For the first time ever, TEDx arrived to the oldest technical university in Denmark – DTU. With a conference held on the 20th of February 2021, we offer engaging experience and wide variety of talks.

The Saturday event was held semi-physically, with speakers presenting their talks from the DTU stage and attendees joining from the comfort of their homes. Videos of the talks are coming soon!

DTU Skylab
Centrifugevej 374
Kongens Lyngby, Hovedstaden, 2800
Denmark

Abdulhakim Mohamed Abdi

Environmental and Climate Science researcher

With a Master’s in Geospatial Technologies and a PhD in Geobiosphere Science, he is a researcher at Lund University’s Center for Environmental and Climate Science in southern Sweden. At the age of 19, he encountered satellite data while volunteering at an environmental agency, and now he uses them to map forests types, assess the impacts of drought on ecosystems and even measuring carbon content of plants. “The global satellite data archive is growing at a rapid pace, and we now have data going back 50 years to help us understand the past and plan for the future. We are truly living in a golden age of Earth observation as availability and processing of satellite data has never been more accessible than at present”.

Annelie Berner

Experimental interaction designer

Annelie Berner is an interaction designer, data visualization designer and researcher. She uses design to create bridges from science, academia and the public, with topics ranging from ethics to climate science and futures. “What will a seemingly small decision deep in a software program do in 10 years’ time? By placing the things we design now into near future scenarios, we can imagine, discuss and reflect upon their unpredictable impacts”.

Christian Faber

visual director

Christian Faber is a visual director specialized in story concept and design. During his talk, he tells a personal story about how he used creativity as a survival tool, turning a hidden brain illness into the start of a legend for a worldwide toy brand. “Storytelling has the power to change the future. 2021 and the pandemic has made a full stop. We need a new collective story for the future. A new rebel story for the goals of the coming generations”.

Emma Christine Jappe

Immunology and AI researcher

Emma holds a PhD from DTU and is a research scientist working in the intersection between A.I. and immunology. She finds inspiration in bridging the gap between academia and industry, merging the best of both worlds to ultimately benefit the patients. “How can cancer therapy be tailored to the individual patient? Personalized cancer therapy is becoming a reality as a result of accumulating biological “big data” from data-intensive biomedical technologies combined with the advancements in artificial intelligence (A.I.) that ideally accommodates such big data”.

Liisa Välikangas

digital technologies, business

Liisa is co-author of three books and is currently working on research projects focused on the business and societal implications of digital technologies and how to tackle large problems, i.e. world challenges. In this talk, Prof. Liisa Välikangas introduces a framework for developing strategies for resilience, giving pioneering examples and provoking reflection. “The framework builds on cognitive, strategic and resource-based capabilities of a company. How do you see things others do not notice? How do you lead your organization from denial to action? How do you develop a portfolio of options and resource their experimentation? How to accelerate your company's renewal cycle?”.

Lis Zacho

Educator

Lis is a teacher and mathematics supervisor, specializing in didactic design, teaching mathematics and technology comprehension. In her spare time, she writes blogs and books about math and technology and volunteers teaching children the basics of coding. Through her work with the younger ones, she has understood firsthand with the effect of technology on children development. “The children must be competent consumers of technology; they must learn to be critical of the technology, and they must understand what is hiding behind it. But it is not always something they learn in school”.

Morten Asser Karsdal

CEO Nordic Bioscience

Morten Asser Karsdal is an outstanding researcher and professor with more than 500 publications behind his back. He is also the author of “Biochemistry of Collagens, Laminins and Elastin”, which provides a comprehensive introduction to collagen and structural proteins. “Collagens are the main structural component of all tissues. Just like the beams of the Eiffel Tower that is essential for the construction. We need those collagens and beams to have optimal quality and strength, if not catastrophizes happen”.

Tim Booth

2D materials, future technology, research

Tim Booth, associate professor at the Department of Physics at DTU. His current research interests revolve around 2D materials, its synthesis’ techniques and future application in new technologies. “Technology is in large part about shaping our environment and surroundings to suit our needs. Securing such basic human requirements such as shelter, food and water, health and community have driven the rise of civilization and technological progress – but in many cases we have learned that this progress has come at a cost to the environment”. Tim proposes a reflection when facing a challenge: is there an easier and more natural direction to pull in?