Theme: The Fabric of us exploring UAE national identity

TEDxYasmina Academy Youth invites you to a transformative exploration of Emirati culture and identity under the theme "The Fabric of Us." Scheduled for Saturday, April 20th, 2024, this event promises an immersive journey into the heart of the United Arab Emirates' national identity.

Attendees will engage with esteemed speakers offering unique perspectives on Emirati heritage and contemporary society. Through captivating talks and performances, participants will delve into the historical roots, traditions, and innovative spirit that define the UAE.

This event celebrates diversity and inclusivity, fostering dialogue and understanding among attendees. Beyond the confines of Yasmina Academy, TEDxYasmina Academy Youth extends its reach to a global audience, amplifying voices and inviting individuals worldwide to join the conversation.

Join us as we celebrate the vibrant tapestry of the UAE's national identity at TEDxYasmina Academy Youth. Experience a day of inspiration, connection, and reflection as we unravel the fabric of us together.

TEDxYasmina Academy Youth
Al Mireef St, Khalifa City A, Raha Gardens, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Ground Floor
Abu Dhabi, Abū Z̧aby, 128484
United Arab Emirates

Aahna Syed

YBA Student

My name is Aahna Syed. I am from India but was born in raised in Abu Dhabi and consider it my home. I have attended Yasmina British Academy all my life and am currently a year 12 student aiming for a STEM career. Since I was young I have always been interested in debate and public speaking and have participated in numerous MUN conferences. A few weeks ago, I was incredibly lucky to be selected to attend the Forbes 30/50 women’s day event where I got to witness many influential women speak about remarkable topics, I attempted to use the public-speaking techniques I witnessed first-hand when formulating my Ted-ed speech about national identity. As someone who has spent 17 years (my whole life) in the UAE, the topic of national identity is a topic I hold very close to my heart and I am extremely excited for the opportunity to speak about it.

Aly Assaf

YBA Student

My name is Aly Mansour Assaf, I am an A-level student at YBA, and am head of sustainability, MUN ECA co-leader, and Python Programming Club teacher. My main academic passion is computer science. The fact that we can transmit data across the world blows away my mind. I am also very interested in the MUN, having been attending them since Year 7 and now I organized and co-led our own MUN conference in my school as secretary general. As a volleyball player, I regionally play at the British Schools in the Middle East Games in Kuwait and regularly play as a member of the Sharks beach volleyball team currently. Finally, I have been Head of Sustainability at my school, where I lead initiatives, participated in interschool projects, and competed in events such as Expo Schools Next Gen World Majlis, where I was a top 10 finalist out of ~3000, and the AIESEC Youth Speak Forum held annually, where our team won first place, earning the prestigious opportunity to present our winning idea at COP28.

Ifrah Zaigham Meer

YBA Student

My name is Ifrah Zaigham Meer, and I am a student in year 10. I consider myself to be deeply empathetic, meaningful, and philosophical. I enjoy reading, writing, swimming, playing the piano, drawing, and crochet. I am particularly interested in topics such as technology, science, fashion, Art, poetry, and current events. My achievements include: receiving a certificate for participating in an ice-skating summer camp, becoming a level 7 ice skater, Receiving a swimming certificate, winning first and second place in swimming races, being in one of my previous school’s swim team, getting the delf a1 certificate, becoming a grade 1 pianist and passing the trinity exam, receiving an outstanding character recognition certificate and Math’s genius certificate from my previous school, receiving the most honorable delegate award for MUN, and my culminated series of excellent academic results (especially in core subjects such as Math, English and science).

Katie McGuiness

YBA Student

My name is Katie McGuinness, A student and entrepreneur who is also an aspiring musician, public speaker and sustainability activist, as well as an athlete and sports mentor. I am originally from the Uk and have lived in the UAE for 7 years and the UAE has become my second home. Living here has given me opportunities that have allowed me to build skills that will sustain me in the future and I want to share my journey with you all through my talk.

