Membership Category
- Associate
Institution
- Université Clermont Auvergne
Discipline(s)
- Climatology and Meteorology
- Industrial Relations
- Management
- Sociology
Expertises
- Approches holistiques de la durabilité et de la circularité intégrée
- Application aux champs de gouvernance et de coopération (post Agenda 2030)
Scientific activities and affiliations
- CERDI - Centre d'étude et de recherche en développement international
Biography
Mathieu Leporini is passionate about connecting people, knowledge, and cultures to co-create pathways toward a more sustainable, inclusive, and regenerative world. With a Ph.D. in atmospheric sciences and over 20 years of experience in Europe, North America, and Africa, he works at the intersection of science diplomacy, international cooperation, and systemic transitions toward sustainability. My current research and initiatives at CERDI are centered on the theory of circularity, which integrates complexity science with Indigenous knowledge to redefine the relationship between humans and the environment and to guide transformative change.
Building on this framework, my work focuses on four interconnected areas of research and action:
- Circular cooperation and post-2030 agendas (SDG 17): rethinking international partnerships as reciprocal, co-created systems of learning and accountability.
- Circular management and governance: designing adaptive organizations and leadership practices inspired by cycles of transformation, continuous learning, and cooperative resilience.
- Higher Education, Research, and Innovation (HERI) Systems: Positioning universities and research as circular ecosystems that catalyze global sustainability through knowledge mobility, the integration of diverse epistemologies, and intercultural dialogue.
- Cultures of Sustainability (Living Labs): Implement the circular economy through art, oral traditions, health, and intercultural cooperation to foster the emergence of transformative narratives and experiential practices that promote a sustainable way of life.
Previously, he served as advisor for cooperation and cultural affairs (COCAC) at the French Embassy in Latvia and as director of the Institut français, as well as director of INRAE Sud de France, where he led a team of 1,200 employees and contributed to the development of national and international strategies in the areas of agroecology, mobility, and sustainability. His previous diplomatic and scientific roles included serving as a scientific and technological attaché in Canada and Finland, actively contributing to COP21, and holding policy advisory positions with the EU.
Throughout his career, he has been guided by a principle of strategic, people-centered cooperation: leveraging science, culture, and diplomacy to foster systemic transformation, innovation, and resilience at every level.
