TEDxUniversity of Ljubljana

Speakers

Speakers may not be confirmed. Check the event website for the latest lineup.

• Ajda Medved

  Ajda Medved je raziskovalka na Oddelku za eksperimentalno onkologijo Onkološkega inštituta Ljubljana, kjer deluje na področju translacijske onkologije in zaključuje doktorski študij biomedicine na Medicinski fakulteti Univerze v Ljubljani.V svojem delu se ukvarja z vprašanjem, kako bazična znanstvena odkritja iz laboratorija prenesti v terapije za bolnike pri tem pa se pogosto srečuje tudi z etičnimi dilemami, o katerih se redkeje govori na glas. Poleg raziskovalnega dela svoje znanje in izkušnje deli tudi na družbenih omrežjih, kjer želi približati znanost širši javnosti in navdušiti mlade za raziskovalno pot. ________________________ Ajda Medved is a researcher in the Department of Experimental Oncology at the Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, where she works in the field of translational oncology and is completing her doctoral studies in biomedicine at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana. In her work, she addresses the question of how to translate basic scientific discoveries from the laboratory into therapies for patients, and in doing so, she often encounters ethical dilemmas that are rarely discussed openly. In addition to her research work, she shares her knowledge and experience on social media, where she aims to bring science closer to the general public and inspire young people to pursue a career in research.

• Dan Podjed

  Antropolog dr. Dan Podjed je višji znanstveni sodelavec Inštituta za slovensko narodopisje ZRC SAZU, redni profesor na Filozofski fakulteti Univerze v Ljubljani in področni strokovnjak na Inovacijsko-razvojnem inštitutu Univerze v Ljubljani. Je ustanovitelj in izvršni svetovalec Mreže za aplikativno antropologijo EASA in pobudnik mednarodnega simpozija Why the World Needs Anthropologists, ki ga prirejajo od leta 2013. Osrednja področja njegovega raziskovalnega zanimanja so izolacija, krize, razmerja med ljudmi in tehnologijami, trajnostni načini življenja in spoznavanje vsakdanjika. Njegov zadnji knjižni dvojec (roman in znanstvena razprava) s skupnim naslovom Krizolacija, v katerem opiše izoliranega človeka, ki med neskončno krizo preživlja čas pred zasloni in med štirimi stenami, je odmeven tako v akademski skupnosti kot v širši javnosti. Javna agencija za raziskovalno in inovacijsko dejavnost Republike Slovenije je njegova dela dvakrat razglasila za izjemne dosežke na področju znanosti, in sicer leta 2011 in 2021. Odmevna je bila tudi Podjedova izjava o tem, da sreče ne najdeš v sebi, temveč ob sebi, ki jo je časnik Večer razglasil za Bob leta 2022. Prejel je častni naziv Komunikator znanosti leta 2024, ki ga podeljuje Slovenska znanstvena fundacija. ____________________ Anthropologist Dr Dan Podjed is a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Slovenian Ethnology at ZRC SAZU, a Full Professor at the Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, and a Domain Expert at the Innovation and Development Institute of the University of Ljubljana. He is the founder and Executive Advisor of the EASA Applied Anthropology Network and the initiator of the international symposium Why the World Needs Anthropologists, held annually since 2013. His research focuses on isolation, crises, human-technology interactions, sustainable ways of living, and everyday life. His latest book project – a novel paired with an academic monograph under the shared title Crisolation – explores the life of an isolated individual spending prolonged periods in front of screens and within four walls during an ongoing crisis. The work has resonated widely, both within academia and among the general public. The Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency has twice recognised his work as an outstanding scientific achievement, in 2011 and 2021. One of his most widely cited statements – that happiness is not found inside, but beside – was named “Spade of the Year” (“Bob leta”) by the newspaper Večer in 2022. He also received the honorary title “Science Communicator of the Year 2024,” awarded by the Slovenian Science Foundation.

