The project is a joint effort between the INSEAD Career Development Centre, the INSEAD Energy Club, JJ-Lapp Cable and the Zenises Foundation.
Students and staff at INSEAD, the business school for the world, have successfully installed new solar panels at Assumption Development Foundation (ADF), bringing renewable energy to the community school and shining a light on disadvantaged children by enabling educational opportunities.
The project, led by Fergus Kennedy, Assistant Director of Employer Engagement APAC at INSEAD Career Development Centre, and the INSEAD Energy club, is a way of giving back to communities most in need while underpinning INSEAD’s vision that business can be a force for good.
The Assumption Development Foundation (ADF) was established to help break the cycle of poverty in one of Philippines poorest communities by providing education to those who otherwise would not have access to. With the installation of the solar panels, the school will be able to transfer the energy bill savings to provide more educational opportunities for those most in need.
Katy Montgomery, Associate Dean of Degree Programmes at INSEAD, who was in Sapang Palay (Bulacan) for the solar panels installation, commented that, “At INSEAD we believe business can be a force for good. We are delighted to be in the Philippines making a positive impact on society while providing opportunities for our students to engage with business and the greater community.”
Stanley Sun, Vice President of the INSEAD’s student-led Energy Club, stated, “This project has allowed me to combine two of my passions – to give back and deliver renewable energy to communities across Asia. I am delighted that we have been given the opportunity to fulfill our goal.”
Representatives from INSEAD setting up the solar panels and solar tower.
The INSEAD MBA students were in Manila as part of their Energy Club trek, which provide the participants with the ability to understand and explore the energy industry in the Philippines as well as spend time with the key players shaping the landscape.
INSEAD MBA alumnus Lucien Ong, Executive Committee Member for INSEAD National Alumni Association in Philippines, commented, “Well done to INSEAD for setting an example that business should be a force for good. I am sure the MBA students will have a meaningful and life-changing experience with ADF and the local community.”
INSEAD MBA students and staff together with representatives and children from the Assumption Development Foundation commemorating the solar panels installation in Sapang Palay (Bulacan).
Current estimates from the World Bank put the number of people living without power at one billion, with over two million of those to be found in Philippines. Without a sustainable and affordable form of energy, many schools are unable to provide sufficient opportunities for disadvantaged children and offer them the education they desperately need. According to Philippine government data, about nine percent of the estimated 39.2 million Filipinos aged six to 24 years old were not in education – partly due to lack of access.
INSEAD had formally launched The Campaign for INSEAD: A Force for Good in October 2018 to accelerate the school’s mission to develop the next generation of global leaders who will transform the future.
Stanley Sun added, “It is up to the next generation of leader’s – no matter where they are from – to be the change agents when it comes to renewable energy and clean technology. We hope that this project can be a shining example of what is possible.”
