Past TEDx event

TEDxWuxi NKCS Youth

Unscripted

Took placeSeptember 19, 20261:00 PM - 5:00 PM (GMT+8)
LocationWuxi, Jiangsu, China
FormatYouth
Unscripted refers to moments that do not follow a prepared script—when words are not prewritten, and life unfolds beyond what was planned. In theatre, when a scene moves beyond its original script, it often gives rise to moments that are unexpected, yet vivid and real. In our lives, however, “scripts” are everywhere—academic pathways, definitions of success, social expectations, and the unspoken ideas of who we are supposed to become. Yet life does not always follow a plan. Changes, experiences, and choices lead us into moments that have not yet been written. These moments may bring uncertainty, but they also open up new ways of understanding and new possibilities, making life more authentic and alive. Unscripted is not about blind rebellion. It is about choosing authenticity amid external expectations, and making one’s own judgments within existing structures. It exists not only on a personal level, but also across a wider world—when technology moves beyond established logic, when disciplines intersect, when societies begin to question long-held norms, and when educators rethink how we learn and how schools are shaped. In these moments, change begins to emerge. In a world that seems to offer “standard answers,” what matters may not be following the script perfectly, but having the courage to move forward in uncertainty. When familiar directions no longer apply, are we willing to ask new questions—and step into what has not yet been written? We invite every speaker to share those undefined turning points, the questions that challenge existing frameworks, and the explorations that continue to move understanding and action forward in the face of uncertainty.

Speakers

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

  • Chun Wang

    Yoga and Pilates Instructor and Trail-running Enthusiast

    Wang Chun is a yoga and Pilates instructor and a trail-running enthusiast. Moving beyond the pressures of everyday work and self-doubt, she found her way into the mountains. Through each run, she learned to reconnect with her body, face her fears, and rediscover the courage to choose her own direction in life. From her first uncertain steps on mountain trails, she went on to complete 30 km, 50 km, 100 km, and 168 km races. She finished the 100 km Jianglang Mountain race in Quzhou within 24 hours and completed the Chongli 168 km race in 34 hours and 54 minutes. Today, she brings the resilience, acceptance, and calm she has found through trail running into her teaching, encouraging others to listen to themselves amid uncertaint and take the next step with courage.

  • Daniel Z'berg

    Teacher, NKCS Lower Secondary

    Danny Z'berg is a middle school music teacher whose career path defied every plan he made. Before stepping into the classroom, he was a professional trumpeter performing across South East Asia. And before that, he spent years managing multi-million dollar contracts as a Quality Director and Project Manager. His TEDx talk, "Planning for the Future, Preparing for the Unexpected," explores the crucial difference between making plans and becoming prepared - a lesson he learned through corporate life, a music career, and an unplanned journey into education.

  • Lin Qi

    Independent Photographer and Documentary Creator

    Qi Lin, born in 1984, graduated from the School of Astronautics at Northwestern Polytechnical University. He previously worked as a project manager at a state-owned enterprise and was posted to Kenya for four years beginning in 2011. Now an independent photographer and documentary creator, he has spent extended periods working across Africa, the Middle East, and the Americas. Using photography as his language, he documents the complex connections among resources, people, land, and survival. In 2026, his first work of travel literature, The Camel Diaries: Walking Across Kenya, was published by The Commercial Press.

  • Martin Goffriller

    Teacher, NKCS Upper Secondary

    Martin Goffriller is an archaeologist, educator, and overland traveler with a background in medieval architectural history and Silk Road archaeology. Moving beyond traditional academic research, he traded institutional schedules for thousands of miles on the open road, embarking on an epic 10-month overland expedition across Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia to China. In his talks, Martin explores what happens when meticulous planning collides with the unpredictable realities of travel, uncovering timeless human stories across ancient landscapes.

  • Mia Mahendra

    G11 Student, NKCS Upper Secondary

    Mia is a 16-year-old student who has lived in six countries and attended six different schools. Through constantly adapting to new places, people, and environments, she has learned that beginning again does not mean starting from zero. In her talk, Mia shares her experiences of moving, finding belonging, and learning to embrace uncertainty, showing how every new beginning carries the lessons and experiences of everything that came before.

  • Ziyi Huang

    G12 student, NKCS Upper Secondary

    Hi, I’m Ziyi. Growing up feels like a silent receding tide—the boundless shore of imagination we once had as children somehow gives way to orderly footprints and the repetitive rhythm of the waves. An unexpected climb up a snow-covered mountain broke the script. The wind was wild, the path was unwritten, and there was no time to choreograph even my breathing. Yet there, surrounded by an endless expanse of white, I suddenly caught a long-forgotten spark—the feeling of creating something new. When life moves beyond the script, leaving a little blank space is not an absence. It is the ground where possibilities can begin to grow again.

  • Ziyi Liao

    G10 student, NKCS Upper Secondary

    I am Joanna. I am fifteen years old. I have a wide range of hobbies, such as playing the guzheng and guitar, playing football, traveling, and photography.

Organizing team