Abu Dhabi an integral part of INSEAD's Africa Initiative expansion plans

Abu Dhabi, 7 December 2009 - To reinforce its position as the leader in diversity and enhance its global relevance, INSEAD, the renowned international business school, announced the expansion of the Africa Initiative to its Abu Dhabi campus. This initiative aims to demystify Africa and support its efforts to create leaders with a global mindset who are able to operate across multiple cultures and geographies. The new effort will also enhance INSEAD's presence and relevance in Africa, reinforcing the school's mission of broadening its international network.

Africa is well on its way to becoming a real player in the world economy. Many African countries are experiencing strong economic growth and receiving significant inward flows from investors looking to benefit from the huge opportunities being deployed successfully by African companies. However, the African continent continues to remain seriously underrepresented in global business, both in terms of participants and content. 

 To fulfil this mission, INSEAD's Africa Initiative will:

- Bring more African perspectives to INSEAD's MBA and Executive Education programmes by identifying and recruiting top African talent

- Provide future business leaders with greater exposure to African content (cases, experiences, speakers, events)

- Train African leaders by increasing their participation in INSEAD's programmes and developing new programmes for leaders and organisations in Africa and the Middle East

- Enhance the institutional capacity of business schools in Africa

- Expand INSEAD's outreach and network in Africa by building strategic partnerships with the private sector, public sector and academia

Loïc Sadoulet, Director of the INSEAD Africa Initiative, is scheduled to speak at the Africa Finance & Investment Forum 2009 (AFIF) taking place in Amsterdam on 13-15 December. The event, which is expecting some 300 participants from Africa, Europe, the Middle East and the U.S., will focus on the strategic role of Partnerships for Growth & Development in Africa. Prof Sadoulet will participate in a panel session entitled 'Boosting the African Economy through Entrepreneurship', which will cover some of the challenges developers face and how they can attract new partnerships and opportunities for long-term economic growth.

'Africa is changing and its playing an increasingly important role in shaping the global economic landscape.  As the Business School for the World, we need to ensure our participants and partners get an accurate understanding of the maturation of the African contexts, and foster exchange of ideas and perspectives to leverage the exciting economic changes into opportunities,' says Sadoulet.

For more information on INSEAD's Africa Initiative or the Africa Finance & Investment Forum 2009, please visit http://www.insead.edu/facultyresearch/centres/isic/africa/ or http://www.emrc.be/

- Ends -

About INSEAD, The Business School for the World
As one of the world's leading and largest graduate business schools, INSEAD brings together people, cultures and ideas from around the world to change lives and transform organisations. This worldly perspective and cultural diversity are reflected in all aspects of our research and teaching.

With three campuses in Europe (France), in Asia (Singapore) and in the Middle East (Abu Dhabi), a research centre in Israel and an office in New York, INSEAD extends the reach of its business education and research across three continents. Our 145 renowned faculty members from 36 countries inspire more than 1,000 degree participants in our MBA, Executive MBA and PhD programmes. In addition, more than 9,500 executives participate in INSEAD's executive education programmes. With the INSEAD-Wharton Alliance, we deliver MBA and co-branded executive education programmes on Wharton's U.S. campuses in Philadelphia and San Francisco, as well as on our campuses in Asia and Europe.

This academic year is an important milestone for INSEAD as we celebrate half a century of success. Fifty years ago, INSEAD pioneered the concept of international business education - and we're still innovating across all of our programmes, not to mention our cutting-edge research. The world and INSEAD have developed dramatically in the course of the last fifty years, but the core values on which INSEAD were founded have remained constant. These principles have enabled INSEAD's entrepreneurial spirit to evolve and the school has grown into a truly global force.

Today's organisations need leaders with the knowledge and sensitivity to operate anywhere in the world. This is why business turns to INSEAD - to develop the next generation of transcultural leaders.

More information about INSEAD can be found at www.insead.edu


For more information, please contact:
Middle East
Joe Chedid, INSEAD Abu Dhabi Campus
Tel +97124460808 ext. 113
 Email joe.chedid@insead.edu

© Press Release 2009