Episode 1 - Season 4 - Denis Boissin
Présentation
Season 4, Episode 1: Cultivating uniqueness and hybridization with Denis Boissin, Program Director at Audencia.
In a world where technological cycles are accelerating, education must go beyond simple knowledge transfer. For this first episode of season 4, Paul Foutrel explores the future of higher education with Denis Boissin, Program Director at Audencia.
🍀 From ecology to management: a journey of "serendipity"
Denis Boissin doesn't define himself by a corporate title, but by his encounters and choices. After starting his career in the United States focusing on environmental science and invasive species, he pivoted to higher education at the age of 30.
For him, the role of a teacher is similar to that of a sports coach: having the humility to train young people who will eventually surpass you.
“I am here to shape minds, never to mold them.”
🎓 Audencia: putting people at the heart of academic excellence
Between coordinating hybrid programs, managing international accreditations (EQUIS, AACSB, AMBA), and overseeing growth, Denis Boissin’s daily life is packed. But beyond the logistics, it is Audencia’s DNA that guides his work:
• Skill hybridization: Encouraging students to navigate between business, communication, and ecological transition (via the Gaïa school).
• A culture of uniqueness: Turning each student's individuality into a source of value in the job market.
• Long-term thinking vs. immediacy: In a society that wants everything right now, Denis reminds us that learning requires time for reflection, questioning, and growth.
🤔 Facing uncertainty: artificial intelligence as a signal
For Denis Boissin, 2026 is not a threat but a landscape of opportunity. While AI is already disrupting professional integration in certain sectors (a 12% to 18% drop in the recruitment of young graduates in consulting), it is forcing schools to refocus onhumanity and soft skills.
The modern manager's challenge? Shifting from managing risk (everything that is probabilistic) to managinguncertainty (where probabilities cannot be applied). To achieve this, critical thinking and agility remain the most powerful tools for future graduates.
🎧 In conclusion: Grasping today's signals to build tomorrow
Our conversation with Denis Boissin invites us to be boldly clear-sighted. The future is not a distant destination; it is an accumulation of present signals that we must learn to decode. Amidst ecological and technological transitions, success lies in our ability to preserve what makes us essentially human.
🔗 Learn more
Audencia website: https://www.audencia.com/
Audencia LinkedIn account: https://www.linkedin.com/school/audencia/
Denis Boissin's LinkedIn account: https://www.linkedin.com/in/denisboissin/
