QIYADA 2 – Science for Society Leadership (Episode 2)

This episode explores humane leadership through the story of Vanessa Proux, a biochemistry Ph.D. and CEO of SupBiotech, a French biotechnology engineering school. Vanessa traces her journey from doctoral research to co-founding and leading one of France's leading biotechnology schools, driven by a desire to extend her impact beyond the laboratory and shape the next generation of scientists. She reflects on the key milestones in SupBiotech's development, the challenges of steering a major institution at the intersection of science and education, and the constant effort to balance innovation with academic excellence and strong human values. Throughout the conversation, Vanessa shares her vision of leadership as an act of empathy, active listening, and courage – a commitment not only to scientific progress, but to the human dimension of building and sustaining an institution. This episode is in English; an extended version of the interview in French starts at 16:40.