Sébastien Linden, founder of Linden & Swift, brings 19 years of experience in the development and internationalization of higher education.
After studying public affairs at Sciences Po Paris and at Université Paris Dauphine and a first step of his career in communication and public relations, Sébastien Linden held various positions at Sciences Po Paris from 2001 to 2015, notably Head of public affairs, Secretary General of the Doctoral School, Advisor to the President, Head of the consultancy mission for the creation of the Rabat School of Governance and Economics, International affairs manager for North Africa and the Middle East, contributing, through its various responsibilities, to make Sciences Po Paris a world leading University in social sciences, ranked 2nd in politics and international studies by QS.
Head of the scientific and academic cooperation department at the French Embassy in Israel from 2015 to 2019, he helped develop research cooperation, France being Israel’s 5th scientific partner, increased student mobility between the two countries, developing in particular the European Erasmus + program, and launched the France Alumni network.
These experiences have enabled him to know the workings of the different higher education and research systems, in particular by missions in more than 20 countries, to establish multiple contacts, to grasp in their complexity the challenges of the internationalization of higher education, master the tools of international cooperation and professionalise student recruitment.
He supported in their initiatives and projects leading players from the world of higher education, research, innovation, health, culture and local authorities, as Jean-Yves Le Gall, President of CNES, Jacques Biot, former President of Ecole Polytechnique, Frédéric Fleury, President of University Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Eric Piolle, Mayor of Grenoble, Mathieu Klein, Mayor of Nancy and former President of the Departmental Council of Meurthe-et-Moselle, Valérie Pécresse, President of Ile-de-France Region, Marisol Touraine, former Minister of Health.
In 2019, he founded Linden & Swift, a consulting firm dedicated to the internationalization of higher education, research and innovation. He works fo different French and worldwide actors of the sector: institutions of higher education, research centers, embassies, companies, particularly on academic cooperation and student recruitment.
Throughout his career, Sébastien Linden has engaged in educational activities: teaching, tutoring, thesis supervision, admission jury.
In 2020 and 2021, he gave lectures and seminar to students at Sciences Po, ESCP, Grenoble Ecole de management, Université de Strasbourg, Université Grenoble-Alpes, ESTP, IMT Mines Telecom, Paris College or Art.
What do those who worked with Sébastien Linden say about him ?
Mar Roig Ripoll, Scientific and higher education attaché, French Embassy in Mozambique
“Creative, hard-working, open-minded, entrepreneur, cooperative, inspiring”
François Matraire, Area Director, Business France
“Ability to juggle multiple projects and get people on board with new ideas”
Elodie Luquet, Director of studies, ESSEC Excutive Education
Why “Linden & Swift”?
When founding Linden & Swift, Sébastien Linden was inspired by his name, Linden, the lime tree in English, German and several Northern European languages. A beautiful symbol for the roots in France and in Europe he offers to his clients all over the world. He added “Swift”, the migratory bird he often enjoyed watching, to express openness to the world and enlarge vision. Linden & Swift: roots and openness to the world, local and global.