In August 2021 INSEAD welcomed the Master in Management (MIM) Class of 2022 on the Fontainebleau campus in France. Hailing from 33 countries of residence and 40 nationalities, this cohort consists of 130 students who are embarking together on a 14 to 16-month journey to launch their international careers.
Read on below to meet five MIM'22 students, who share more about their backgrounds and why they chose INSEAD.
"Through my undergrad, I had experienced the concept of ‘studying while travelling’ and I really loved it. I was looking for a business school which had a similar offering."
Alison Ah-Moo
Bachelor of Business Administration, Finance
Mauritian
Alison was born and raised in Mauritius. At the age of 18, she went abroad to pursue higher studies on a full scholarship for a four-year Bachelor of Business Administration (with a specialisation in finance) at S P Jain School of Global Management.
This programme took her around the world, with stints in Singapore, Dubai, Canada and Australia, and ignited a love of traveling and discovering new places which Alison sought to continue during her Master's programme. "Therefore, the INSEAD MIM which offers the two fully integrated campuses in France and Singapore and various field trips to the UAE, China or USA, topped my list", she says.
As for her post-graduation goals, Alison is currently still on the fence between pursuing a career solely in consulting or sticking to her guns with finance, or potentially combining both.
"The main reason why I decided to do a MIM was to put into practice everything I had previously learned and boost my qualitative and quantitative business skills to another level."
Nacho Vázquez Narváez
Bachelor of Science, International Management
Spanish
Before joining INSEAD, Nacho studied International Management at the University of Bath, UK, and in between worked for two months at the sustainability department of a large Spanish beer manufacturer. Besides Spain and the UK, he also spent time in France and Australia.
At INSEAD, Nacho wants to hone his business skills, acquire further international experience and build a wide network that will help him thrive as an international leader in the future.
His first few weeks at INSEAD have been very busy, as Nacho is currently the MIM Ambassador for the Environment & Business Club, a weekly contributor to the MIM newsletter and also organising an INSEAD Health Week with some classmates.
"INSEAD was always a dream of mine for two reasons: its diversity and its focus on the role of business in society."
Tanya Paul
BA, International Relations
Maltese
Tanya undertook her Bachelor's degree in International Relations at King's College London. While completing her degree, she also launched a social enterprise with some university friends and, once classes moved online due to the pandemic, began volunteering for a Malian NGO.
Having lived in Africa, Asia and Europe, Tanya feels that a global mindset is essential - not just personally but also professionally. "With my dual interest in development and business, INSEAD was the perfect choice", she says.
"From the Hoffmann Global Institute's SGD week to our continual discussions in class on sustainability and ethics, the MIM programme has exposes me to a depth and variety of perspectives on sustainability and how that merges with businesses of the future."
"I feel there is no other programme that lets you develop your leadership skills to such a degree."
Thomas Maurenbrecher
BA, Business Administration
Swiss
Thomas studied Business Administration at the University of St. Gallen before joining INSEAD. Before joining INSEAD, he had also taken on various internships, helped a friend launch a start-up project and worked in consulting at Roland Berger.
Thomas is also a passionate snowboarder and snowboard teacher, and spent more than 100 days on the snow during his gap year.
Besides having a strong family connection with INSEAD as his father is an MBA alumnus, other factors that attracted Thomas to INSEAD are the international diversity, the group work and the multiple campus setup. "In the end though, it is the people from INSEAD I talked to, who convinced me even more," he says.
"The MIM at INSEAD was a perfect fit for me because of the diverse student body and the programme structure."
Shiho Namiki
BA, International Business
Japanese
Shiho was born and brought up in Tokyo. She studied liberal arts in Japan for her undergraduate degree, where she had the opportunity to spend a year in Paris as an exchange student. During this time she decided to pursue a Master's degree directly after graduation.
Since young, Shiho had aspired to work in a global context outside her home country, so she was looking for a programme that would help her translate her international motivation into action.
The programme strtucture of the INSEAD MIM, where students start on the Fontainebleau campus in France and six months later continue together to the Singapore campus, was the perfect fit for Shiho. "This enables me to immerse myself in both European and Asian cultures, and learn about the business landscape in both regions," she says.
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Learn more about how INSEAD prepares graduates for a post-COVID career, and hear from our students on how they are launching their ambitions in a variety of fields.
