TEDxJSB: A Dream Come True

TEDxJSB, the first ever TEDx event of JSB was held on Saturday, October 27, 2018 at Padmam Auditorium, Jansons School of Business, Coimbatore from 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM.

JSB’s vision is to be a quintessentially practical Business School, developing managers and entrepreneurs who would be game-changers in management and leadership practices. Our objective is to provide a learning environment conducive to nurturing this vision in all our stakeholders. TEDxJSB was a significant milestone in that direction.

It is indeed a moment of pride for us to host our maiden TEDx event. The response from the speakers and guests has been fantastic and overwhelming. And we are immensely grateful for that.

The Theme

The theme of the event was ‘Infinite Learning’ the motto of JSB. In these days where learning is mistakenly limited to literacy and education is constrained to livelihood, we as a society have forgotten that learning is for life and much valuable learning takes place outside the four walls of a classroom. TEDx provides the just right structure and platform to demonstrate the far reaches of learning. A platform to realize that learning is infinite. 

In the Mahabharata, Abhimanyu learnt the art of warfare while he was in his mother’s womb. Arjuna learnt the art of living at the center of battlefield. Later, Siddharta learnt the transience of pain and pleasure in the palaces and streets of Lumbini. The Buddha gave us the way to transcendence under the solitude of a tree.

In modern days, Newton learnt the fundamentals of Physics from a falling apple. While Galileo discovered the working of the planets by simply gazing into the sky. And closer home, the Mahatma taught us the power of truth and non-violence by simply walking, fasting and turning a charka.

Learning often takes place in unexpected moments, and in unassuming circumstances. We all learn in our own ways and at our own pace.

One of Susan Jeffers’ affirmations is a powerful source of inspiration for those who wish to learn for growth and change, ‘I learn something significant from all life experiences!’

Whether we are aware or not, we keep learning from the moment of conception. Some of this learning is intentional, while most of this is unintentional. World around us offers us innumerable opportunities to learn. The world inside us offers infinite learning!

The Programme

TEDxJSB was a full day event, with three sessions on different sub-themes. The first session was ‘Frontiers’, where the talks explored several frontiers within us, between us and in communities and society at large. The second session was titled, ‘Maps and the Territory’. Here we had talks that focused on learning in work contexts. The last session was ‘Inside Out’ which explored learning through art and other unconventional means.

Each session had 5 talks, of which one of the talk was a pre-recorded TED talk, as per TED rules. 

The talks were interspersed with music medley and mine skits presented by the first year students of JSB. These gave a refreshing thought break to the audience in between the talks. It also gave them time to kill over and digest the ideas presented in the talks.

The event was witnessed live by an audience of 100 guests from various walks of life, as per the limit set by TED, and was simulcast to all Lecture Halls for students to watch it live. It was also live streamed by YouTube Live and was watched by many from outside the campus.

The Speakers and the Talks

TEDxJSB had speakers from different walks of life sharing some of the significant aspects of life that they have learnt. They shared ideas that transformed their lives, and potentially that of others around them. They were not superheroes flying around with a cape. But are ordinary individuals accomplishing extraordinary feats in their own ways.

In the true TED spirit of ‘ideas worth spreading’, the diversity of ideas speakers brought to the stage was impressive – from an architect to a gamer, a professor to an avid traveler, a corporate leader to a runner!

The list of speakers and the title of their talks are attached as a pdf below. There were 12 live speakers and 3 pre-recorded TED talks.

TEDxJSB was a unique learning experience. It was possible due to the collective team work of all pillars of JSB – leadership, faculty, staff and students. Having tasted the success of the maiden event, we look forward to our next edition of TEDxJSB!