Inside INSEAD Campus Life: Fontainebleau vs. Singapore
- Sadaf Raza
- Aug 22
- 5 min read
Your INSEAD campus life can begin with a desire for global exposure and a wish to immerse yourself in diverse cultures. As one of the world’s leading business schools, INSEAD offers students two distinct campuses: Fontainebleau in France, and Singapore each with its unique character. Many students split their time between two or more locations, gaining invaluable insights into markets across Europe and Asia. From studying in a historic forest setting to navigating a bustling cityscape, the experience shapes both professional growth and personal development. In this guide, we provide a detailed explanation to help you understand how each INSEAD campus aligns with your aspirations and lifestyle.
What Is Campus Life Like at Each Location?
While the INSEAD culture is ripe at all locations, your life at INSEAD can be quite different depending on your choice of campus.
At INSEAD Fontainebleau, the campus is situated on the edge of the famous Fontainebleau Forest. Cobblestone paths wind between ivy‑clad buildings and leafy groves found at Boulevard de Constance, 77305 Fontainebleau. Classes are held in contemporary lecture halls and renovated facilities. The pace here is measured, allowing you to form strong bonds with classmates in small tutorial groups.
Evening gatherings often take place by the pond or in the student lounge, where debates on global strategy flow as freely as the coffee. This setting has proven to nurture deep friendships and collective learning.
Singapore: Urban, Fast-Paced, Deeply Connected to Asian Markets
Stepping off the one-north MRT, you arrive at a sleek, skyscraper‑backed campus at 1 Ayer Rajah Avenue, 138676 Singapore. INSEAD Singapore’s energy is electric. Case discussions often reference live market data from across Asia. Industry visits to fintech hubs, manufacturing giants and start‑up incubators are frequent. Networking events frequently take place in rooftop bars or convention centers, providing direct access to regional business leaders. Students thrive on the city’s efficiency and multicultural vibrancy, balancing rigorous academic schedules with weekend trips to Sentosa or cultural festivals.
INSEAD also has 2 other campuses in the Middle East and San Francisco, how are they different?
While the core offering at the Fontainebleau and Singapore campuses is similar, the Abu Dhabi and San Francisco locations are not home to the full time MBA program.
Abu Dhabi: Executive‑oriented, EMBA Centre, Regional Focus on the Middle East
The INSEAD Abu Dhabi campus is an Executive Education and EMBA Centre and does not host the full-time MBA programme. Its modern campus at Al Khatem Tower, 29th and 30th floors, ADGM Square, Al Maryah Island, caters primarily to experienced professionals enrolled in GEMBA modules, open enrolment executive programmes and custom corporate trainings. Guest speakers include Middle Eastern CEOs and policymakers, and case studies often explore energy, infrastructure and sovereign wealth strategies. The executive cohorts are tight, sharing meals in the campus café and enjoying desert safaris or mosque tours on weekends. This environment nurtures strategic thinking in a region undergoing rapid transformation.
San Francisco: Specialized Innovation Hub, Executive and GEMBA Modules
The INSEAD San Francisco Hub, opened in 2020 in the South of Market district, serves as a specialised outpost rather than a full campus. It acts as a bridge to the North American business and technology ecosystem, hosting executive education short courses, rotating Global EMBA (GEMBA) module weeks and alumni events. While it does not offer the full-time MBA programme, the hub caters to executives, entrepreneurs, corporate clients and INSEAD alumni seeking lifelong learning. With modern classrooms, co-working spaces and innovation labs, the centre focuses on digital transformation, leadership, innovation and entrepreneurship. Here, you can attend executive programmes, participate in networking and innovation events, join GEMBA module weeks for North American convenience and engage in alumni lifelong-learning opportunities.
How to Choose the Right INSEAD Campus?
Your choice of campus will depend largely on your career goals. A big part of the INSEAD experience is creating the right network to support your future ambitions and location matters: more European banks host on-campus events in France while Asian multi-nationals recruit heavily in Singapore. Beyond getting face to face with recruiters, it is also about reaching out to alumni and creating a relevant support system which is easier to do in a shared geography. From a practical perspective, it is easier to interview with firms when you are in the same time zone as they are, and ideally reachable for a face to face meeting.
However, most INSEADERs do a campus exchange. Ask any alumni, how they planned the timing of the exchange, and if they are honest like me, they will tell you it is often based on the weather! Summers are better in Europe and winters in Asia! (Spoken like a true brit, I know!)
How does INSEAD Campus rotation work?
MBA students can bid for campus exchange between Fontainebleau and Singapore, typically from Period 3 onwards. While INSEAD ensures the ability to exchange campuses at least once, the specific period is not guaranteed and depends on bidding success and capacity constraints. Executive MBA participants may visit another campus for certain modules.
Day in the Life of an INSEAD Student
A typical morning might start early with a core lecture, followed by a quick coffee with group members. Midday workshops or guest lectures occupy the afternoon. Evenings are for group projects, networking dinners or club meetings: be it the Entrepreneurship Club or the Women in Business group. Weekends vary by campus: in Fontainebleau, you might hike in the forest; in Singapore, you could explore street markets; in Abu Dhabi, you may visit the Louvre or take part in a leadership seminar.
What Role Does Community Play in the INSEAD Experience?
Clubs are the heartbeat of INSEAD. You’ll find industry dinners hosted by the Consulting Club or finance treks organised by the Private Equity Club. Peer learning is central: you’ll tackle case studies in multicultural teams, drawing on classmates’ varied backgrounds. Cross‑cultural bonding happens naturally, whether through language tandems, festival celebrations, or informal coffee chats. These connections often become lifelong professional networks.
Each INSEAD campus delivers a distinct flavour of global business education. Fontainebleau offers a tight‑knit, historic retreat; Singapore provides a high‑octane urban learning lab; Abu Dhabi focuses exclusively on executive and EMBA modules rather than the full-time MBA. Your ideal choice depends on your career goals, the INSEAD student experience and preferred setting.
As an INSEAD alumna and interviewer for the MBA program in London, I offer personalized support to help applicants get into INSEAD with a 98% success rate. If you are keen to study at INSEAD, reach out to me to benefit from a complimentary 1-1 consultation and start your INSEAD journey with expert support.
Comments