CERN Accelerating science

R&D&I

 

Research on innovation and education

A research group has been created at IdeaSquare to focus on improvements for its educational programmes, and study emerging student practices. In this research, the group applies IdeaSquare’s holistic, multidisciplinary approach to innovation, and is now sharing its findings by publishing papers and attending conferences.

To date, we’ve worked on three study topics:

  • Futures’ educational needs
  • Students’ use of generative AI during the programmes
  • Students’ relationship to the future

 

  • Research team

  • Members
    Giulia Gaddi

    Giulia Gaddi is currently a PhD candidate in anthropology at the Laboratoire d'Ethnologie et de Sociologie Comparative (Université Paris-Nanterre) and is doing her fieldwork at CERN IdeaSquare. She collects qualitative data about the CERN IdeaSquare core team for her future thesis on innovation, human-technology relationships and technological transfer. She completed her Master's in Social Sciences with a specialisation in anthropology in 2021 at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales in Paris, with a final project about the social impact of CERN on the Pays de Gex area. On top of her thesis, she is involved in interdisciplinary research conducted at CERN IdeaSquare on the development of its methodologies to train students in transformative innovation.

    Giulia Gaddi Anthropology
  • Members
    Jimmy Poulaillon

    Jimmy has a background in sociology and computer science. Before coming to CERN IdeaSquare to do science communication and research, he worked in different fields. He was first a developer for several years, then ran a company as a multimedia designer and photographer in the field of sports. After a while, he went back to the university where he studied sociology and political science for five years. He has a strong interest in science and technology studies, as well as sustainability, and is currently working on studies at IdeaSquare related to futures' education. His fields of expertise are sociology of knowledge, politicisation and sustainability.

    Jimmy Poulaillon Sociology
  • Members
    Mikko Sairanen

    Mikko Sairanen is the coordinator of research activities at CERN IdeaSquare and a final-stage PhD Candidate at Tampere University. He holds a Master's degree in Industrial Engineering and Management from the same university. His current research at CERN IdeaSquare addresses the intersection of innovation, education, and sustainability. Mikko is also experienced in researching industrial business models in a low-carbon circular economy and has worked for various impactful research consortiums pioneering sustainable industrial business. His work has been published in esteemed journals such as Industrial Marketing Management and British Journal of Management. He currently acts as the Co-Managing Editor of the CERN IdeaSquare Journal of Experimental Innovation (CIJ).

    Mikko Sairanen Industrial Engineering and Management