In an era marked by climate crises, AI disruption, and deepening inequalities, traditional business school pedagogy struggles to keep pace. Disciplinary silos, reductionist frameworks, and an avoidance of moral and political complexity leave students ill-prepared to engage with the systemic nature of today’s “Grand Challenges.” This PDW invites you to break from convention and explore the transformative potential of art-based approaches to learning.
Through curated discussions and hands-on exploration, participants will engage with pioneering initiatives from multiple institutions like ESCP, Imperial, Ivey, Lund, NYU, Stanford, or Stockholm School of Economics. A focus will be made on the Art Thinking method and the Improbable seminar, designed by Pr. Sylvain Bureau and the artist Pierre Tectin to generate the improbable with certainty. Grounded in real-world applications across education, entrepreneurship, and the arts, the PDW demonstrates how artistic intelligence can open up new ways of knowing, imagining, and acting amid uncertainty.
Experience this unique PDW & Leave ready to craft your own improbable formats!
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Experience this unique PDW & Leave ready to craft your own improbable formats! 〰️
Organizers: Pr. Sylvain Bureau (ESCP) & Pr. Amy Whitaker (NYU)
Sylvain Bureau is a Professor at ESCP Business School and Scientific Director of the Improbable Chair exploring creativity at the intersection of science, art, and business. He co-founded the Art Thinking method and teaches the Improbable Seminar internationally in partnership with top institutions. His work has been featured in major media and he co-authored Free Your Pitch. Sylvain holds a PhD from École Polytechnique and has been a visiting scholar at Duke, UC Berkeley, and CUNY.
Amy Whitaker is Associate Professor at NYU and author of Art Thinking, Economics of Visual Art, Museum Legs, and The Story of NFTs. Her work explores how art and creative labor intersect with economics and society. She brings a deep understanding of how artistic ideas can shape culture and civic life.