Dr Karl will lead the line-up for the inaugural TEDxWollongong. Photo: Ross Coffey/University of Sydney.
One of Australia’s most recognisable science communicators is coming home, with Dr Karl Kruszelnicki announced to headline the inaugural TEDxWollongong event on 7 March.
Bringing global ideas to a local stage, the landmark event will unite Illawarra thinkers, creatives and innovators for a day of big conversations, bold ideas and fresh perspectives at the Illawarra Performing Arts Centre (IPAC) in Wollongong.
Joining Dr Karl in the line-up will be cultural consultant Carlie Schofield, Joint Vision orthopaedic surgeon Dr Meghan Dares, materials science researcher Nuwangi Cooray, greenwashing expert John Pabon, and romance scam investigator Kylee Dennis.
Dr Karl, who is returning to Wollongong where he grew up, admitted he was looking forward to “messing with people’s minds”.
“I like public discourse. You get a chance to mess with people’s minds and hopefully make the world a better place,” Dr Karl said.
Dr Karl was one of the many thousands of refugees who made Wollongong their home post-World War II.
He said he had fond memories of playing tennis at Beaton Park in Wollongong.
“We lived on Hillcrest Street in West Wollongong near the hospital,” he said.
“I went to the Little Flower primary school on the hill up there then Edmond Rice and then the university.
“I also worked at the steelworks and tested steel for the West Gate Bridge, which I determined was inadequate.
“I had an argument with my boss, but the steel was built into the bridge.”
Bringing together a diverse mix of Illawarra thinkers, leaders and creatives, the independently organised TEDx event will explore the theme Lookout — inspired by Wollongong’s escarpment, coastline and the powerful idea of looking outward, upward and ahead.
Other speakers include Sicona Battery Technologies research scientist Dr Greg Ryder, singer and sound bowl practitioner Isobel Bee, clinical psychology lecturer Dr Emanuela Brusadelli, PhysioHealth founder Kylie Moffitt, Talk2MeBro co-founder Jack Brown, and social impact business Inspiring Rare Birds CEO Jo Burston.
Dr Ryder said it was an honour to be part of the inaugural TEDxWollongong and to represent Sicona and the Illawarra on a global ideas platform.
“Wollongong has a strong history of innovation and industry, and events like TEDx help shine a light on the ideas and people shaping what comes next,” he said.
“There’s some incredibly important work happening in advanced materials and energy storage here, and it’s exciting to see those conversations reaching a wider audience.”
Event director Fairlie Hamilton said the team of curators were excited to see the final shortlist of speakers who would take the stage.
“I was not sure how TEDxWollongong was going to look and feel until we went through the curation process,” Ms Hamilton said.
“Ultimately, we’ve tried to balance excellent ideas with diverse voices, innovation and something fun for the audience.”
The curation process was overseen by a panel of TEDx licensees and content producers with the final stage featuring talks as diverse as psychology, robots, AI, live-long-life hacks, romance scams, and local innovations with global impact.
“I’d personally love to see some of the talks go viral but more important than that is that our ticket holders have a great experience and the event itself is really engaging and thought-provoking,” she said.
Tickets are now on sale for TEDxWollongong on 7 March at the IPAC and will feature a live theatre-style talk experience, performances, and a cocktail-style networking event all included in the ticket purchase.
