INSEAD, The Business School for the World, today announced a €1.5 million gift from the AMPA Foundation, chaired by Luc Van Schil MBA’81, to establish the AMPA Endowed Scholarship for Africa. The scholarship, one of the largest at INSEAD for African students, will enable talented individuals from Sub-Saharan Africa to join INSEAD's MBA programme.
With one of the youngest populations in the world, Africa represents a vital source of future global leadership talent. Ensuring access to world-class business education is essential to unlocking this potential — for organisations, economies, and societies worldwide.
“Africa is close to my heart, and as a proud INSEAD alumnus, I am delighted to support a school that has played such a defining role in my own journey,” said Luc Van Schil MBA’81. “Africa is rich in talent, and what I want to contribute is opening the doors of INSEAD to exceptional young people who deserve access to the very best education. After graduation, I also hope to welcome former scholarship recipients into the AMPA Foundation community, where they can share their skills and insights to support entrepreneurship and long-term impact across Africa.”
The scholarship will support two MBA candidates per year, starting with the August 2026 intake. Priority will be given to deserving students from Sub-Saharan African countries.
“We are deeply grateful to the AMPA Foundation and to Luc Van Schil for this remarkable gift,” said Francisco Veloso, Dean of INSEAD. “This scholarship reflects our belief that talent is everywhere, and that education should never be limited by financial circumstances. It strengthens our mission and enriches the diversity that defines the INSEAD experience.”
“Scholarships are essential to the strength of our MBA programme,” said Mark Stabile, Dean of Degree Programmes and Dean of the Europe Campus at INSEAD. “They allow us to attract exceptional talent from diverse backgrounds and ensure our classrooms reflect the global business environment our students will lead. Students from Africa bring essential cultural, social, and economic perspectives to the classroom, enriching discussions and strengthening learning outcomes for all participants.”
Scholarships play a central role in enabling INSEAD to attract outstanding talent maintain the academic excellence and diversity that define its MBA programme, made possible in large part through the generosity and engagement of its alumni community.
They also remain the most effective means of enabling talented candidates from Africa to access the INSEAD MBA. Today, students from Africa represent around 5% of the MBA class. The school has a clear ambition to increase representation from Africa in the programme over time.
Luc Van Schil MBA’81 is a healthcare entrepreneur with more than 30 years of experience. After early career roles at McKinsey & Company and Baxter, he built and led healthcare distribution and manufacturing businesses and has worked in Mozambique in shipping and warehousing. Through the AMPA Foundation, he supports entrepreneurship and investment across Africa.
