Speakers explored topics ranging from money and social impact to AI, environmentalism and caregiving at TEDxDKU 2026 held March 27 at Duke Kunshan University.
Built around the theme “Disorders of Magnitude,” the student-organized event invited audiences to question familiar ways of judging what matters most and to consider how small shifts in perspective or action can lead to broader change.
The event featured eight speakers from the DKU community and beyond, including students, alumni, faculty and an industry speaker. Though the talks varied widely, they shared an interest in questioning assumptions about power, responsibility, ethics and personal growth.
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Among the DKU student speakers, Teohan Blind, Class of 2026, discussed the design of monetary systems in “Fix the Money, Fix the World,” while Coco Zhang, Class of 2028, examined the limits of consumer-driven environmentalism in “The Environmentalism Trap: From Consumer Guilt to Conscious Living.” Roberto Adames, Class of 2029, in “The Power of a Card,” reflected on distributing “Know Your Rights” cards to immigrant families, while Kate Elosta, Class of 2026, challenged assumptions about gender and caregiving in “Rethinking Parenthood: The Case for Shared Lactation.”
Other speakers connected personal experience with wider intellectual and social questions. Ace Asim, a Class of 2025 graduate, examined the need for intercultural dialogue in AI ethics. Ian McNally, a Writing and Language Studio coach at DKU’s Language and Culture Center, drew on his practice of Baguazhang, a traditional Chinese martial art, to speak about change, injury and resilience. Tommaso Tesei, associate professor of humanities at DKU, argued for the value of doubt and intellectual discomfort, while Sun Yan, a partner at IBM Consulting, spoke about long-term partnership as a source of strength in life and work.
TEDx events are independently organized under license from TED. TEDxDKU 2026 was organized by a team of DKU undergraduates led by Noah Caplan and Jiyuan Liu. Other student organizers included Colden Johnson, Alessia Barreca, Mateja Bokan, Ethan Deal, Giorgia Guardamagn and Michael Cornell.
