TEDxTurkeyen to launch in August with bold conversations for Guyana’s future

TEDxTurkeyen, a locally organised TEDx event, is set to take place on August 29, 2025, at the George Walcott Lecture Theatre, University of Guyana.

With the theme “Bold Voices, New Visions: Shaping Guyana’s Tomorrow,” the event promises a dynamic and timely platform for fresh ideas, civic reflection, and visionary thinking.

Rooted in the globally respected TED model, TEDxTurkeyen brings together thinkers, builders, and everyday Guyanese with extraordinary stories to tell. This inaugural event will feature a compelling lineup of speakers tackling issues such as inclusive democracy, justice, youth entrepreneurship, Indigenous language preservation, and rethinking education in a changing world.

“TEDxTurkeyen was born out of a deep concern for the quality of civic discourse in Guyana,” said event organiser Janelle Persaud.

“Too often, critical research and bold ideas remain locked away in institutions and publications or dismissed on social platforms. This event aims to bridge that divide, and will bring thought leadership to the public square, as it were. We want TEDxTurkeyen to be a space where people feel free to think out loud…to challenge, reimagine, and contribute to the national conversation with courage and care.”

TEDxTurkeyen will also serve as the precursor to the Guyana Academic Exchange, a quarterly initiative designed to spotlight academic research and lived experiences in shaping national development. This initiative will be officially launched later this year and seeks collaboration with the University of Guyana and other partners to deepen public engagement with rigorous scholarship.

More information, including ticketing and full speaker lineup will be released in the coming weeks. [Press Release].