The INSEAD Gender Initiative publishes research on gender and diversity issues in line with the SDGs. The Initiative also hosts a series of Women at Work conferences that convene leading academics to share insights and discuss practical evidence-based gender solutions.

By convening an interdisciplinary team of scholars from across INSEAD, the James M. and Cathleen D. Stone Centre for the Study of Wealth Inequality aims to generate new insights about inequality problems and harness the power of business to solve them. It connects the lab with the classroom to ignite new ideas; spur discourse and debate; shape business education; and inspire leaders to take action.

The 2017 case on Supply Chain Hubs in Global Humanitarian Logistics is a resource for governments and multilateral organizations improve humanitarian relief. The case is a product of the Humanitarian Research Group, which produces research that has proven useful in focusing response to Ebola outbreaks in the DRC and shaping humanitarian action following disasters.

The new Bianca and James Pitt Chair in Environmental Sustainability demonstrates INSEAD’s ongoing commitment to address the critical environmental issues business and society are facing. It will support knowledge creation targeted at sustainable operations management, the circular economy, and extended producer responsibility. Professor Atalay Atasu will serve as the first Chair holder in recognition of his teaching and research in this area. The gift is evidence that INSEAD alumni endorse the school’s commitment to address sustainable business and societal impact in light of the environmental crisis.

The INSEAD Healthcare Management Initiative was founded on the belief that many of the systemic challenges of the healthcare industry globally can benefit from the application of principles that stem from rigorous, evidence-based thought leadership. As the world’s leading global business school, INSEAD is uniquely positioned to contribute to the creation and dissemination of knowledge in this space. Faculty research is multi-disciplinary, with recent studies deepening our understanding of processes for more effective clinical trials, exploring the role of social and policy factors on public health outcomes, evaluating the impact of marketing on consumer health choices, and modelling how process improvements in healthcare delivery can enhance patient value.

Professors and researchers at INSEAD produce high-impact work. For example, Professor Pierre Chandon studies innovative marketing solutions to align business growth with consumer health. He currently works with supermarkets to understand how consumers can make better choices when buying food products.

Network for Business Sustainability Centres Workshops that bring together academic researchers and experts to address key challenges. INSEAD has hosted many of these over the years and intends to continue to do so, inspiring more and more faculuty and researchers to focus on sustainability topics and discuss the global challenges we face.

A research Hackathon under the auspice of the Initiative for Academic Collaboration in the Middle East and North Africa, initiated by Ithai Stern, brought faculty from Egypt, Israel, Tunisia, Iran, and Syria, and Turkey who gathered in 10  teams to develop, in less than 36 hours, research proposals on the use of strategy and entrepreneurship tools to address Middle East problems such as Palestinian workers compensation in Israel, minority owned SMEs, and helping refugees through entrepreneurship.

The Society for Progress was initiated in 2013 by Subramanian Rangan, professor of strategy and management at INSEAD. The school, through its partnership with the Abu Dhabi Education Council, has supported the research, meetings, and activities of the Society. INSEAD Dean Ilian Mihov, a Princeton trained macro-economist, affirms the initiative resonates with the evolving roles of business and business schools. “If science must be a force for truth, business must be a force for good,” he notes. “This research will support the development of leaders and entrepreneurs with competence and character.”

This group of scholars and leaders who believe that integrating perspectives from moral and social philosophy will help evolve the decentralised economic system (“capitalism”) in a manner that better integrates markets and society, humans and nature, and the present and future. In 2016, it launched the Progress Medals Ceremony to award medals for pioneering research and leadership. Their work was published in two books: Performance & Progress: Essays on Capitalism, Business, and Society, and Capitalism Beyond Mutuality? Perspectives Integrating Philosophy and Social Science.

The book Blue Ocean Shift: Beyond Competing published in 2017 by W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne explores applications of the blue ocean strategy framework. This aligns with the Blue Ocean Strategy Institute research objective to develop social applications that bring business creation strategies to the developing world to mitigate poverty and improve education and health.

In January 2020, the Hoffmann Institute will co-sponsor the SDG Tent in Davos alongside the World Economic Forum for the second year in a row. In the tent, INSEAD will convene leaders from business, government and academia to discuss business education in development and accelerate progress towards the SDGs.

Last year in the SDG Tent, the Hoffmann Institute – under the guidance of our patron André Hoffmann – held panel discussions and workshops. Academics and school leaders discussed how to transform business education in line with societal needs and technological progress. We put the Davos conversation into the context of day-to-day reality faced by leaders of business and society. The tent is a space for open discussion around the role of business in helping to achieve more sustainable and inclusive development.

The Hoffmann Institute is the Academic Partner of the ChangeNOW International Summit for Change for the second year in a row. Through this partnerhsip the Hoffmann Institute will bring INSEAD research and knowledge to practitioners and leaders.

The INSEAD Social Impact Award provides financial support for MBA students that pursue an internship in public, not‐for‐profit sectors, for-profit social ventures and social investment firms with clear social or environmental purpose.

Through partnership with Cartier, INSEAD raises the profile of women entrepreneurs and supports their successful ventures by providing them with coaching and mentoring.

May 2019, the Cartiers Women's Initiative celebrated twenty-one entrepreneurial women in San Francisco. They were all company founders or co-founders chosen largely due to the strong social impact of their companies. The companies and women recognised by partners Cartier and INSEAD are inspirational, creative and dynamic – and they are leading the way to a better future for all.

The MBA Impact Investing Network & Training programme gives hands-on impact investing experience and trains the next generation to think like an impact investor.

A student-led Social Enterprise Consulting Experience connects students with social enterprises with support from leading consulting firms.

GEMBA students have challenged the INSEAD community to run the 20,000km distance that connects the school’s four locations with proceeds to benefit Girl Rising, a charity that educates and empowers girls around the world.

Another project involves the Energy Club and Career Development Centre providing solar electricity to not-for-profit organisations around the world.

Webinars and master classes on sustainability for alumni series featuring thought leaders that include INSEAD professors and WWF president Pavan Sukdhev.

INSEAD’s Career Development Centre supports the students’ initiatives to learn and gain exposure to business as a force for good. Partnerships are key to these efforts. The CDC works collaboratively with other INSEAD stakeholders such as the INDEVOR student social impact club, faculty and alumni to gather information, identify recruitment champions and source relevant social impact job opportunities for students.