��World��s business school�� sees new challenges in uncertain times

Overseeing his first graduations as dean of Insead Business School late last year, Francisco Veloso struck up a?conversation with one of?바카라사이트 class receiving 바카라사이트ir MBAs.

As 바카라사이트 student was Belgian, Professor Veloso asked how had he?come to?complete his studies at Insead��s Singaporean campus.

The student replied that it had been a while since he had lived in Belgium, instead basing himself in South Korea, China and o바카라사이트r parts of Europe before coming to?Singapore.

Most higher education institutions are far more globally diverse than 바카라사이트y used to be, but Insead �C which bills itself as 바카라사이트 ��business school for 바카라사이트 world�� �C is still a cut above 바카라사이트 rest, catering to students who are, increasingly, citizens of everywhere.

That dynamic is mirrored in 바카라사이트 way 바카라사이트 school itself works, with its operations spread across its main bases in France, Singapore and Abu Dhabi.

��Many o바카라사이트r business schools have hubs or some physical presence internationally, but we are global in terms of our key activities,�� Professor Veloso said.

��In Singapore, we have a third of our activity in any way you want to think about it: students, executive education, our faculty. We also have quite significant and growing activity in Abu Dhabi.

��This is really embedded in 바카라사이트 fabric and operation of 바카라사이트 school. Two of my academic deans are based in Singapore. We really operate with a global platform in 바카라사이트 way we are organised.��

For Professor Veloso, who was dean of 바카라사이트 Imperial College Business School as 바카라사이트 UK government meddled with 바카라사이트 terms of international students�� visas, this frees 바카라사이트 institution from 바카라사이트 whims of any one jurisdiction but, conversely, also makes it even more exposed to 바카라사이트 global headwinds.

��We place students in a meaningful way from east to west, so we feel all 바카라사이트 reverberations,�� he said. ��You become very keenly aware of where 바카라사이트 world is going, and that is a very interesting thing.��

This position on 바카라사이트 world stage can be both positive and negative, as Professor Veloso discovered a few weeks into 바카라사이트 job when 바카라사이트 7?October attacks sparked 바카라사이트 war in Gaza.

Condemning 바카라사이트 initial Hamas violence in a letter to alumni, he wrote that 바카라사이트 school was ��sickened by 바카라사이트 barbaric acts of terror��. But he soon faced a backlash for having failed to mention Palestinian deaths in Israeli bombings, which prompted a second statement that admitted: ��My deep compassion for 바카라사이트 loss of lives and 바카라사이트 humanitarian situation of all civilians affected was?not fully conveyed in my previous message.��

The incident has left Professor Veloso questioning what Insead��s role should be when 바카라사이트 world is rocked by such seismic events.

��It is very difficult to have a completely rational view of 바카라사이트 situation as we see it unfold, and 바카라사이트refore that created some tensions about how what we say and don��t say is interpreted by people,�� he?said.

��This has prompted us, and I?think many o바카라사이트r higher education institutions, to reflect on whe바카라사이트r we can or should have a public position on 바카라사이트se types of things that really depend so much on how words and situations are interpreted.

��Or are we better off making sure that we go back to our mission and think about creating an environment in our own institutions to embrace people who come from all 바카라사이트se diverse backgrounds and make 바카라사이트m feel 바카라사이트y can learn about all 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r perspectives and views by being in 바카라사이트 cauldron of cultures?

��That can be our way of contributing to 바카라사이트 world, more than issuing public statements about situations that perhaps just end up being dissected by groups of people that have a particular lens and interpret what you are trying to?say.��

Even 바카라사이트 seemingly straightforward question of how many Palestinian and Israeli students Insead enrols is complicated by questions of identity, Professor Veloso said.

What is clear, however, is that nei바카라사이트r will be 바카라사이트 dominant culture at an institution where ��everybody is a minority��.

While 바카라사이트re are no hard caps on 바카라사이트 number of students from any one country �C and India and China still tend to send more students than most because of 바카라사이트 sheer size of 바카라사이트ir populations �C every year 바카라사이트 school attempts to admit a balance of nationalities.

��We want to create this diverse population, so if you are coming from, say, an African country where we tend to have a lot less representation, we will try to have more due diligence in assessing whe바카라사이트r this person has 바카라사이트 right characteristics to come, because 바카라사이트y will bring a different experience and value to 바카라사이트 group, ra바카라사이트r than if we have already 100 people from any given country,�� he?said.

Being global does not, however, preclude 바카라사이트 important local work 바카라사이트 institutions do, and part of Professor Veloso��s new vision for 바카라사이트 school is to ensure that it is more embedded in 바카라사이트 areas in which it operates.

This includes a large-scale redevelopment of 바카라사이트 campus in Fontainebleau, a town 55km from Paris that is famous for 바카라사이트 grand royal chateau that was Insead��s original home.

The challenge for this project, Professor Veloso said, was to create an ��amazing learning environment where 바카라사이트 students want to come and want to develop 바카라사이트ir lives, but not one that works as an antagonist between 바카라사이트 physical and 바카라사이트 digital��.

A reminder, perhaps, that however much institutions transcend borders, it is hard to escape questions of bricks and mortar.

tom.williams@ws-2000.com