Christian Guellerin (born August 9, 1961 in France) is the Executive Director of L'École de design Nantes Atlantique, an institution of higher education in design, and Honorary President of Cumulus, the International Association of Schools of Art, Design &amp; Media. He is also President of France Design Éducation and Honorary Consul of the Republic of Estonia for the West of France since 2009. Appointed Knight of the National Order of Merit in November 2016.
Biography.
After an MBA at the IUA of San Francisco, he started working in 1985 in the United States as Assistant to the Senior Vice President of the FGS Group in New York (United States). He joined the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Nantes (France) in 1987 at the Institute of Commercial Practice. During this time, he presided the “Business and Trade Schools” network from 1993 to 1994. In 1994, he starts working at the Development and Organization section in charge of professional training for the Chamber of Commerce of Nantes St-Nazaire. He has been the Executive Director of L'École de design Nantes Atlantique since 1997.
In addition to his professional activities, Guellerin has been actively involved in teaching and delivering academic lectures. He served as a lecturer at the University of Paris VIII from 1987 to 1994, where he taught public accounting. He then taught financial analysis at Paris Dauphine University from 1995 to 1998. Furthermore, he contributed to the field of management and motivation by teaching courses at the Catholic University of Angers from 2003 to 2005. Through his teaching engagements, Guellerin has shared his expertise and knowledge with students and contributed to the academic community.
Guellerin was a consultant for various institutions between 2003 and 2011. He worked as an expert for the European Union to create a design centre in Gaziantep (Turkey) in 2003. In 2005, he worked as an expert for the CREPUQ (Conference of Rectors and Principals of Quebec Universities) to set up a master's programme in design for Laval University (Montreal, Canada). He was also a member of the jury for the Design Eleven contest, which was launched in 2010 by the (EESC) to prepare the "European Year of Active Ageing and Intergenerational Solidarity."
He was President of Cumulus, the International Association of Universities and Colleges of Art, Design and Media from 2007 to 2013. This global association gathers 189 members from 46 countries. Created 20 years ago, Cumulus is now the largest international network dedicated solely to issues of design education, with students and nearly teachers. The objective of this association is to exchange best practices concerning design education, creation and innovation. Under the presidency of Guellerin, Cumulus has known significant growth, going from 80 to 178 members, particularly in countries outside Europe. During his mandate, Guellerin signed in 2008 in Japan the "Kyoto Design Declaration" which reflects the new responsibilities of designers towards the challenges of sustainable development. He was re-elected in 2010 for a second term, which ended in 2013, he is now Honorary President. Since July 2018, Guellerin is the Honorary President of the Chinese French designer's association.
Since 1997, Guellerin has been the Executive Director of L'École de design Nantes Atlantique, a private institution for higher education in design which was founded in 1988.
Supported by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Nantes St-Nazaire, the school has campuses in Nantes (France), Shanghai (China) and Bangalore New Delhi (2014-2018). In 2018, the settlement of the students of L'École de design in Pune (India) is linked to the partnership with the M.I.T. University. Since 2018, São Paulo (Brazil) and Montreal (Quebec). The institution has developed significantly under his leadership, striving towards the professionalization of design studies and establishing relationships with businesses.
A few of the most significant steps in this development of L'École de design are: the opening of a Hypermedia section dedicated to digital products and services, in 2000, the granting of an official accreditation from the French Ministry of Higher Education in 2002 for its master's degree in Design, the opening of a spatial design section in 2005, the creation of an Apprentice Training Centre (CFA) specialized in “Industrial Creation and Innovation” in 2006, the setting up of the school's China campus in 2008 initially in Qingdao (China), and now in Shanghai (China), the launching of a graphic design option and the reorganization of the master's programs into social and economical themes in 2009. An exchange program was created in Bangalore (India), in 2010, and the opening in 2011 of an experimental laboratory named READi Design Lab dedicated to interaction design. In 2019, the opening of the "Human Machine Design Lab", will accompany the technological progress since the first “hypermedia”: technologies for speech recognition (and synthesis), images, Big Data mining and exploitation, Artificial Intelligence, robotics, Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Realities.
Guellerin has written numerous articles about design and education.
Guellerin is also the Honorary Consul of Estonia in France.
In November 2016, Guellerin was appointed Knight of the National Order of Merit.
Publications and lectures.
International lectures and research.
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International publications.
"Cumulus Assets of Vitality, Pertinence, Influence and Responsibility", Cumulus Working Papers Saint-Etienne, Publication Series G, Aalto University, School of Art and Design, Helsinki (Finland), 2009
"Cumulus Reservations to Promote Ideals of Democracy, Freedom and Exchange", Cumulus Working Papers Bratislava, Publication Series G, Aalto University, School of Art and Design, Helsinki (Finland), 2008
"Japan - Modernity with Finess, Strength and Beauty of Traditions", Cumulus Working Papers Kyoto, Publication Series G, Aalto University, School of Art and Design, Helsinki (Finlande), 2008
International magazines.
"Why Design Offers a Great Opportunity for Companies to Work on their Ethics", publication by Design for All Institute of India, vol 5, n° 1, p. 29-42, New Delhi (India), January 2010
"Education and Design: A New Deal", magazine Disegno Industriale, n° 42-43, p. 20-25, Italy, 2010
"Design, a Strategic Factor Linked to Major Socio-Economic Issues", publication by Design for All Institute of India, vol 4, n° 9, p. 20-25, New Delhi (India), September 2009
Publications.
Christian Guellerin, Nicolas Minvielle, Marie de Jacquelot, "Designer: Careers and Professionalism", French and English bilingual edition, De Boeck editions. Design &amp; Innovation, 2010, 325 p.
Notes and references.
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