Business Foundations Certificate

Welcome to the BFC Events page.

Find here upcoming Masterclasses, workshops, and past sessions that give you a taste of how the BFC can bridge academia and business. Whether you’re curious about entrepreneurship, career transitions, or meeting alumni, our events are designed to inform and inspire.

BFC Online Masterclass Series

Join us online and discover how the Business Foundations Certificate can support your transition from academic research to the world of business.

We now host a series of online Masterclasses designed to give prospective students a deeper understanding of the INSEAD Sorbonne Business Foundations Certificate (BFC) programme. Each session focuses on a different theme and offers practical insights into how the BFC can support your academic, professional, or entrepreneurial journey. 

Upcoming Masterclasses

Business Model Innovation and Sustainability - 15 Dec. 2025 

Our next session will be led by Professor Hilke Plassmann, Marketing Professor and Programme Director. This Masterclass will explore how Business Model Innovation and Sustainability can support PhD and master’s students, as well as young professionals, in moving from research to solving real world business challenges.

Professor Plassmann will discuss how scientific ideas can be translated into viable and customer centred business models, and why sustainability has become a core element of competitive and responsible organisational design.

You will also have the opportunity to take part in a live Q and A session and hear from alumni who will share how they applied these concepts during and after the BFC.

Dual Careers, Women in Business, and Navigating Professional Pathways - 2 Feb. 2026 

Our February 2026 session will be led by Professor Hilke Plassmann. This Masterclass will explore how dual-career dynamics shape professional choices, particularly for women navigating ambitious career paths in today’s global environment.

Drawing on current research and real-world examples, Professor Plassmann along and her guest speaker will examine how couples negotiate career progression, mobility, and balance, and how organisations can better support talent with dual-career considerations.

You will also have the opportunity to take part in a live Q and A session and hear from programme alumni who will share their own experiences of navigating dual careers during and after the BFC.

Customer Centricity: Designing Products and Services that Truly Meet Customer Needs - 9 March 2026

Our March 2026 Masterclass will also be led by Professor Hilke Plassmann. This session will explore the principles of customer centricity and how understanding customer needs can transform ideas into successful products, services, and ventures.

Professor Plassmann will introduce key tools used in marketing and innovation to uncover what customers value, how they make decisions, and how organisations can design solutions that resonate with their target audience. The session will show why customer centricity has become essential for today’s entrepreneurs, researchers, and young professionals. 

Participants will also have the opportunity to take part in a live Q and A session and hear from alumni who will share how customer-centric thinking shaped their projects during and after the BFC. 

BFC Workshops - May 2025

Join our free in-person workshops, From Research to Business: Leveraging your PhD for Innovation and Impact, on 6 and 27 May 2025 at the Sorbonne Jussieu campus.

Led by INSEAD professors, these sessions will equip participants with the tools to identify the business potential of their research, develop an entrepreneurial mindset, and apply their ideas to real-world challenges through case studies and interactive discussions.

Discover how to translate your research into innovative solutions that drive meaningful societal impact.

Open exclusively to Sorbonne PhD students and postdoctoral researchers

Register on ADUM before 27 April 2025.