TEDxHSG Conference 2019

7 November 2019. TEDxHSG is a non-profit initiative organised independently by students. This year, students at HSG have invited Switzerland’s first astronaut, a female ski racer, an adventure cyclist, specialists from the ICRC and the WTO, entrepreneurs and a hypnotist. They will be appearing at the Tonhalle St.Gallen between 9.15 a.m. and 5.30 p.m. to talk about the topic of "Stepping Stones". Media representatives and the general public are welcome; registration is kindly requested.

The aim of TED is to spread good ideas and to connect people with one another. Whether or not you’re interested in how the universe was formed or you want to find creative ways to cook bread, the TED video series on YouTube has ideas on almost any topic. TED stands for technology, entertainment and design. During the fifth TEDxHSG Conference, twelve podium guests will share important moments from their professional and private lives with the audience. The team of students organising the event is bringing speakers with a wide variety of backgrounds to St. Gallen.

Space travel, hypnosis, goods transportation and ski racing

It’s a little over 25 years since Claude Nicollier boarded the space shuttle Atlantis and became the first Swiss person to go into space. The astronaut and astrophysicist participated in a total of four space shuttle missions and spent more than 1,000 hours in space. Albert Nerenberg will answer the question of whether you can actually be hypnotised against your will. The Canadian is a well-known movie director and an expert on laughing. Sarah Höfflin studied neuroscience and won an Olympic gold medal for Switzerland in slopestyle skiing in 2018. She has set an example of how young women can make a name for themselves in areas traditionally dominated by men. After gaining a doctorate in chemical engineering at ETH Zurich, Michaela Puddu founded the start-up Haelixa. It develops technologies that are used for tracing goods and materials and thus increase transparency in the supply chain of consumer goods.

Hyperloop, trade war, adventure cycling and development cooperation

Denis Tudor is the CEO and co-founder of Swisspod Technologies. The start-up works on Hyperloop technology, which heralds a new chapter in transportation. The trade war has been making headlines for nearly two years. Its effects will be discussed by Victor do Prado, who works at the World Trade Organization in Geneva and has a wealth of experience in dealing with trade conflicts. Vladimir Tisma is a young photographer from Geneva. He is colour-blind and in his works he presents his perception of colours. Dominik Stillhart has worked for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Africa, the Balkans and the Near East. He will talk about the challenges he encounters daily in his work.

Australian Greg Arnold founded the folk band "Things of Stone and Wood" back in 1989

In his presentation he will speak about the creative process of a singer-songwriter and the challenges of the music industry. How much power should companies have and when is it right for governments to take action against them? This question will be addressed by Markus Wyssling. He is Senior Legal Advisor at the Swiss Competition Commission (WEKO/COMCO). Lukas Steiner rode his bike from Zurich to Cape Town, covering around 18,000 kilometres. He will talk about his experiences on this adventurous journey. Maryhen Jiménez Morales is a lecturer in politics at the University of Oxford in the UK and has extensive knowledge of democratic transitions. Her research focuses mainly on countries such as Mexico and Venezuela.

Manal Belaouane, a master’s degree student from western Switzerland, launched the event in 2015 with a team of around 30 HSG students. Delighted by the positive resonance of the first TEDx talks at the University of St. Gallen, the students organised the conference again this year – for the first time in the Tonhalle St.Gallen and for the third time including the open-participation contest “Bring your Voice”. The TEDxHSG team for 2019 is being coordinated by Hanna Ekberg and Flo Misteli.

Photo: photocase.com / Selenos