Culture Week at INSEAD

Dear MIMs,

Congratulations on surviving P2! You may now exhale for the first time in six weeks.

If I had to describe P2 in one sentence, I’d say it was a mix of academic pressure, unexpected friendships, cultural celebrations and moments where I wondered if I actually lived anywhere outside the Asia Centre.

We always hear that INSEAD is “all you can eat”, and during P2, I finally understood what that meant.

Before P2 started, everyone warned me it would be the hardest period of the year. I walked in expecting chaos, breakdowns and no social life. And yet, somehow, it became the time I laughed the most, met the most people and felt the most connected since arriving in Fonty.

Diwali was the perfect start. We enjoyed Indian pastries, colourful decorations and the famous INSEAD dances taught by the legendary J. For a moment, we simply forgot about deadlines and enjoyed being together.

Then came Culture Week.

This one was personal.

I originally thought it would just be me, four Moroccan MIMs and maybe one MBA showing Moroccan food. Instead, the moment Culture Week was announced, I watched the Moroccan group grow like a football fan club before the World Cup.

People I had barely spoken to came to help and contribute. It felt like a whole community coming together in a way I didn’t expect.  

Seeing Freddy’s filled with red and green, hearing the music and watching people try our food with so much curiosity made me incredibly proud. And then came the moment many of you still talk about: El Grande Karim and the mint tea show. The height, the style, the technique - it was peak Moroccan energy. Even I was impressed, and I’m Moroccan.

And yes, our Dakka Marrakchia performance arrived late. If you know Moroccan weddings, you know this was not poor planning. It was authenticity.

The most touching part for me was hearing people say, “I didn’t know Morocco was like this.” Showing you that Morocco is hospitality, warmth and community (and not just Marrakech) meant a lot to me.

All of this happened right after the MLO quiz. One minute I was stressed, the next minute I was dancing, serving tea and forgetting what an ROC curve even is.

Another moment that stayed with me was visiting the China stand. Bill wrote my name in Mandarin, and I wrote his in Arabic. It was simple, but it felt like a real cultural exchange between friends, not just a booth. These are the kinds of moments you remember long after grades fade away.

P2 also reminded me of something important: give, give, get. During revisions, I received help from people I never expected, and I helped people I had never even met before. It felt natural, and it made Fonty feel like home in a way studying alone never could.

I spent so much time on campus this period that I think the Asia Centre should charge me rent. Between late-night coffees, panicked study sessions, spontaneous celebrations and the classic “How are revisions going?”, which always had the same answer (“Don’t ask”), the campus truly became my second home.

As of today, we are officially done with exams.

Rest. Celebrate. Sleep. Eat something that is not Freddy’s salad bar. Spend time with the people who made this period bearable, funny and memorable.

Whether you are staying in Fonty or heading to Paris, enjoy every second. P2 went fast, but it was unforgettable, and a big part of that was all of you.

Yours, 
Mohamed