The Art of Connection: Columbia Professor Builds Bridges Across Creative Industries and Borders

Campus Communications Staff / Oct 16, 2026

��Ƶ Professor Philippe Ravanas turns his global experience and professional connections into opportunities for students and faculty.

Growing up in France, Philippe Ravanas dreamed of exploring the world beyond his family's farm. Since then, the ��Ƶ professor in the School of Business and Entrepreneurship has built a career that spans continents and industries and uses those experiences to connect students with opportunities well beyond the classroom.

His latest international connection comes through his appointment as deputy editor-in-chief of the new "Journal of Global Arts Communication," an international, peer-reviewed publication developed through a collaboration involving several institutions, including China's Central Academy of Drama and Beijing International Studies University.

The appointment reflects a theme that has defined Ravanas's career: building relationships that connect business, the arts, and academia.

"I believe it is part of our job at Columbia to establish those connections," Ravanas says.

From a French Farm to a Global Career

Ravanas traces his international curiosity to his childhood in rural France during which his large family rarely traveled. Eager to experience life beyond his hometown, he earned a scholarship to study at the University of Wisconsin- Madison, beginning a journey that would take him into international business and arts management.

His professional career included serving as vice president of corporate communications at Disneyland Paris, where he helped launch the theme park and develop international marketing strategies. He later worked at Christie's auction house in London and New York, overseeing worldwide client relationship management.

At Columbia, Ravanas found an environment that valued his extensive experience in international marketing, communications, and arts management.

"I came with a significant professional background, and I was interested in providing students with a hands-on education," he says.

That experience and drive continue to shape his approach to preparing students for careers in creative industries.
Building International Partnerships

For more than a decade, Ravanas has cultivated relationships with universities in China, teaching cultural policy at the Central Academy of Drama and helping strengthen Columbia's connections with Chinese institutions.

Those partnerships have helped bring international students to Columbia's graduate programs. Ravanas estimates that approximately 60 to 70 students from the Central Academy of Drama and Beijing International Studies University have attended Columbia over the years.

His recent visit to China led to the invitation to join the editorial leadership of the "Journal of Global Arts Communication." Ravanas also serves as an associate editor of the "International Journal of Arts Management," where he oversees case studies that educators can use in their classrooms.

He hopes his newest appointment will strengthen Columbia's international visibility and expand relationships with Chinese universities as well as create opportunities for faculty to publish their research.

Bringing the Professional World Into the Classroom

Ravanas brings that same commitment to relationship-building into his teaching at Columbia's School of Business and Entrepreneurship.

When he served as department chair at Columbia, he helped develop practicum courses that immerse students in professional projects. Today, he incorporates real clients into nearly every class he teaches.

His students have worked with South by Southwest (SXSW), Riot Fest, and other organizations on challenges involving sponsorship, marketing, and entertainment management.

This semester, his graduate marketing students are developing recommendations to help Chicago's historic Auditorium Theatre build audience loyalty across its diverse programming. Meanwhile, students in his box office management course are testing an advanced ticketing platform for Upstage Solutions.

These projects give students professional experience while providing organizations with fresh perspectives and practical recommendations.

The relationships can also lead directly to careers. For example, Riot Fest has hired students from his sponsorship class as interns, including one graduate who subsequently secured a full-time position with the festival.

For Ravanas, seeing that transformation — from student to working professional — offers one of teaching's greatest rewards.

Creating Connections That Last

Ravanas also studies the business of creativity through his research, developing case studies about arts organizations and the management challenges they face. His work has explored organizations and creative figures including Steve Albini and Electrical Audio, and he recently submitted a case study about Chicago's Poetry Foundation for peer review.

He also stays connected with alumni, inviting professionals back to share their experiences and exploring new opportunities for students.

Together, those relationships create what Ravanas calls a "virtuous circle," connecting teaching, research, industry partnerships, and career opportunities.

And while his career has taken him around the world, he finds some of his greatest satisfaction much closer to home, such as hearing from former students whose Columbia education helped shape their careers.

"There's nothing more gratifying than having an alum contact you five, ten years into their career, and tell you that their education had value in their professional pursuit," he says.

"It's the gift that keeps on giving."

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