BHI Hosts Its First TEDx All-English Speech Conference

On June 17, BHI (Beijing Hospitality Institute) held its first TEDx all-English speech conference in the banquet hall of the teaching hotel. Twelve speakers — including BHI faculty, students, alumni, and young entrepreneurs — shared their personal growth stories and life insights under the theme "A Lesson in My Life," each speaking for 8 to 10 minutes.

TEDx is a localized, independent speech platform officially licensed by TED. This conference was initiated and organized by the Entrepreneurship Management department, in collaboration with multiple departments across the institute. It drew over 200 on-site attendees and nearly 70,000 online viewers, with a peak of 3,102 concurrent viewers. The speech videos will have the opportunity to be uploaded to the official TED YouTube channel, allowing the world to hear the voices of BHI's youth.

The conference opened with a mini-drama and a unique "roll call" interaction, quickly immersing the audience in an atmosphere of reflection and empathy. Dr. Gao Songtao, President of BHI, delivered an opening speech, warmly congratulating the successful convening of the conference and expressing sincere gratitude to Vice President Guo Hongbo and all the faculty and students of the Entrepreneurship Management program for their efforts in applying for and organizing the event. President Gao stated that building the TEDxBHI stage from scratch was a remarkable pioneering achievement in itself and a vivid reflection of BHI's motto, "Unity of Knowledge and Action, Applying What is Learned." Having ideas, daring to act, and being able to succeed are the best manifestations of the BHI spirit. He told the students present, "You are not passive listeners, but explorers actively seeking your own answers in other people's stories." President Gao hopes this stage will become a BHI tradition, held year after year, allowing more and more powerful ideas to emerge from here, move beyond the campus, and reach the world, conveying the wisdom and voice of Chinese youth globally.

Dr. Ellen Touchstone, Vice President of Sofia University in the USA, sent a video message of congratulations. Having visited BHI twice, she was deeply impressed by its campus culture and teaching facilities. She encouraged the students to cherish the opportunity for intellectual exchange, broaden their horizons, and connect with like-minded peers.

01 Self-Cultivation

The conference was divided into two chapters: "Self-Cultivation" and "Becoming a Whole Person."

In the first chapter, "Self-Cultivation," six speakers shared their stories of "breaking down and rebuilding" during their growth. One speaker crossed national borders and learned to "act without waiting for confidence" in an unfamiliar language and culture; another learned to say no and protect their inner order with a single banknote; one overcame shyness with the support of 7 family letters; another tempered hardship into the foundation of their life; one found their own rhythm by traveling alone after a friendship drifted apart; and another fell from a moment of glory into mundane daily life, only to re-understand the relationship between "small" and "big" in the ordinary.

From initial nervousness and apprehension to standing firm and composed on stage, every speaker achieved a personal breakthrough under the spotlight. The all-English environment not only tested their language skills but also forged their courage to tell their true stories in public. When the spotlight came on, they were no longer defined as "students" but as storytellers with their own narratives and thoughts.

After the first chapter, an interactive "paper airplane" session was held. Each audience member wrote down one thing they most wanted to let go of, folded it into a paper airplane, and flew it towards the stage. A hundred paper airplanes soared across the room at once— not a game, but a ritual of making peace with the past.

02 Becoming a Whole Person

In the second chapter, "Becoming a Whole Person," five speakers shared stories about "seeing and understanding." One speaker understood the essence of gratitude from a simple "thank you"; another learned about the five love languages through their partner's "indifference" and found tenderness in their differences; one saw in the yellowing of a postage stamp that imperfection is a unique mark of life; and another traveled to the highlands for four consecutive years, relying on oxygen to get through each class, bringing classic literature back to the remote mountains.

The speeches of the 12 speakers were not just a display of language but a clash of ideas. From choosing topics and polishing scripts to repeated rehearsals, every step condensed their deepening self-awareness and refinement of expression. The all-English narration made the conference a vivid footnote to BHI's internationalized educational philosophy.

This conference built a high-level international communication platform for BHI students. It not only honed the participants' English expression, public speaking skills, and stage presence but also allowed every participant, whether speaker or audience, to gain confidence and courage from real stories. As the TEDx project reveals, such practical experiences help students "find their own voice, passion, and confidence."

For BHI, the successful hosting of the first TEDx is another significant exploration on its path of internationalized education. It showcased the solid language foundation, profound thinking ability, and sincere expressive courage of BHI students, while also highlighting the college's "international and application-oriented" educational characteristics. Through global dissemination via the official TED platform, BHI's brand influence will be further enhanced.

All speakers and the audience sang "We Are the World" together.

As the song ended, we looked back at the 12 storytellers on stage—they included current BHI students, alumni, and young faculty members. They were not professional speakers, yet they delivered a performance that far exceeded expectations under the spotlight. From the repeated revisions while writing their drafts, to the sweaty-palmed waiting before going on stage, and the moment they stood firm and began to speak, they conquered their nerves with effort and moved the entire audience with their stories. The all-English speeches were proof of their language skills, and daring to present their truest selves to the public demonstrated the unique courage and openness of BHI students. Under the spotlight, they were no longer "students" or "alumni" in a label, but storytellers with stories, thoughts, and a radiant light.

This TEDx was a gift to themselves and a calling card that BHI to the world.

The story continues, see you next year!