Why I Decided to Pursue an EMFin

Claire Xu

I first came across INSEAD when I was looking to further my studies in 2017.

At the time, strong technology waves were reshaping worldwide investments and the business market landscape.

In China, more companies were engaging in global markets and new industries, such as education, robots and AI, which were embracing faster growth spurts than ever before. All these trends made me feel that I needed to sharpen my skills and build a deeper global understanding of the fast-changing market movements and to discover more business logic beneath the surface.

To that end, the programme I was looking for needed to have these merits: world-leading practical skill package about investment markets, classmates with multicultural backgrounds, mature mindsets and cooperative attitudes, and overseas experience to understand local markets directly.

After I participated in numerous events held by different schools and read up all the brochures about participants’ backgrounds and programme setups, I found the Executive Master in Finance (EMFIn) programme from INSEAD to be the one that matches my prerequisites.

I then reached out to Mai Chu, the Assistant Director of Recruitment for the programme, to assess my background and to get more information about applying. We spoke and communicated over emails and calls, and Mai was very patient in solving all my questions during the process.

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diverse classmates

By now, I have completed two out of the six modules of the EMFin programme. The intensity, rigour and insights from professors impressed me a lot. The way they look at business cases is highly systematic, to-the-point with dashes of humorous wisdom. I also learned a lot from my classmates in discussions during and after classes. They come from 16 countries, hold diversified positions in financial markets and are willing to share their ample work experience. 

Looking forward to seeing how this year will progress!