As INSEAD entered the new century, the school expanded its vision and scope beyond the founders’ dreams.
When it opened in the year 2000, the Asia Campus was an equal-status INSEAD incarnation where the MBA programme and executive education ran in parallel with the Europe Campus. This allowed students and faculty to switch between campuses, expanding research and learning opportunities.
The Asia Campus changed the very fabric of the institution. Demand was high for executive programmes in Asia, and now there was a home to meet this demand. The MBA programme in Singapore saw unexpected and rapid growth, and the campus quickly became a base to build on.
INSEAD now had a unique value proposition – two campuses on two continents provided perspectives and practical skills for global business. A full campus in Singapore made it easier for graduates to connect with global business and investment communities.
With a focus on innovation and a strong desire for this new venture to succeed, the school asserted itself in global business education. In 2001, INSEAD formed a strategic partnership with the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, a revolutionary alliance covering all of both institutions’ activities. Top business schools had never attempted anything similar.
In 2003, the Executive MBA programme launched on both campuses, reflecting the emerging global character of the school. The next year INSEAD made ‘The Business School for the World’ the official school motto and set about stepping into that space.
This effort culminated in 2007, when the school launched a centre in Abu Dhabi in 2007 for research, executive education and events. INSEAD influence in Asia also continued to grow, and that same year a second Executive MBA programme debuted in partnership with Tsinghua University, one of the best business schools in China.
The company-specific Master in Finance also launched in 2007 for one of Australia’s largest financial services companies, Maquarie Group. The next year, the doctoral programme was offered on the Asia Campus, making INSEAD the only business school to offer the same degree simultaneously on two continents.
Going global had made INSEAD a transformative force in global business education.
2000
INSEAD ranked #1 International Business School by Bloomberg Businessweek
Asia Campus opens with former Prime Minister of Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew, inaugurating the new facility
Gabriel Hawawini appointed Dean of INSEAD, pursuing a strategy of expanding the school’s international reach
2001
Launch of the broad-based and revolutionary INSEAD-Wharton Alliance
2003
The Executive MBA launches with a distinct international identity, delivered across two campuses to culturally diverse participants and with a leadership component
2004
'The Business School for the World' adopted as official motto
Launch of INSEAD second capital campaign
Cees van Lede MBA’67 appointed Chairman of the Board, bringing business leadership and a connection to the community as the first alumni chair
Inauguration of Plessis Mornay Learning Space for Executive Education increases capacity on the Europe Campus by 25 percent
2005
The logo features the new motto and the Book of Knowledge, symbolic of the school’s pursuit of academic excellence
Phase Two of the Asia Campus as envisioned by the architect
2006
Frank Brown appointed Dean of INSEAD, bringing expertise from more than 25 years as a business executive with Price waterhouse Coopers
2007
Launch of Master In Finance
INSEAD’s Hellmut Schütte (left) and Li Liao, Associate Dean of Tsinghua University, launch the Tsinghua-INSEAD Executive MBA
INSEAD Abu Dhabi Centre opens for research and teaching in the Middle East
Erin Anderson becomes first woman to be appointed Dean of Executive Education
Blue Ocean Strategy Institute opens, leading a revolutionary rethink in international business
2008
Launch of Gender Diversity Initiative
Franz Humer MBA’71 appointed Chairman of the Board, continuing alumni governance and strategic oversight by an accomplished chief executive
2009
50th Anniversary celebration marks the coming of age of a school that grew from a singular vision and humble beginnings into a leading global academic institution
Students walk to class through the Asia Campus South Foyer, which shares design elements with the Camembert in a nod to the school’s European roots
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