60 Years of Excellence
It’s in our DNA

Our History

The world has changed dramatically in the 60 years since INSEAD opened its doors, but we have upheld our founding vision. See the key milestones that have shaped our history – and our impact on the world – over six decades.

Our History

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Founding Values

  • Rigour and Relevance

    Impactful teaching and rigorous research that address the world’s greatest challenges

  • Independence

    Agile, daring and responsive to global change

  • Diversity

    Harnessing diversity to fire up innovation and creativity

  • Closeness to Business

    Empowering leaders globally for a better tomorrow

  • Entrepreneurial Spirit

    Bold, innovative and ready to take risks

Values

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Pioneers

Georges Doriot

French-born American, pioneering venture capitalist and Harvard Business School professor who founded INSEAD in 1957 with seed funding from the Chambre de Commerce de Paris.

Georges Doriot
Claude Janssen

Doriot’s principle agent in France whose tireless work was instrumental in getting INSEAD off the ground, giving value and voice to his great friend’s vision.

Claude Janssen
Olivier Giscard d’Estaing

A former student of Doriot’s who, in 1958, became INSEAD's first Director of Studies. In this role, he led the recruiting of talented professors and a diverse, high-calibre student body.  

Olivier Giscard d’Estaing
Jean Marcou

President of the Chambre de Commerce de Paris in 1957, he became Founder-Chairman of INSEAD and was instrumental in garnering support and finance from the corporate and banking sectors.

Jean Marcou
Jean Raindre

Another of Doriot’s former HBS students, who worked with Giscard d’Estaing and Janssen to formalise the school’s operational and academic details.

Jean Raindre
Jean Martin

Former head of education at the Chambre de Commerce de Paris who was an advocate for the school and a champion of Doriot’s vision from the outset.

Jean Martin
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Stories

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Decades
60 Years of Excellence
A decade after World War II, Georges Doriot realised an extraordinary vision – an international business school in Europe.
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Decades
General Georges F. Doriot The Founder of INSEAD

As we celebrate the

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Decades
1950s - A New Vision
The two years between the establishment of INSEAD as an institution in 1957 and the first class enroling in 1959 were a whirlwind of activity.
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Decades
1960s - Pioneering Spirit
The looming question in the 1960s was consistent with all start-ups — would the entrepreneurial effort work?
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Decades
1970s - Expanding Our Influence
After proving to be a revolutionary academic institution, INSEAD embarked on the challenge of expansion.
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Decades
1980s - From Institute to Institution
The next challenge was to evolve from a ground-breaking business school into a world-changing, comprehensive management institution.
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Decades
1990s - Going Global
With increasing resources pointed toward research and a new doctoral programme, INSEAD entered the 1990s as a fully fledged management institution.
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Decades
2000s - The Business School for the World
As INSEAD entered the new century, the school expanded its vision and scope beyond the founders’ dreams.
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Decades
2010s - Exploring New Horizons
Physical, geographical and conceptual growth of INSEAD – and propagation of core values – continued at full speed in the second decade of the young century.

INSEAD in the News – First Edition

Check out the very first news reports about The Business School for the World. What did the FT, Le Monde, Time Magazine and US President Eisenhower say about us in 1959? Take a walk down memory lane...

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INSEAD in the News – First Edition