Student’s talk receives 10,000 views

A TEDx talk by Alexander Stylianoudis, a Criminology and Sociology student, has been viewed online more than 10,000 times in less than a month.

Alexander’s talk, which was part of the TEDx conference held in June at the Gulbenkian , attempts to justify big corporations that avoid paying tax.

His talk, titled ‘Tax Avoidance: A Necessary Evil?’ highlights the positive impact these corporations have on society and how politicians could improve their popularity by pressuring corporations that avoid paying taxes.

Alexander said: ‘I wanted to highlight the “inconvenient truth” that although some corporations try to avoid taxes they also do a lot of good to our economy and society. I am surprised and happy that my talk has generated interest and discussion online. Hopefully, this will bring about a serious debate on corporate taxation in the United Kingdom.’

TED is a non-profit organisation devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short, powerful talks (18 minutes or less). Talks cover almost all topics — from science to business to global issues — in more than 100 languages. Independently run TEDx events help share ideas in communities around the world.

Watch Alexander’s TEDx talk.