Hello, I’m Julien…
Strasbourg-born, Mediterranean-blooded, I am now based in Melbourne, Australia.
I am an alumnus of Ecole Normale Supérieure and Paris-Sorbonne University, where I studied Classics, Linguistics and philosophy. I later attended executive leadership training with Melbourne University - Asialink in Australia, UN Peace University - Design for Social Impact Leadership in Cambodia, and the THNK School of Creative Leadership in Amsterdam. I also studied Chinese language and culture at Nanjing University in 2013, and in 2020, I completed a PhD with Monash University researching the digital ecosystem of Chinese language learning as a global public good in the making.
In 2019 I co-founded the Future of Governance Agency (FOGA), an independent global organisation aiming to improve governance literacy, by documenting new models and ideas on how we can organise power, and sharing those ideas with the people and institutions who can bring them to fruition. Prior to this, I served as editor-in-chief with the Global Challenges Foundation in Stockholm, an independent INGO where I developed and curated a publication series to frame the conversation around global catastrophic risk and global governance in the lead up to the largest ever prize competition in the social sciences. In 2011, I founded Marco Polo Project, a Melbourne-based charity organisation developing and hosting various transcultural spaces where people can learn together and form community.
In parallel, I have worked on and supported a range of early stages ventures, from start-up incubators to green-tech, cybersecurity, professional services, and mental health, as well as impact investment & evaluation. Those activities intersect with an ongoing reflective, writing and storytelling practice which I have shared in the form of books, films, exhibitions, talks and projects blogs.
My achievements have been acknowledged through scholarships, grants and honours in Australia, China and the EU, including a Victorian Public Service Innovation Prize in 2011, a listing on the Victorian Multicultural Honour Roll in 2016, and the title of New Australian of the year in 2017.
If you believe that my skills and experience could be put to good use in your context, please contact me through the link below!