If you’re looking for silver linings amidst the pandemic, you can find them in the INSEAD National Alumni Associations (NAAs).
Throughout the crisis, multiple chapters of the NAAs have demonstrated exceptional creativity, innovation and generosity—all in an effort to keep alumni connected to INSEAD. For instance, the NAA of Malaysia, NAA of France and NAA of the UK have organised career webinars for their peers. The NAA of Luxembourg has offered interactive cooking lessons. And the NAA of Poland has hosted online parties and wine tastings.
Here are other ways NAA chapters have stepped up to support INSEAD this year.
Giving back in a big way: Dutch NAA donates €150,000 to INSEAD
In a tremendous act of generosity, the Dutch chapter of the National Alumni Association donated €150,000 to INSEAD this year. Half of the gift was made in support of MBA scholarships, and the other half was made in support of the Dean’s Fund.
The gift comes at an important time. In the past year, requests for scholarships have increased significantly at INSEAD due to the pandemic. At the same time, the Dean’s Fund has grown in importance, as it offers flexible resources for supporting core priorities and responding to urgent needs—both key to overcoming challenges posed by the pandemic.
Fundraising for good: IAF in the Netherlands aims to raise €1 million
The INSEAD Alumni Association (IAA) and INSEAD Alumni Fund (IAF) of the Netherlands continue to make progress on their joint project, The Dutch Force for Good Initiative, which was launched in 2019 and concludes in 2021.
Combining a fundraising campaign with alumni events, the initiative strives to engage Dutch alumni in the INSEAD mission. Its goal is to raise €1 million and establish the Dutch Alumni Research Fund, which will support research led by the Hoffmann Global Institute for Business and Society. To date, 520 donors have given to the fund, collectively raising €647,076. Dutch alumni have also participated in events such as the Strategy Forum in November 2019 and an online event for Global INSEAD Day in September 2020.
Going virtual: NAA of France moves flagship event online
To ensure the health and safety of others, the NAA of France moved its flagship annual event, INSEAD Essentials, online for the first time in 2020.
Gathering academics, industry experts and alumni, the event featured a series of webinars with timely topics, such as Leadership for Sustainability, Inclusive Leadership and The Future of Work. Broadly, the event focused on empowering leaders to deliver positive outcomes for businesses, communities, people and the planet.
