyn Scott, author and co-founder of OneLeap which connects leading organisations with social entrepreneurs
- Andy Zaltzman, a comedian whose live satire challenges social and political boundaries
- Simone Schnall, a senior lecturer in psychology at Cambridge whose recent work has included the effect of emotion on morality
Laura Duggan (MBA 2013), TEDxOxbridge’s Executive Director alongside Jon Jachimowicz (MPhil in Innovation, Strategy & Organisation 2013), said of this year’s theme:
We’re trying to explore what leaps have been made forward in technology and science; how we operate as a society and where the real cutting edge stuff is happening. But we also want to ask, what are the implications of this and consequently what boundaries do we need to set for ourselves?
TEDxOxbridge student organisers found their interests this year centred on social innovation and entrepreneurial change and a greater interest in radically impacting the world and its organisations, inspiring 2014’s exploratory theme.
Indeed the entrepreneurial and technology cluster surrounding Cambridge Judge Business School, known as ‘Silicon Fen’, makes Cambridge the ideal location for TEDxOxbridge 2014. The event is expected to attract the participation and attendance of a number of professionals from this rapidly progressing hub.