The INSEAD Norway Scholarship

I chose INSEAD because it was European (I did my undergraduate degree in the US), international and highly competitive. I also liked that it was structured as an intense 1-year programme. I learnt a tremendous amount from working intensively with very competent and competitive students at INSEAD. It was tough, but I really grew personally and it changed my ability to solve challenges and get ahead. INSEAD is very much a "work hard, play hard" place - we had so much fun, and I still stay closely in touch with my many international INSEAD friends.

Kristin Skogen Lund, MBA'92J
CEO at Schibsted Media Group

INSEAD was always my first choice due to its truly global profile and excellent academic reputation. I enjoyed working and living with people from all over the world and with very different private and professional backgrounds. I think the INSEAD experience gave me a broader perspective on important business, organisational and societal issues. In addition, I believe it improved my ability to work and deliver in multicultural teams. I really enjoyed the year at INSEAD and would have liked to do it again!

Helge Lund, MBA'91J
Chairman of BP and Novo Nordisk, former CEO of Equinor and BG Group

INSEAD was an extreme experience, both from a professional and social perspective. It is a unique mix of international students and entrepreneurial people. For me, my year at INSEAD was an investment in new life-long relationships and a broadening of my skillset. The INSEAD year triggered a career change for me, from working purely with research in technology to moving into leadership roles and technology on a more strategic level. This has been an amazing journey for me personally. The MBA at INSEAD opened doors to new career opportunities.

Silvija Seres, MBA'03D
Startup Investor, Board Director and CEO at LØRN.TECH

INSEAD was a truly transformational experience for me personally. Coming with a business degree and consulting background, I felt that a 2-year MBA would be redundant, so I was delighted to join INSEAD for an intense 12 months. With its high-paced academic profile and its generous social life engaging with people from all corners of the world, I was immediately blown away.

It was a place very open to discuss bold ideas, and it fostered an entrepreneurial spirit. In particular through its legendary "Your First Hundred Days" course which puts you in a real-life setting as an entrepreneur and business owner and tests your judgement and problem-solving in unexpected ways. It spurred my interest in entrepreneurship well before it became cool to be a "Founder" in Norway.

Vegard Vik, MBA'10J
Co-founder and CFO of Kolonial.no and Co-founder of Hjemmelegene

When I was a consultant at McKinsey, I wanted to pursue a 1-year MBA to develop in all areas of business and leadership. In particular, I was looking for new perspectives on how to adapt to different settings and cultures. INSEAD was my top choice because of the international environment with more than 90 nationalities in a class of 500 and the world-wide alumni association. INSEAD offers deep business knowledge together with practical skills of teamwork and leadership. The fun part is that this is taught not only through theory but also with real-world examples, discussions and teamwork. Looking back, it was the year I developed the most, both academically and personally. I learnt how to effectively share my knowledge and thinking and develop strong long-term relationships. INSEAD was truly an international experience and it gave me the privilege to have friends all over the world. Most importantly, INSEAD gave me a better way to view the world and expand my horizons.

Maria Borge Andreassen, MBA'10D
Chief Strategy Officer at Europris

INSEAD was for me an intense and inspiring learning period: I acquired new functional skills,  better business acumen as well as a more international outlook. Working together with different nationalities and personalities in a hectic team environment also helped me understand more about other cultures as well as learning more about myself. INSEAD is also an intensely social experience, which I particularly enjoyed some years later when I accompanied my wife as a spouse (and father for the kids) when she took her MBA.” 

Birger Magnus, MBA'84D
Startup Investor, Chair of Boards and former deputy CEO at Schibsted Media Group

INSEAD was my top choice because I wanted a truly international experience from a top-tier MBA programme. I believe that diversity fosters the best learning environment and INSEAD was a springboard to my international career where I have a role with a global remit. An INSEAD MBA allowed me to change role, function, geography and industry in my career and gave me access to an incredible alumni network across the world.

Linn Tonsberg, MBA'12D
Global Account Director at BP (Dubai and London)

Since graduating from INSEAD, I have worked and lived in Stockholm, Warsaw, Moscow, Seattle, Munich and Oslo. The combination of great friends and a unique global perspective from my year in Fontainebleau has been invaluable to me along the journey.

Birger Steen, MBA'94D
Chair Nordic Semiconductor, Principal Summa Equity and former CEO Parallels