With a Ph.D. in Nanosciences and Master’s in Education Sciences, Lynx co-founder Lamia Rouai knows a thing or two about education. With AI in the mix, she shares her thoughts on the future of education.
Can you briefly introduce yourself?
My name is Lamia Rouai, and I am the Chief Academic Officer and co-founder of Lynx Educate. I was born and raised in Algeria, and then I moved to France to pursue my higher education. It’s here that I met my husband, and I’ve never looked back!
I have quite an eclectic academic background: a Ph.D. in Nanosciences from the Université Pierre et Marie Curie, a Master’s in Education Sciences, and an Entrepreneurship diploma from INSEAD. I am passionate about reading and always have several books on the go, covering a variety of topics such as science, politics, fiction, and philosophy. This diversity nourishes my broad and multidisciplinary vision. Since childhood, I have always loved traveling, and I’m constantly planning my next adventure somewhere around the world!
Can you tell us a little bit about why you founded Lynx?
The entrepreneurial spark to found Lynx Educate came from my co-founder Sylvie in 2021. Instead of following a traditional career path in academic administration, she convinced me to join her on this adventure. We launched Lynx Educate with the vision of democratizing access to high-quality training programs and promoting continuous learning within companies.
In today’s world, people don’t stay in the same job for life. We need to be able to train and change career paths at any time. Our mission is to foster this culture of lifelong learning, especially given the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence.
What has been your favorite Lynx moment to date?
My favorite moment at Lynx Educate was seeing our first learners access the platform, choose their programmes, and book calls with our advisors to discuss their choices. It was like seeing our vision — Sylvie’s and mine — come to life before our eyes!
The positive feedback and enthusiasm for continuous learning from our users confirmed that we were on the right track.
We often hear about education as the “great equalizer”. Given your decades of experience in education, do you think this is true?
Yes, I firmly believe that education is the “great equalizer”. My experience in higher education has shown me how access to quality training can transform lives. Education opens doors, creates opportunities, and allows individuals to realize their potential, regardless of their social or economic background.
However, for this equality to be real, it is essential to ensure that everyone has equal access to quality educational resources, which is one of Lynx Educate’s missions.
What do you think is the future of education — especially with the advent of AI?
The future of education will be heavily influenced by artificial intelligence. AI can personalize learning, adapt to the specific needs of each student, and provide instant feedback. It can also automate administrative tasks, allowing teachers to focus more on human interaction and mentorship.
However, it is crucial to maintain a balance between technology and humanity in education, ensuring that human skills like critical thinking and empathy remain at the heart of learning.
If you could wake up tomorrow having gained one new skill, what would it be — and why?
If I could wake up tomorrow with a new skill, it would be the ability to persuade and inspire. As a scientist and educator, I sometimes struggle to communicate the immense value of our Lynx platform to potential clients. Having this skill would allow me to better articulate how Lynx Educate can be a powerful lever to grow clients’ employees and, by extension, their company. This ability would not only strengthen our mission but also expand our reach, enabling us to impact even more people with our high-quality training programs.
