Nigora Ashrapova

I was born in Tajikistan and lived there my whole life before moving to Uzbekistan a few years ago. Growing up, I've been interested in all kinds of different things: philosophy, robotics, public speaking, physics, the intersection of abnormal and evolutionary psychology, neuroscience, theater, scuba diving, drawing, and learning random languages, and so on. This wide array of passions and openness to learning remains a big part of my identity to this day. However, I am also a deep thinker who loves pondering about the core values and principles of humanity, and my interdisciplinary experience always guides my thinking.. I like to question and be skeptical about our long-held beliefs, such as the notion that humans are a superior or most intelligent form of life. Despite some of my seemingly skeptical views, I care deeply for the well-being of humanity and try to engage in community service as much as possible. At school, I lead the UNICEF club that aims to support children in need locally through orphanages as well as globally through fundraising and donations, and a Public Speaking Club to help students overcome stage fright and improve their public speaking skills to be able to voice their views on issues that matter. Finally, in my free time, I like running, journaling and climbing trees.

Language is perhaps the most important invention that enabled humans to get where we are now. Language is what distinguishes us from other animals - not intelligence or morals. Because language allows us to tell stories and share ideas. Individually, humans are pathetically weak from the perspective of survival. United, we're a deadly superpower. Thousands of human languages that exist today and have ever existed are very different linguistically and culturally, but they serve a common function of building and bonding communities. The luxury of language affects us every day in ways we don't notice. So let us use language to share ideas that will help us flourish rather than destroying ourselves and our habitat.

I've been watching TED Talks my whole life ever since I got access to a phone and the internet. They inspired me and played a major role in forming my love for public speaking and shaping who I am today. That is why as soon as I found an opportunity, I tried out to be a speaker for TEDxYouth at Tashkent International School in 2023, where I gave a talk titled "The Role of Language in Bringing Us Down". One year later, I was still involved in TEDx by helping the new speakers with their talks and MC-ing at the event. Now, I am assisting the organization of TEDxYouth@TashkentIntlSchool 2025, and I hope to continue my TED journey for years to come.