Diversity is the Key for Class of 2018 at INSEAD

The incoming Class of 2018 at INSEAD cannot get any more diverse than this with Shane Zhu, an economics journalist from China walking on the wings of a biplane during an aerobatics display to guitar maker Rouzbeh Shirgiri and Gijs Pelt, a professional sailor on the Dutch national team.

Meanwhile, compared to previous years, the GMAT averages for the 500 plus student cohort, went up from 708 to 712, four points higher than the London Business School (LBS) and 26 points above HEC Paris.

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But it is not just their hobbies that gained them a seat in the class. Shirgiri, for instance, has to his credit, the spearheading of an effort to open Iran’s first bio-ethanol plant that is expected to produce 200,000 daily tonnes of cleaner fuel. Zhu, who accompanied China’s 31st Antarctic Expedition, which explored the highest elevation of the continent, had worked in blistering cold temperatures of -40℃ but created 60-minute TV news reports, 36-minute documentary video and 13 social media columns.

There are others like Nourhan Farhat, the youngest to assume the role of senior consultant at Roland Berger Middle East, having notched up five promotions in her first four years in the firm. Arianna Lu was able to increase barely 1000 users into 100,000 at Ritual Technologies and establish its brand identity. Mohamed Bassiouny quadrupled the value of SolarizEgypt within a year of joining the solar energy company.

Most of the students had made a conscious decision to join a school that provides an international flavour. Alda Kule Dale from Congo with a professional background in private equity was planning to get out of her comfort zone, acquire knowledge from people who she otherwise would not have met and also to build a global network. She also did not want to be the odd one out in an all-white male-dominated environment, as was the case in her previous job. The INSEAD’s “all minority” culture simply resonated with me,” she says.

Diversity for them is not just exposure to different nationalities. The diversity of thought opens students up to new ideas and approaches that they can apply throughout their international business careers, says Kristin Karlisch from Bavaria.

She lists the advantages of working with a variety of different people as leading to broadening of views, bringing in new perspectives and evolving a different approach to problems. Through each discussion with people adapted to a different way of thinking, communication and business, she hopes to learn a new way to look at a problem. Also, once you have a better understanding of the other person, you will be better placed to predict his or her behaviour. It would increase your ability to act instead of having to react to things you have not been able to anticipate, she adds.

Meanwhile, compared to previous years, the GMAT averages for the 500 plus student cohort, went up from 708 to 712, four points higher than the London Business School (LBS) and 26 points above HEC Paris.

The percentage of women also went up to 34%, four points up from the previous year, but still behind LBS at 39%. Meanwhile, INSEAD’s international students share dropped from 93% to 89.4% between the fall classes.

In terms of educational background, Business and Administration majors made up  34%, up three points from the previous year at expense of law and political science majors, whose representation dropped by the same amount. Majors in engineering (27%), economics (11%), sciences (8%), and arts and humanities (6%) round out the class. In terms of professional experience, the all-encompassing “corporate” role accounts for the largest bloc of the Class of 2018 at 40%. Consulting and finance take up 28% and 21% respectively.

The Class of 2018 will be introduced to a revamped MBA curriculum that promises to be more rigorous with an emphasis on analytical skills and the impact of political forces on business to a greater degree. It also includes a personalised learning journey called the Personal Leadership Development Programme (PLDP) aimed to guide students to develop self-awareness, interpersonal skills, and communication effectiveness through professional and peer coaching.