First-ever TEDx event at Texas A&M at Qatar shares ideas

Doha: The Leadership Club at Texas A&M University at Qatar and student Ganna Khalil recently organised the first-ever TEDx event at Texas A&M at Qatar on the theme of empowerment.

TEDx is an independently organised event that helps share ideas in communities around the world in the form of short, powerful talks. The event took place at Qatar National Library and the presenters were Texas A&M at Qatar students, alumni, faculty and staff, parents and one VCUarts Qatar graduate. Speakers shared their “ideas worth spreading,” which is what TEDx aims to achieve.

The Leadership Club president, Ghaith Glaied, said, “The mission of TEDx is aligned with the mission of The Leadership Club. By sharing ideas worth spreading, we aim to create an authentic community where students have the opportunity to share the impressive ideas they care about.”

The students, Saad Moazam and Farah Ramadan, gave a joint talk on valuing time. Moazam, a senior mechanical engineering major student, said a real turning point in his life was when he realised, “I am the best judge of what I should be doing with my time.” That realisation was very empowering, and now he and Ramadan choose to invest their time in activities that are fulfilling. Ramadan, a sophomore chemical engineering student, started playing guitar, which led her to start the Aggie Music Organisation at Texas A&M at Qatar as an outlet for musically inclined students. Moazam founded a company after discovering his passion for entrepreneurship and humanitarian engineering. They ended their presentation with a question for every audience member to reflect on: “Do you make the most of your time or does time control you?”

Texas A&M at Qatar graduate Meera Abou Soufah asked the audience to close their eyes and imagine a leader. She then asked the audience if anyone saw themselves. Abou Soufah said, “Self-empowerment is taking control of your life, setting goals and making positive choices.”

She also said this road to self-empowerment is relative. “Run at your own pace, but run! No one will look after your career if you don’t. Keep imagining until when you close your eyes, you see yourself.”

VCUarts Qatar alumna Farrah Altaweel and Texas A&M at Qatar graduate Mahmoud ElTouny’s talks were about their projects empowering specific communities

نظم نادي القيادة في جامعة تكساس إي أند أم في قطر، والطالبة جانا خليل أول فعالية «تيد إكس» في الجامعة حول موضوع التمكين.

وأقيمت الفعالية بمكتبة قطر الوطنية وتحدث فيها طلاب وخريجون وأعضاء هيئة التدريس والموظفون وأولياء الأمور في جامعة تكساس إي أند أم في قطر، وخريج من جامعة فرجينيا كومنولث قطر.

وقال رئيس نادي القيادة بالجامعة غيث قلايد: «تتماشى رسالة «تيدكس» مع رسالة نادي القيادة»، لافتاً إلى أنه من خلال تبادل الأفكار التي تستحق الانتشار نهدف إلى إنشاء مجتمع أصيل حيث تتاح للطلاب الفرصة لتبادل الأفكار المبتكرة التي تحظى باهتمامهم.

وقدم طالبا تكساس إي أند أم في قطر، سعد معظم وفرح رمضان معاً، عرضاً مشتركاً حول تقييم الوقت. وقال معظم، وهو طالب سنة أخيرة هندسة ميكانيكية، إن نقطة التحول الحقيقية في حياته كانت عندما أدرك أنه «أفضل حكم للطريقة التي يجب أن يستغل فيها وقته»، وكان هذا الإدراك مشجعاً وممكّناً للغاية، والآن يختار هو وفرح استثمار وقتهم في أنشطة مرضية ومجزية.