• Neža Testen

  "Neža Testen je medicinska sestra, life coachinja, študentka zdravstvene nege in mamica dvema paroma dvojčkov. Njena zgodba je preplet strokovnega znanja o zdravstvenem sistemu in nepredvidljive življenske preizkušnje. Verjela je, da razume človeka, bolezni in diagnoze, dokler je leto 2024 ni postavilo v vlogo, na katero je nobena fakulteta ni mogla pripraviti – čez noč je postala mama otroka s kritično diagnozo. Skozi izkušnjo hčerine operacije na odprtem srcu v tujini se je naučila, da prava varnost ne pride iz zunanjih okoliščin, ampak iz odnosa, ki ga zgradimo s sabo ter, da v najtežjih trenutkih samo znanje ne prinese miru, temveč ga prinese šele sposobnost obvladovanja lastnega notranjega sveta. Danes skozi svoje delo in podcast Double Purpose deli, da če si upamo pogledati vase, tam lahko najdemo vse odgovore, ki jih iščemo. Njena zgodba je prijazen opomnik da : morda res ne moremo izbrati neviht, ki nas doletijo, lahko pa vedno izberemo ""vlak"", na katerega bodo sedle naše misli, ko drvimo skoznje." _______________________ "Neža Testen is a nurse, a life coach, a nursing student, and a mother to two sets of twins. Her journey is a blend of professional healthcare expertise and the raw, unpredictable reality of a life-altering trial. She believed she truly understood people, illness, and diagnosis—until 2024 put her in a role no university could ever prepare her for. Overnight, she became the mother of a child with a critical diagnosis. Through the experience of her daughter’s open-heart surgery far from home, Neža learned that true safety doesn’t come from the world around us, but from the relationship we build with ourselves. She discovered that in our hardest moments, knowledge alone doesn’t bring peace; only the ability to master our own inner world can. Today, through her work and her podcast Double Purpose, she shares: if we dare to look inside, we can find all the answers we are looking for. Her story is a reminder that while we can’t always choose the storms that come our way, we can always choose the ""train"" our thoughts board as we ride through them."

• Peter Roljić

  "Peter Roljić je prvo negativno oceno dobil pri domišljijskem spisu. Zgodba je bila živa, a brez strukture. Danes ve, da struktura ni bistvo. Je zgolj okvir. Diplomiral je z nalogo o etiki v marketingu. Zmotilo ga je, da stroka pozablja na bistvo, saj verjame, da prava zgodba zdravi in opogumlja. Svojo pot je začel v trženju. Postavil je rekord prodaje krofov, v treh urah je prodal 400 krofov na neprometni lokaciji. Sanje o reklamah je uresničill kot anketar, ki je ponujal ""malo dobre karme"". Ena od teh anket pa je navdušila direktorja podjetja, ki mu je dal prvo pravo priložnost. Njegov talent je kasneje potrdil tudi človek, s katerim sta se spoznala ob prodaji pisarniškega stola s kosovnega odpada. Disleksija ima zanj dve vlogi: kot antagonist doda komičnost, kot protagonist pa odpira spregledana vrata. Da bi poglobil ljubezen do filma, je filmski seminar JSKD opravil trikrat zapored, še vedno rad statira, saj je mnenja, da so igralci v ozadju pogosto spregledani. Danes kot režiser, scenarist in producent s svojo ekipo ustvarja filme in oglasne vsebine. Prepričan je, da pripovedovanje prinaša ravnovesje v ta ponoreli svet. Zgodba ni luksuz, je nuja. Svet brez zgodb je svet brez duše." _____________________________ "Peter Roljić failed his first creative writing assignment. The story was vivid, but lacked structure. Today, he knows structure isn't the goal; it's just the framework. He graduated with a thesis on ethics in marketing. Frustrated that the industry forgets its core purpose, he believes genuine stories heal and empower. Starting in sales, he set a record by selling 400 doughnuts in three hours at a quiet location. As a pollster, offering 'a bit of good karma', he turned his dream of producing commercials into reality. One such pitch impressed a CEO, leading to his first real break. Later, his talent was validated by a connection made while selling a salvaged office chair. Dyslexia plays a dual role for him: an antagonist bringing comic relief and a protagonist opening overlooked doors. Deepening his craft, he completed the JSKD film seminar three times. He still enjoys acting as an extra, valuing those often ignored actors in the background. Today, as a director, screenwriter and producer, he and his team create films and commercial content. He believes storytelling brings balance to this chaotic world. Stories aren't a luxury, they are a necessity. A world without stories is a world without a soul. "

