Emmanuel Adu-Awuku

Athlete, Concerned citizen, Consultant, Engineer, Idea generator, Social entrepreneur

Emmanuel is a Masters candidate at the University of Pretoria. He majored in Chemical engineering for his undergraduate (2015), earning the distinction of joining the Golden Key International Honorary Society. He has subsequently pursued his postgraduate degree (also in Chemical engineering) while working in the Innovation Consultancy Sector for two years. In this time, he soon realised new competences (management consulting) outside his engineering background, as well as new interests such as social science, economics, education and history. He gradually got involved in leadership roles on campus, leading him to win the prestigious MasterCard Foundation Scholarship for the year 2019. He was involved in co-organising TEDxUniversityofPretoria 2018 edition. He has a vision to make TEDx events a mainstay at his campus; for him, 2019 is dedicated to making this vision a reality. In his spare time, Emmanuel helps his friends run their Education-focused NPO. He also enjoys music and live performances, watching movies, and exploring his city - whether it is tasting a capucinno at a cafe on the other side of Pretoria or travelling to Johannesburg to meet up with friends. Emmanuel finds joy in the people he keeps around him.

I am devoted to trying my best in all things with the end goal of realising my potential. To be an inspiration; this is what I am passionate about. However the opportunity manifests, I know it’s not about me, but rather in the service of others. Be it in an academic space, a leadership role or even a simple conversation, I chose to be forward thinking and progressive. I chose a human centred approach which makes me relatable in the spaces I occupy and have a voice in. I trace these skills to my diverse identity, having lived in Ghana, Botswana, Zambia, Swaziland, and currently Pretoria, South Africa. For me, being an inspiration isn’t held across borders or in a different time-zone. It is not something I wear or turn off, it is a state of mind I strive to exercise on a daily basis.

Taiye’s talk discusses the issues of identity that arises from children having parents from different nationalities and sometimes also living in different locales around the world. Coincidentally enough, I shared the sentiments of her talk before I came across it. It resonated with me how much the description of nationalities is such a limiting experience, and I often get annoyed by people who tell me to adopt my father’s nationality; assuming that's enough to relate to. This is my all-time favourite talk because we all deserve to belong to a home, however we choose to define the concept, and Taiye illuminates on an identity crises that needs to be allowed in our progressive 21st century. My idea worth spreading is describing identity as a spectrum rather than a binary choice between parents' nationalities.

Adaptability, Africa, AfroHistory, Botswana, Chemical Engineering, Chess, Cricket, Education, Emotional Intlligence, Ghana, Identity, Innnovation, Lifelong learning, Management Consulting, Philosophy, Problem solving, Process Design, Rugby, Soccer, South Africa, Strategy Consulting, Travel, Zambia

My TED story began in 2018 when I bumped into my High School friend, Linet whom I had not seen since 2010. After a couple of failed attempts, we eventually got together for a catch-up brunch. It was lovely revisiting old stories with her, sharing new ones and just reconnecting again. Everything came to a head when she said she had previously been involved in organising TEDxUKZN and she was interested in hosting a TEDx at the University of Pretoria. I quickly accepted her invitation to be part of such an amazing initiative. In the back of my mind I knew I had tons of work and prior commitments I couldn't let go off. But never mind all of that; I dived straight into the opportunity and consistently worked with my team to deliver such a grand standing event that will last in our memories. And now, we are back to do it again in 2019 - this time, with myself at the helm.

Creating adventures and have lively conversations