Ellen van den Assem is a French-Dutch lecturer and researcher. She teaches Media Theory and Philosophy in the Graphic Design and I/M/D departments, and is a tutor for the Common Ground program.
With an MA in Philosophy from Leiden University and a background in design, she develops courses on philosophy of technology, artistic subjectivity, and conditional design, encouraging critical thinking, intellectual curiosity, and the clear articulation of complex ideas. In an academic setting that is all-too concerned about the non-human perspective, she hopes to shift the conversation back to subjectivity, our necessary starting point to relate to and care about the world, others and ourselves - the starting point of any creative process.
Ellen’s current research investigates love letters and the necessity of reformed logic in the development of AI. She has experience in educational program development and has co-led workshops on the intersections of Western and Buddhist philosophy, love and phenomenology at institutions such as Merz Akademie (Stuttgart), CREA (Amsterdam), and IAFD (KABK). She has also experience with teaching Academic Writing at Utrecht University and holds BDB and BKE teaching certifications.