Malak Abousenna

YBA Student

Malak is student in Al Yasmina academy who was born in Egypt and moved to the UAE at ten years old and is studying to go medical school. She is very interested in fashion and enjoys learning health sciences and researching within the field. She is also really passionate about volunteering and having an impact on her community and tries to always participate in every opportunity there is to give back to her community and loves training jiujitsu.. Malak loves reading, especially psychological thrillers and her favorite is “the silent patient”, and is also a huge fan of travelling and exploring new places. She loves photography and loves exploring different styles and finds it to be her favorite way to express herself.

Omar Seyfetdinov

YBA Student

I'm Omar Seyfetdinov, a 14-year-old from Azerbaijan. My favourite book is DUNE, and I love reading science fiction, playing piano, biking, and coding. I've won medals in coding and debating competitions. I also lead an ECA called World Scholar's Cup, and my team and I qualified for international rounds in London. My favourite subjects are Physics, Chemistry, and English, and I enjoy taking walks and writing.

Rithvika Arjun

YBA Student

My name is Rithvika Arjun and I am a Junior student at Yasmina British Academy, achieving ten A* grades in GCSEs and pursuing five A-levels in Maths, Biology, Chemistry, Physics , and Further Maths. I hold various leadership positions within the school including House Captain, Form Captain, and Prefect. I have founded the Robotics Eca and led the team to national competitions. I am also the leader of the MUN club and Ken-Ken. As a student with a keen interest in sports, I practice netball and volleyball regularly and attend various regional competitions. I am very passionate about technology and AI. I have pursued digital internships at companies such as Accenture, and undertaken college-level courses such as Machine Learning from Stanford University and Introduction to Computational Thinking by the University of Pennsylvania. Finally, I was recently selected to attend Harvard Summer School this July to further explore Data Science, for which I am most excited.

Sheikha Al Mahmood

YBA Student

I'm Sheikha Sultan Al Mahmood. An aspiring public speaker, a media enthusiast, and a passionate artist. As a young girl, I fell in love with some hobbies such as horse riding, media, public speaking, and painting. My parents, teachers, and mentors supported me through instilling important values in me which made me the young woman I am today. Recently, through my art, I’ve been exploring my own identity and culture and found that my biggest role model is my great-grandmother. I was inspired to create a painting based on my love and admiration for her as a strong and determined Emirati woman. I am proud to say that my painting was chosen to be showcased in the national identity exhibition. I had the pleasure of presenting my painting to H.H Crown Prince Sheikh Khalid bin Mohammed Al Nahyan. My future aspirations include inspiring young Emarati girls to achieve their dreams by sharing my story and exploring the meaning of ‘What does it mean to be an Emarati woman?’

Tania Mathews

YBA Student

My name is Tania and I am a 13-year-old Y9 student at the Yasmina British Academy. I am originally from India but have spent my whole life here in the UAE. I have a wide spread of interests from sports to reading to music. I am an avid reader and can breeze through books in a day and particularly enjoy the fantasy, and dystopian genres. I have been playing tennis for the past 2 years and fell in love with the game instantly. I recently had the privilege to attend the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Tennis Open and was in awe of the talent displayed. I have always been enthusiastic about public speaking and have regularly participated in public speaking competitions and events.

Youssef Elbaramawy

YBA Student

Youssef Lotfy, 16, is a student at Al Yasmina Academy. He was born in Egypt and moved to the United Arab Emirates when he was a young child. He lived in the UAE for five years, attending preschool there before moving for three years to Malaysia and then back to Egypt. He has now been back in the UAE for six years, studying to enter medical school. He loves watching documentaries and Ted Talks, as well as scientific research, and he is highly interested in sports like football and volleyball. He also enjoys contributing in his community.

Zaid Hadi

YBA Student

Zaid is 15 years old, from Iraq, and he has been living in the UAE his whole life. He is a student in Yasmina British Academy and is planning on studying engineering in Canada in the future. His interests mainly include sports such as football and he enjoys training Muay Thai.

Zaina Nafie

YBA Student

My name is Zaina Nafie, and I am a 17 year old Sudanese student living in Abu Dhabi and studying in Yasmina British Academy. My hobbies are playing tennis, spending time with family, and creating artworks. I have a passion in biology and medicine, which is something I hope to pursue in the future. Being someone who has lived in the UAE for 14+ years, the topic of its national identity is interesting to me and I hope you enjoy my Ted Talk.