Why I Chose To Do MIM at INSEAD

As I was entering the final year of university, I thought I had a good idea of what I wanted going forward. Though my plans were not set in stone, I knew that I wanted to graduate, work for a few years and then maybe pursue a master’s degree. 

Then the pandemic hit. As I saw more and more of my classmates struggling to find entry-level jobs, doubts began creeping in my mind. What had been a robust job market, at least in Canada, was not looking so good anymore. 

After countless rejections, I felt dejected and started doubting my own abilities. However, I persevered and, luckily, I was fortunate enough to secure what I considered to be my dream internship. Due to my background in Political Science and my father’s former job as a diplomat, I had always been extremely interested in politics, public policy and international affairs growing up. Hence, when I found out that I had been offered the opportunity to work at the OECD in their Tax Directorate, I was extremely excited. Not only was the internship right up my alley, but it was also in France, a country that always fascinated me ever since I had visited it a few years prior. 

For the next few months, as the OECD led the international minimum global corporate tax talks, I was able to work on fascinating projects and undertake seminal research on tax and development policy. Passionate about social impact and sustainability, I also came to the realisation during my work that the public sector alone will be unable to produce a sustainable future for all. The large-scale self-regulated involvement of the private sector is necessary for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to realise their full potential to develop an interconnected model for holistic and sustainable growth. While my educational and professional experiences had enabled a closer understanding of policy-making, I wished to obtain formal training in the concepts of management such as CSR in order to develop inclusive multi-disciplinary solutions for tackling urgent, large-scale issues.

As I discussed this with my mentors and colleagues, I was urged by a lot of people to pursue a Master in Management (MIM). Since the MIM is traditionally a European degree and it is only just becoming popular in North America, I had little idea about it and decided to further explore the option. The more I looked into it, the more I loved the idea. However, the degree was offered by a wide variety of schools and I was not quite sure where to apply due to little knowledge about European business schools.

As I looked through various guides and rankings, there was only one name that stuck out to me: INSEAD. INSEAD’s reputation precedes itself and I had run into its alumni working in India, South Korea, Canada, and France in the past. During nearly all my conversations, I had never quite seen an alum quite so happy with their Master’s experience.

A couple of them had even told me that they did not want to simply pursue an MBA, but rather an MBA at INSEAD because it is one of the most unique and transformative experiences.

What set the business school apart from everyone else, and what was arguably the number one reason that I applied here, was the diversity and international exposure. As someone who has moved around quite a lot in life, I love interacting with others and hearing their unique stories. After submitting my application, I waited eagerly for the decision and when I finally received my acceptance letter, I felt incredibly happy. 

As I am writing this, I have just finished period one (P1) and I am very delighted that I took the decision to enrol in the MIM programme. Ever since I stepped foot on campus, I have been accepted and welcomed with open arms by everyone. No matter where they are from, every student is incredibly accepting and helps make you feel right at home.

I have never before seen such a diverse group of people, not only in their nationalities but also in their backgrounds and experiences. Every person brings something incredibly unique to the table.  

As for the professors, I have been quite impressed by the high-quality and engaging style of lectures in which students are encouraged to participate and work in groups on real life case-studies.

Rather than simply lecturing and showing powerpoints, professors find new and creative ways of engaging students in the content. 

Though I have only been on campus for a few weeks, I can safely say that I have made the correct decision. INSEAD feels like my second home and I cannot wait to see what the future has in store for me and my fellow classmates.