Sylvain Bureau PhD from the Ecole Polytechnique (best thesis award in 2007), is a graduate of the Ecole Normale Supérieure Paris Saclay in economics. He co-founded the Art Thinking Collective and the Jean-Baptiste Say Institute at ESCP.

Visiting scholar at Duke University, UC Berkeley and the City University of New York, his work characterizes the similarities of creative practices in the worlds of science, art and business. He has published numerous scientific articles, which have been frequently featured in the media (Financial Times, Forbes Japan, France Culture, Huffington Post, Harvard Business Review France, Les Echos, Usbek & Rica...). Sylvain also co-authored Free Your Pitch (Pearson).

Based on his research, Sylvain developed Art Thinking. He teaches this method through the Improbable seminar in France (ESCP, Ecole Polytechnique, Centrale Supélec, 42, Ecole de Guerre...) and abroad (Stanford, HEC Montreal, University of Oulu, Catholic University of Milan...) in collaboration with artists and cultural institutions (in particular with the Centre Pompidou and the Louvre Museum). The participants trained by Sylvain are very often executives and engineers (Airbus Defence & Space, BPCE Group, CNES, EDF, Daher, Galeries Lafayette, Orange, Sacem...).

To improve his teaching practices, Sylvain has taken two courses on online and offline teaching at Harvard Business School (in 2009 and 2020) and at the International Teacher Program (2017 and 2018). In 2021, the Improbable seminar was listed among the top 10 pedagogical innovations worldwide

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139 publications

Conference Presentations

2024

BUREAU, S., L. GABAY-MARIANNI, J. BURILLER

Imagining the improbable when the probable becomes unacceptable. Using an art-based pedagogy to teach the Anthropocene.

Academy of Management (AOM)

Conference Presentations

2024

BUREAU, S., J. PERRIN-HALOT

Critical Thinking: A must have to deal with Gen AI and the Climate Crisis

European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD)

Conference Presentations

2024

BUREAU, S.

Using Arts for Mobilising Impact in Higher Management Education

United Nations

ESCP Impact Papers

2024

BUREAU, S., A. WHITAKER, R. GERGES-YAMMINE

Regaining control in troubled times: Art Thinking as a method in a PUCA world

ESCP Impact Papers, 2024-19-EN

ESCP Impact Papers

2024

MARTY, L., S. BUREAU, J. FUCHS

Beyond entrepreneurial chaos: Establishing company principles through the plasticity method

ESCP Impact Papers, 2024-24-EN

Media

2024

BUREAU, S

Démultiplier le potentiel de l’IA grâce l’intelligence artistique

FORBES

Academic Articles

2023

DOUSARD, C., J. BILLION, J. RENOUF, S. BUREAU

Barefoot entrepreneurs trapped in liminal spaces: the case of homeless youths in New York City.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT, 1-18

Academic Articles

2023

MASSEY, M., S. BUREAU, P. NACCACHE

Comment les organisations pirates construisent-elles leur légitimité ?

REVUE FRANCAISE DE GESTION, Vol. 5 and N°312, 55-74

Other Intellectual Contributions

2023

BUREAU, S

L'économie informelle nuit-elle à l'économie formelle

L'ECONEWS

Conference Presentations

2022

BUREAU, S., A. WHITAKER

Art Thinking: A non-client centric agile method

Academy of Management (AOM)