TEDxAPU 2024
"Constellations: Ad Astra"
For this theme of TEDxAPU, we took countless inspirations from the brilliant tapestry of stars. "Constellations - Ad Astra" explores the boundless universe of human ideas, aspirations, and innovations. It invites us to connect the dots and see the patterns that guide us toward a brighter future.
This event occured on
January 7, 2024
Beppu, Ôita
Japan
Sherly Budiman
Student Guest Speaker of TEDxAPU 2024 is a 4th year student from APU’s College of International Management.
She spent her first 1 year growing up in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. Her educational journey took a transformative turn when she studied abroad at UWC Dilijan in Armenia, living and learning with students from over 60 nationalities. Following high school, she embarked on a gap year program, travelling around the world and learning skills along the way.
In her time at APU, she has had many notable achievements such as representing APU to share youth voices on ASEAN JAPAN business week earlier this year and representing Indonesia as the guest observer for the YUKEMURI Startup Summit 2023. She has also been a guest speaker for many events in collaboration with APU and outside organizations both in Japan and Indonesia.
She was also honoured with the Ando Momofuku Award in Fall, 2022 and participated G7 Youth Summit from Indonesia as an official observer.
Fueled by her unique educational background, Sherly aspires to become a social entrepreneur in the education field. On the side, you'll find her exploring new restaurants in town, having deep conversations, and reflecting on the question, "What makes us human?"
Watch her speech here ->
Minoru Asada
Co-founder of the globally recognized RoboCup in 1997, and served as the Research Director of the JST ERATO ASADA Synergistic Intelligence Project from 2005 to 2012
Minoru Asada gained his Ph. D degree in Control Engineering from Osaka University. Throughout his journey, he has ever become a professor of Mechanical Engineering in 1995, served as a Professor at the Department of Adaptive Machine Systems at Osaka University in 1997 to 2019, currently he was appointed in 2021 as a Specially-Appointed Professor at the Symbiotic Intelligent System Research Center at Osaka University.
Minoru Asada's story is not just about his achievements, but also about his relentless pursuit of knowledge and his commitment to advancing the field of robotics. His journey serves as an inspiration to aspiring engineers and researchers around the world.
Minoru Asada’s illustrious career is adorned with numerous accolades and leadership roles. In 1992, he was honored with the Best Paper Award at the IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS92). His paper was among the top ten finalists for the 1995 IEEE Robotics and Automation Society Best Conference Paper Award. He was again recognized for his exceptional work in 1996 and 2009, receiving the Best Paper Award from the Robotics Society of Japan.
Watch his speech here ->
Mariko Hashimoto
CEO and Representative Director of RECEPTIONIST Inc.
She has dedicated over 11 years in building experience as a corporate receptionist. Through her experiences, she realized the room for improvement. Mariko Hashimoto founded RECEPTIONIST Inc. and revolutionized an efficient and digital new era in receptionist work. Her company’s services grew rapidly and are used by over two million people in Japan every year.
A rarity in Japanese society, Mariko Hashimoto shows us that women are just as capable of rising into executive positions. She is a role model for women everywhere, Mariko Hashimoto shows us we can have it all. Success in entrepreneurship and motherhood, she embodies resilience and empowerment.
Watch her speech here ->
Mayuki Hiramatsu
Lawyer, Former Singer, Founder of Hiramatsu Law Office, Oita
Born and raised in the heart of Beppu City, Oita, Mayuki Hiramatsu grew up and developed interests in the entertainment and music industry subsequent to winning the grand prix contest “Tohato All Raisin Princess Contest” when she was as young as 12 years old and became a professional singer at the age of 17 as well as achieving various remarkable successes in the field.
She then continued to pursue her musical career while simultaneously juggling work in Tokyo. As she navigated through the world after university, she suddenly had a spark of interest to take on a challenge of unfamiliarity. In 2010, without any prior knowledge of law, she entered Nagoya University Law School as she wanted to try something that would be meaningful to society.
She passed the bar exam in 2015 and proceeded to establish the Hiramatsu Law Office in Oita.
Currently dealing with a variety of legal matters including divorce, inheritance, bankruptcy, traffic accidents, and criminal cases. Her remarkable journey to be able to reach this point makes her a standout figure in the community.
Watch her speech here ->
Show Nemoto
Influencer, life coach and social media motivator specializing in the transformative realms of self-love and self-confidence
Born in a Japanese family, his journey to reach success is not an easy and simple path. As a child, Show Nemoto has to face a rough past by encountering bullies. However, in his life, he was introduced to meditation which changed his life entirely, in his transformation.
Today, with over 2.4 million followers across different platforms, he has motivated thousands of people through his work and he will strive once again to have an impact on millions of people with his present.
Show Nemoto has reached 1.4 Million followers on TikTok, 777K followers on Instagram, and 184K subscribers on YouTube. Show Nemoto also has more than thousands of mentees around the world, with his master class, he already motivates many people. Inside his masterclass, he teaches more about self-awareness and self-acceptance.
Watch his speech here ->
Yooko Sakurai
Artist and poet, from exhibitions and performances, she simply does it all!
Bridging the arts and the business scene, Yooko Sakurai shows us we can have the best of both worlds. Yooko Sakurai is a known artist and poet, from exhibitions and performances, she simply does it all!
Her achievements are notable this year with her work in Berlin. Centralizing on themes of self and tranquillity, she held a solo exhibition and a total of four art performances.
Beyond the arts, she is also known in the business world as CEO of UNID CO., Ltd. An inspiration and role model who shows us you can have both power in the business world and the arts!
Watch her speech here ->