By François-Xavier de Vaujany, PSL, Université Paris-Dauphine

The “derive” can be translated by the notion of “drift” in English. It is has been originally put forward in by Guy Debord, a member of the Letterist International,  in the context of his “Théorie de la derive” which was formalized in the late 50s. Debord defined dérive as « a mode of experimental behavior linked to the conditions of urban society: a technique of rapid passage through varied ambiances. » Dérive is a full improvised, an unplanned walked journey through an urban landscape. Still according to Debord, the maximum number of participants is three, which makes it possible to keep the integrity of the group in the process of improvisation. Through “derive”, participants are expected to suspend their everyday relations and « let themselves be drawn by the attractions of the terrain and the encounters they find there ». Dérive … Read more

By Aurore Dandoy, François-Xavier de Vaujany and Annie Passalacqua

Aurore Dandoy, Université Paris Dauphine – PSL; Annie Passalacqua, HEC Montréal et François-Xavier de Vaujany, Université Paris Dauphine – PSL

As researchers and/or entrepreneurs, we have been absorbing cultural knowledge of collaboration, entrepreneurship, coworker and maker movements for a number of years. We often face and hear about how to become disruptive by two keywords: opening and hacking. Between July 25 and 28, 2018, we co-created a rich learning expedition organized by the Research Group on Collaborative Spaces (RGCS), at MIT and Harvard University, in Cambridge (Massachusetts). This alternative academic network focuses on topics about new work practices inspired by open science and citizen science cultures.

The starting point of our learning expedition was our astonishment: How can elite institutions (in particular, … Read more

Between the 25^th and the 28^th of July 2018, I have had the opportunity to participate to a very rich learning expedition organized by the Research Group on Collaborative Spaces (RGCS), an alternative academic network about new work practices inspired by open science and citizen science cultures.

The expedition called #hackingday2018 consisted in a set of visits and reflexive discussions about Boston’s academic, entrepreneurial and innovative eco-system*. We followed a protocol combining planed with improvised visits following the flow of discussions and questions of the event itself (see the OWEE protocol for more details). More than two thirds of the visits were thus improvised. The protocol also relies on openness (anybody can register for free via an Eventbrite link) and long walked times alternating visits and other seated times. Social media, blogs and videos are used to extend the event in time and space, and link it to … Read more

On May 15th, 2018, the Montreal’s RGCS (Research Group on Collaborative Spaces) chapter organized a learning expedition through coworking spaces and start-up incubators chosen for their diversity (technological and social entrepreneurship) and their location in the city, in order to propose a 1-day walkable itinerary through 3 different neighborhoods of Montreal: downtown, Mile-End and Mile-Ex. We experimented some of the OWEE method’s principles, by walking together in the city, collecting visual and written data, sharing it on social media and having informal and semi-directed discussions.

This post is a collective illustrated report of this learning expedition.

1. Welcoming the participants in MTLab

On the same week, ESG UQAM was holding an international conference on entrepreneurship, the Journées Georges Doriot 2018, providing the opportunity to form a group of 20 participants interested in new forms and spaces of entrepreneurship (scholars, students and practitioners).

Paul Arsenault and … Read more

This was a rainy day. On June, 14^th, an alternative academic network (RGCS ) has organized a great learning expedition about street art in the 13^th district (« arrondissement ») of Paris.

This Open Walked Event-Based Experimentation (OWEE) was an opportunity to mix academics with entrepreneurs and street artists. A group of 20 people thus walked in the grey and cold streets of Paris this day. The context helped us to realize how colored and warm street art can be!

We started with a meeting point and a first discussion at the town hall of the 13th arrondissement. The deputy major explained us the history and context of street art here. We then walked around from one point to another (see the hashtag #oweesa and our album) before the final destination at les Frigos.

In this post, I want to focus on an encounter … Read more