TED Community » Miquel Duran

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About Me

As a professor-researcher I work in three main areas of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry: (1) influence of electric fields on structure and reactivity of molecules, (2) weak bonding, and (3) electron density methodology. Computers, paper and pencil are my simple tools.

Together with Prof. Miquel Solà, I am the Group Leader of the Molecular Modeling and Quantum Mechanical Methology research group (http://iqc.udg.edu/m4) within the Institute of Computational Chemistry (http://iqc.udg.edu)

My interest has forked towards imaginative use of creativity too. Magic, lateral thinking, the GTD method - everything helps. Blogging, nanoblogging, social media and networks, blended imaginative creator - these may be my keywords.

I have served the University of Girona as vicerector for two different periods (1994-2002 and 2007-2009). I have also served the Departament of Chemistry in the 2003-2007 period.

Specialties: Quantum Chemistry, Computational Chemistry. Communication of Science, Public Awareness of Science, University 2.0

Location:
Spain, Girona
Current organization:
University of Girona
Past organizations:
University of California, Berkeley, Universitat Aut
Current role:
Full Professor of Physical Chemistry
Gender:
Male
Areas of expertise:
Quantum Chemistry, Computational Chemistry, Science Communication, Science 2.0, Mathematical Magic and Mentalism
I am:
Blogger, Concerned citizen, Doctor, Idea generator, Parent, Policy maker, Public servant, Scientist
Associations:
Americal Chemical Society, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Euroscience
Languages:
Catalan, English, French, Spanish, German
My website links:
Personal Web Hub, Blog (in Catalan), Twitter
Universities:
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, University of Ca Berkeley, University of Girona
TED conferences attended:
TEDActive 2013
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More About Me

I'm passionate about

Dealing with University affairs, e.g., teaching, research and service, reminds me of 3-ball cascade juggling. I could spend a lot of enjoyable time there.

An idea worth spreading

I belong to a multinlingual area: Europe. Thus, I believe in the so-called pyramid of languages. In my case Catalan is on top (mother tongue), while Spanish and English are opportunity languages. This Tartaglia-like pyramind has a third row: French, Arabic, Russian, German, Italian and Mandarin Chinese.

Talk to me about

Anything related to meaingful change and ideas inside science and outside it. From digital humanities to Social Networks in Higher Educations, from transversal educational curriculum to mathemagic

People don't know that I'm good at

I am also an amateur magician who enjoys practising and conjuring mentalism and mathemagics.

My TED Story

I have attented a few TEDx meetings other than ours: TEDxGirona, TEDxMadrid and TEDxBarcelonaScience twice. I really enjoyed them. I looked to organitze one in Girona on new ideas in Higher Education for a nonglobal universtity that does not resign to become gobal, for a University that is willing to extend to younger students and citizens. I am the licensee thus for TEDxUdG (held on May 10th, 2012), and also for TEDxYouth@UdG (held on saturday Nov 17th, 2012). Indeed we expect to have a new TEDxUdG venue in 24 May 2013. I attended TEDActive 2013 in Palm Springs. The TEDxUdG series of TEDx events was enhanced with TEDxUdGChange on April 3, 2013. On June 12 we'll show TEDxUdGLive, simulcast from Edinburgh's TEDGlobal.

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