Poul Rind Christensen is head of research at Designskolen Kolding.

As head of research, Poul Rind Christensen is in charge of developing the research efforts of Designskolen Kolding. The school’s strategy aims to connect focus areas and topics in design research with research areas across the humanities, social studies and the natural sciences.

In addition to the strategic research efforts, Poul Rind Christensen is also in charge of the ongoing effort to establish research partnerships with partners in the fields of business and culture and with research institutions in Denmark and abroad.

In recent years, Poul Rind Christensen’s own research has focused on the logic of the management practices of small companies and entrepreneurs. In relation to this area he was one of the initiators of the network organisation IDEA – International Danish Entrepreneurship Academy along with Professor Torben Bager of the University of Southern Denmark and others. IDEA seeks to develop entrepreneurial skills and an innovative learning culture in Danish universities and other institutions of higher education. Poul Rind Christensen is the vice president of IDEA’s board of directors. He also initiated the pan-European master’s programme in entrepreneurship education (IMEET).

Poul Rind Christensen is interested in exploring the differences and similarities between traditional, administrative business management and the logic and methods applied in innovative, entrepreneurial and creative/artistic companies, respectively. This research topic can be summarised in the question “What does a company’s ability to wonder mean for its ability to change?” For example, studies show that small companies that work creatively with design often outperform other types of companies when it comes to adapting to changing market conditions

In the coming years Poul Rind Christensen expects that the design field will be able to benefit from valuable knowledge and dynamics through projects where artistic and business-related methods and knowledge sources combine and interact. This field of tension will offer researchers direct access to the often intuitive knowledge generation that is embedded in design-based experiments. In return, experimental design will benefit from the critical approach and wider perspective that academic knowledge can contribute. This stimulates the ability to wonder, which is at the heart of both design work and scientific endeavours. See also the article Artistic Development as a Driving Force for Research in Mind Design.

Based on his knowledge of business management, Poul Rind Christensen believes that the role of the design profession in relation to strengthening the innovation power in Danish society is underestimated if not completely overlooked.

Poul Rind Christensen came to Designskolen Kolding from a position as professor in the Department of Management, Aarhus School of Business, Aarhus University. For several years prior to that, he was a professor at the University of Southern Denmark, Kolding. Poul Rind Christensen is a member of the editorial team for the international journal Entrepreneurship & Regional Development. He was a member of the board for Danish Council for Strategic Research from 2004 through 2007.

Poul Rind Christensen graduated from the Aarhus School of Business in 1972 with an M.Sc. in economics and business administration. He also holds a Postgraduate Research Diploma from the Institute of Social Studies, Den Haag, The Netherlands from 1974.