The Future of Learning with Christian Dominique: AI, Neuroscience and the Art of Wellness in Education

Christian Dominique, co-founder of Digital Wellness and trained neuroscientist from McGill University, is on a mission to redesign education systems that have forgotten how to cultivate joy. In this compelling episode of Design Education Talks, Dominique reveals a startling statistic: adults laugh and smile more than ten times less than children, and traces this "domestication" directly to outdated educational models that prioritise compliance over creativity. Drawing on cutting-edge neuroscience, practical philosophy, and design thinking, he shares frameworks for building happiness at individual, relational, and communal levels, while offering a candid assessment of where educational innovation is thriving and where it's stagnating. Dominique also previews his pipeline of specialised AI wellness tools, including an education-focused platform launching in summer 2025. Whether you're an educator, designer, administrator, or simply someone who believes schools should inspire anticipation rather than dread, this wide-ranging conversation will challenge your assumptions about what's possible when we design learning environments with human flourishing at the centre. Listen now to discover why play isn't frivolous, why art and design must remain connected, and how removing systemic blockers can help students, and all of us, rediscover the inherent joy of being alive and learning.Support the showSince its inception in 2019, Design Education Talks podcast has served as a dynamic platform for the exchange of insights and ideas within the realm of art and design education. This initiative sprang from a culmination of nearly a decade of extensive research conducted by Lefteris Heretakis. His rich background, intertwining academia, industry, and student engagement, laid the foundation for a podcast that goes beyond the conventional boundaries of educational discourse.See all of our work on on https://linktr.ee/thenewartschoolFollow us on twitter at @newartschoolRead our latest articles at https://newartschool.education/and https://heretakis.medium.com/Equipment used to produce the podcast:Rodcaster pro IIRode NT1 5th generationElgato Low profile Microphone ArmMonster Prolink Studio Pro microphone cableThe rest of the equipment is here 👉https://kit.co/heretakis/podcasting