Yulia Alikhanova

Why did you choose to do an MBA at INSEAD?

When I was in GE’s international leadership programme, I changed country every four months. I went all over the world: Singapore, the US, Australia, Europe and my colleagues were incredibly diverse. I discovered it was a great way to learn and INSEAD seemed like a natural extension of the experience.

Has the diversity lived up to your expectations?

INSEAD is unique in this respect. No nationality represents more than 10% of the entire class size. And now I’m learning from people with diverse professional backgrounds, as well as national cultures. I also have the great opportunity to learn on two (and maybe three) campuses in different world regions.

And what about the classroom experience?

What I like most about it is the different approaches to learning. We do simulations and games and get to analyse movies, as well as the traditional case studies and lectures. In one class we interacted with teams in Fontainebleau and Wharton, as well as our colleagues here in Singapore. My favourite classes so far have probably beenPsychological Issues in Management, which goes deep into understanding yourself, and Corporate Finance which couldn’t be more different. I find I have to switch from left to right brain all the time!

What has the group structure added to the experience?

I was very lucky with my initial group and the people I’ve worked with in groups with since. We always managed to find common ground. But we also managed to learn from each other’s differences and find the synergies that only arise from a diversity of minds. Working in a group is very good for your soft skills too. You learn to adjust your communication style for different personalities, how to lead and how to be led.

What was it like moving from Singapore to Fontainebleau?

The obvious difference is the weather. It really affects the lifestyle of each campus. In Singapore we tended to work intensely during the week, often staying on campus until after midnight, and then play hard at weekends. I visited Cambodia, Vietnam and Malaysia, which are all relatively close and affordable. Fontainebleau feels totally different. It’s so French, with its nice restaurants, cafés and bakeries and Paris very nearby. The library and classroom experience is exactly the same, though.

What do you think will be the main thing you take away from INSEAD?

A career, of course, to start with. There are so many companies that come to campus and careers service events and workshops. Then there are the skills and knowledge, which are crucial. But the most important thing is the people, friends as well as a professional network. There’s so much energy and talent in one place , you never get another opportunity for a year like this!