Ahmedabad, 27th August 2022: Anant National University hosted TEDxAnantU themed on ‘Restore, Reach Out and Rejuvenate’. The event brought together five experts, practitioners and inspirational thought leaders to share ideas, encouraging the youth to adapt to an ever-changing world. The event was attended by over 100 participants held at Anant National University’s Ahmedabad campus.
Post the inauguration ceremony, the event was initiated by a welcome address followed by speakers throughout the day, comprising experts like Dr Benny Kuriakose (Architectural Consultant), Aparna Piramal Raje (Author & columnist), Hetal Shrivastav (Founder, RaasLeela Textile), Gurashish Sahni (Co-founder, ReCircle) and Khushi Jhankaria (Design student and multi-instrumentalist). The day concluded with an enthralling kathak performance led by artist Vaishnavi Vakil.
Commenting on the event, Dr Anunaya Chaubey, Provost of Anant National University, said, “TEDx is a global platform for leaders from all walks of life to come together and share their experiences and learnings. TEDxAnantU brought together leading practitioners on themes that resonate with our philosophy of nurturing solutionaries. Collaboration and innovation are very important aspects of learning at AnantU and each of these speakers represent that in their own spaces. It was an inspirational day everyone on campus”.

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Speakers at TEDxAnantU

Dr Benny Kuriakose is an award-winning expert on sustainable architecture and climate response design. Consultant for UNDP, UNESCO, the Muziris heritage project and various state governments and non-governmental organizations, his design process reflects his knowledge and love for vernacular architecture and craftsmanship. Dr Kuriakose is also the recipient of the Charles Wallace India Trust award.
“Technologies used in the built environment have impacted the climate negatively. The solution lies not in mindless copying of vernacular or western architecture styles, but building knowledge, harnessing and adapting it. The key to sustainability lies in the reinterpretation of vernacular architecture with sensible usage of modern techniques”, said Dr Benny Kuriakose during his TEDxAnantU talk on Sustainable Architecture.

Gurashish Singh Sahni, Co-Founder and COO at ReCircle (est. in 2015), is a homegrown social entrepreneur. His venture has successfully diverted 41,000 tonnes of untreated waste from contaminating landfills and oceans and reintroduced it into the economy, where the waste is either repurposed, reused or recycled. Present in 102 cities, towns and gram panchayats across India, their multi-stakeholder approach empowers tangible change on various levels, including individual, municipal and corporate.
“Surveys have shown that one third of the millennials would make sustainable choices and pick sustainable products despite it costing more. We must go beyond talking about sustainability. The time is here to take action”, said Gurashish Sahni during his talk on titled ‘Redesigning World for Sustainability’.

Aparna Piramal Raje is a writer and columnist on various topics, including business, design leadership, workplaces and mental health. An Oxford and Harvard Business School alumna, she has recently authored Chemical Khichdi: How I Hacked My Mental Health, a book on her experiences of living with a serious mental health condition for the last two decades.
“Language of empathy, trust and vulnerability is the best cure for mental health. How one views mental health is reflected in the language s/he chooses. They can choose to speak the language of stigma and difference or the one that heals and liberates. The strength lies in the words one chooses, and the dialogue one has with self”, said Aparna Piramal Raje during her talk on Mental Health.

Hetal Shrivastav, a NIFT alumna, is the Founder and Creative Head of RaasLeela Textile. Focused on uplifting working female artisans, RaasLeela is a concept-based brand making 100% hand-sewn products, focused on sustainability, the individuality of each artist coupled with irregularity of handmade.
“Craft in need of help is the failure of design intervention. Our craftsmen know their work. What they need is the right direction. As designers we must help them get their dues, introduce their craft in the market, give them livelihood and empower them”, Said Hetal Shrivastav during her talk on sustainable fashion.

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