Celebrating the Second TEDxEdUHK
By Dilan Dalkiran and Sasha Sikorska
Our TEDxEdUHK speakers ( left to right ) Sonia Samtani , Dr . Timothy Taylor , Dr . Ravindra S . Goonetilleke , Yiannis Bien Pimentel , Dr . Manisha Lakhekar , Solomon Au Yeung , and Dr . Li Man Wai , joined by Dr . Pamela Leung , Head of the Centre for Language in Education .
The second annual TEDxEdUHK event was held on April 21 , 2018 . This year ’ s theme was “ Life-Long Learning ”. When choosing the theme for this year ’ s TEDx event , the International Tutor team thought that future educators should not only learn during their studies in university , but also continue to crave new knowledge throughout their lives . We focused on the importance of thinking and acting beyond classroom learning , because learning is an endless journey that can take place anywhere .
We invited speakers from all walks of life who provided us with a diverse range of perspectives that enhanced our understanding of life-long learning . Every talk was unique and represented perspectives , expertise and wisdom from multiple sectors that allowed us to expand our understanding about learning and potentially the future of education . We received insight from a 21-year old EdUHK student , Yiannis Bien Pimentel , by listening to his personal story of grappling with depression and turning tremendous challenges into growth . An English teacher at EdUHK , Dr . Timothy Taylor , and a Postgraduate Diploma in Education student , Solomon Au Yeung , shared why everyday reflection is a very important tool to not only become a better educator but also a better person . We were inspired by a professor from HKUST , Dr . Ravindra S . Goonetilleke , with his talk on the importance of experiential learning in the digital age . Besides the aforementioned speakers we also had Sonia Samtani , who is a licensed clinical hypnotherapist and public speaking coach that runs her own wellness centre in Hong Kong ; Dr . Manisha Lakhekar , a homeopathic doctor who taught us how re-learning is essential in order to improve ourselves and our work ; and Dr . Li Man Wai , an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology who invited us all to think about developing more open-minded attitudes to facilitate life-long learning through self-expansion .
During the talks , Annie Yung and Karic Lau , two EdUHK bachelor ’ s students , drew sketches that summarized the key points of each talk . Life-long learning is a constant act that requires self-reflection , strength to transform challenges into growth , conscious decision-making and ensuring one ’ s own wellbeing . We hope that the audience already considers themselves lifelong learners and will implement the lessons they learnt from the talks in their everyday lives .
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