A million years ago, when the first hunter gatherers formed, the single largest threat facing them was being cast out from the tribe. A lone human was no match for the dangers lurking outside the safety of their group. Naturally, the humans who craved acceptance and feared rejection survived through the ages and became the modern-day humans. To this day, one of the greatest fears in our human experience, is the fear of rejection.

• Read more about The Greatest Human Fear

How times have changed! Just a month ago, the biggest challenge for me was exams. I was on the INSEAD campus for most of the weekend, wearing slippers and frantically studying in a discussion room on-campus.  Look at us now! The INSEAD Fontainebleau campus has been closed since 16 March 2020, and we have started our classes using Zoom. It is non-debatable that this is a crisis that no one had expected before. Thus, we need to understand that everyone is trying their best with whatever resources they have. 

• Read more about Communications in Times of Crisis

We will go through this. The world will re-emerge from this crisis much stronger and much more resilient than before. Things need to change though, and we need to start from politics and from entrepreneurship. COVID-19 is a wake-up call for everyone. We all have a role to play in this.

• Read more about 7 Things That COVID-19 Is Teaching Us Today That Will Help Shape the Future

Arriving in Fontainebleau in January 2020 was a hassle for many of us who were eager to start the MBA journey at INSEAD. Paris had been on strike for almost a month as unions were protesting President Macron’s proposed pension reforms. The city was nearly paralysed, and few trains were running to Fontainebleau.

• Read more about In Search of the Silver Lining

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.

• Read more about Why I Decided to Pursue an EMFin

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. This article isn’t a cliché about how to look for opportunities in times of crisis. Neither is it about the sadness and problems at this critical moment in our history. It is a message of love and caring. It portrays tiny and simple examples of how you can embrace people around you, even if you just met them a couple of months ago.

• Read more about Making Lemonade

Applying for the INSEAD Executive Master in Change (EMC) programme is a process of reflection in itself. We try to make it as simple and smooth as possible, and our step-by-step guide really helps candidates tick off all the items from the checklist.

• Read more about INSEAD Executive Master in Change (EMC): The Benefits of Applying Early

The first two months at INSEAD fulfilled all my expectations. It all looks so normal now for everybody to be here, but when you remember all the efforts you had to make before coming here to get admitted, it all pays off. Each person has a different unique, interesting and inspiring story… I love to hear each and every one of them! Fontainebleau

• Read more about And the INSEAD Journey Begins: Dreams Come True!

Pre-MBA Coming from an isolated country, I was overjoyed to receive multiple b-school offers. I selected INSEAD because of the large alumni network, diversity of thoughts and culture, and positive feedback from a high school friend who had graduated from INSEAD.

• Read more about So Far So Good

The happiness I felt when I got the acceptance call from INSEAD is a feeling I will never forget. But, after a first wave of excitement, and when it finally sunk in that the INSEAD dream was actually going to become a reality, my next reaction was to look at my calendar. I was eager to start bonding with the other students from my cohort, but there was one challenge: classes would only start in six months!

• Read more about The Pre-MBA Journey: Starting My INSEAD Experience Before Classes