Sihem Jouini

Age: 55

Professor of Innovation 

How long at HEC Paris: 17 years

Education: Engineering (Master’s in Industrial Management + PhD in Project Management & Innovation)

List of EMBA courses you currently teach: Entrepreneurial mindset & Intrapreneurship – Design thinking for innovation

LIFE AS A BUSINESS SCHOOL PROFESSOR

I knew I wanted to be a business school professor when.. I discovered my passion for engaging and sharing knowledge with an audience

What are you currently researching and what is the most significant discovery you’ve made from it?  

I’m exploring how established companies can revitalize themselves and venture into new domains, by embracing new capabilities; like design, for example. I’ve delved into how companies unfamiliar with design can develop this capability, the cultural clashes that may arise when integrating design into existing organizational cultures, and the ensuing challenges. 

Additionally, I’m interested in how they foster collaborations with startups and external partners. I uncovered the practices employed by innovation players to share knowledge with external partners without divulging confidential information.

If I weren’t a business school professor… I would be 

An actor, in theater not in cinema 

What do you think makes you stand out as a professor? 

Two elements: Firstly, my deep interest in both analytical thinking and theoretical frameworks, as well as the practical situations and challenges that companies face in reality. These two aspects fuel each other and enhance my teaching. 

Secondly, I have a passion for simplifying complex concepts and conveying them effectively to a live audience. 

I believe I excel at helping students and practitioners grasp the bigger picture and articulate their ideas clearly when they pitch or write essays.

One word that describes my first time teaching: 

Nerve-wracking yet fulfilling once I felt the room was engaged 

Professor I most admire and why: 

I greatly admire Clayton Christensen for his groundbreaking concept of disruptive innovation, which he developed based on a combination of empirical and theoretical thinking. I also appreciate the way he shared and transmitted his insights through his writings, presentations, and teaching. His work is truly enlightening enlightening.

TEACHING

What do you enjoy most about teaching business students? 

They are deeply connected to the real world and directly experience the challenges we discuss in the classroom. 

What is most challenging? 

The most challenging aspect is when students seek simple formulas or quick fixes and approach knowledge with a short-term perspective. My challenge lies in helping them recognize the power of theoretical and analytical thinking, which enables them to grasp the bigger picture and reflect on their own practices

In one word, describe your favorite type of student: 

A reflective practitioner

LIFE OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM

How will you spend your summer? 

Swimming, relaxing and reading novels as well as theory works

Favorite place(s) to vacation: 

The northern and southern coasts of the Mediterranean sea, particularly Tunis and the French Riviera

Favorite book(s): 

It is not a new book “Let my people go surfing”, Yvon Chouinard, Founder of Patagonia

What is currently your favorite movie and/or show and what is it about the film or program that you enjoy so much? 

I like the movies of Christopher Nolan for their intricate narratives, exploration of time perception, distinctive visual style, and the philosophical concepts and existential themes they discuss.

I like Alex Garland’s movie, Ex Machina (which is not a new movie: 2014), because it explores the ethical, psychological, and philosophical dimensions of artificial intelligence and resonates very well with the current discussion and debate about AI

What is your favorite type of music or artist(s) and why? 

I have an eclectic taste in music because I grew up in a multicultural environment.

Some of my favorite artists include Glenn Gould, Leonard Cohen, Coltrane, Miles Davis, Um Kalthum, …….

REFLECTIONS

If I had my way, the business school of the future should …

Encourage students to adopt a critical and analytical thinking to be able to make enlightened and documented decisions with ethical design considerations and responsibility 

In my opinion, companies, and organizations today need to do a better job at…

I’m grateful for… 

loving my work, having the freedom to choose the subjects I’m passionate about as research domains as well as teaching subjects, and to choose my research partners (co-authors). I view an academic career as akin to being an entrepreneur: it offers both freedom and the responsibility to chart my own path