• Tanja Kobal

  "Tanja Kobal je mlada raziskovalka na Morski biološki postaji v Piranu (Nacionalni inštitut za biologijo) ter doktorska študentka študija Bioznanosti na Biotehniški fakulteti Univerze v Ljubljani. V okviru svojega raziskovalnega dela proučuje vplive mikroplastike in TBT na školjke klapavice. Skozi raziskovalno delo je spoznala, da znanost za nova odkritja potrebuje čas in da je povsem v redu, če na nekatera vprašanja (še) nimamo odgovorov. Kljub temu pa to ne sme biti razlog, da nehamo postavljati vprašanja, saj je prav radovednost pogon napredka, kljub temu, da raziskovanje včasih odpira več vprašanj kot odgovorov. Prav to nas kasneje vodi do novih spoznanj in rešitev, ki jih potrebujemo pri obvladovanju kompleksnih problemov, kot je na primer mikroplastika. ________________________ Tanja Kobal is a young researcher at the Marine Biological Station in Piran (National Institute of Biology) and a PhD student in Biosciences at the Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana. As part of her research, she studies the effects of microplastics and TBT on mussels. Through her research, she has realized that science requires time to make new discoveries and that it is perfectly fine not to have answers to some questions (yet). However, this should never be a reason to stop asking questions, as curiosity is the driving force of progress, even though research sometimes raises more questions than it answers. It is precisely this process that later leads us to new insights and solutions needed to tackle complex problems, such as microplastics.

• Živa Gornik

  " Živjo! Sem Živa Gornik, antropologinja in sociologinja, trenutno pa doktorska študentka, ki v okviru študija raziskuje raziskovanje raziskovalcev. Zelo rada opazujem družbo in odnose ter o tem komuniciram. Poleg tega delam kot prodekanja študentka na Filozofski fakulteti Univerze v Ljubljani. V prostem času ustvarjam 'Dnevnik doktorske študentke', s pomočjo katerega v obliki videodnevnikov reflektiram akademsko življenje in osebne frustracije s katerimi se soočam. Moj doktorski študij je izredno živahen, saj imam ADHD in disleksijo. Zaradi tega se soočam s precej izzivi pri branju, ki sicer velja za osnovno vrlino humanistike in družboslovja. S tem se spopadam tako, da veliko poslušam in še več govorim - najraje z mentorjema in prijatelji. Raziskovalno se ukvarjam s področji aplikativne antropologije, metodologije in seksologije. V zadnjih letih se učim pripovedovati znanost, ker verjamem, da je govor lahko odlična metoda. ____________________________ "Hello! I am Živa Gornik, an anthropologist and sociologist, currently a doctoral student researching the ""research of researchers"" as part of my studies. I am passionate about observing society and relationships and communicating about these observations. Additionally, I serve as the Student Vice-Dean at the Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana. In my free time, I create ""The Doctoral Student’s Diary,"" a series of video diarys where I reflect on academic life and the personal frustrations I encounter. My doctoral journey is exceptionally vibrant, as I have ADHD and dyslexia. Consequently, I face significant challenges with reading, which is otherwise considered a fundamental skill in the humanities and social sciences. I manage this by listening extensively and speaking even more—ideally with my mentors and friends. My research focuses on the fields of applied anthropology, methodology, and sexology. In recent years, I have been learning how to narrate science, as I believe that speech can be an excellent method."