​Summer@INSEAD has a guest! A journalist from Vanity Fair has been interviewing students, counsellors and organisers of Summer@INSEAD to find out more about our fantastic program!
 
It’s the second to last day of YFCD and we have one last surprise for the students…  Counsellor Theana (along with Counsellor Ben) was instrumental to alarming the students. Here, she’s written a little about their plot of media nightmare. 
 
“We all listen to the radio in the car on the way to work, read the newspaper whilst eating breakfast or watch TV half-awake in the morning. But how often do we get to play the part on the other side. This is the job Ben and I woke up to this morning: BBC interviewer, Jamie Halden. With our BBC badges and microphones, we received the students in our specially designed studios. I thought myself to be unprepared for the job, having gone through the scripted questions only a couple of times, however this was nothing compared to the nervous bewilderment of the students as they took their seats around the table facing the iPhone used as camera. Though they had been expecting a laid-back promotional interview reporting the way they were running the company they had just acquired, but I had different intentions. I eagerly questioned each one of the team members on issues facing the company, attempting to trap them into making compromising statements. In panicked responses, they attempted to ease my pestering with varying degrees of success. The only thing that seemed to make these 10 minutes of intense dialogue worth-while was the discovery at the end that they could join the team acting as protesting employees, banging on the windows as other teams’ interviews took place. For me, the experience was (probably to the students’ dismay) quite entertaining, although I must say that I will now probably listen to the news from a different angle.”

​The students were more ‘blugh’ than ‘bla’ this morning as we all piled on the bus at 07:30am en route to BlaBlaCar headquarters in Paris. BlaBlaCar is an innovative car sharing service, which builds trust based on personal ratings and encourages conversation during, what, would have been long, boring journeys. BlaBlaCar’s values of ‘Fun&Serious’, fashion a workspace that resembles more of an adult playground than a traditional office. Dorky photo booths, modern granola dispensers, randomly placed foam cubes, colouring-in books, and colourful bunting and wall decoration impressed the students. It also helped that, upon arrival, we were presented with an impressive Parisian breakfast banquet in the headquarters’ lobby. Intrigued by the layout of the headquarters, students settled into a presentation and discussion by Nicolas Brusson, co-founder of BlaBlaCar.
 
Monsieur Brusson introduced his adventure of establishing and building a start-up. Marcus asked about the branding of the company – what importance does the brand of ‘BlaBla’ have, and its affects it has on the company’s business model of rapid expansion.  Monsieur Brusson also discussed the strategy for expanding outside of France and Europe, and Sarah enquired about how the company built a successful relationship of trust between strangers. After a tour around the offices upstairs, some students began to envision themselves working in a similar environment of creativity and innovation, however Counsellor Jules was particularly passionate about our visit to BlaBlaCars, as he contributes to the Ambassador team!
 
The afternoon saw Summer@INSEAD students take over Les Champs Elysees for a couple hours. While some opted for 20+ chicken nuggets each, the girls took the opportunity to explore the famous boutiques of Paris, the delicious macaroons and the counsellors indulged in a family sized bread basket for lunch.
 
After some free time exploring Les Champs Elysees, we convened at Les Frigos in the 13th quartier of Paris. Les Frigos is an area famed for street art and community life. Despite being taught from an early age not to draw on walls… students branded Summer@INSEAD in paint, as well as taking the opportunity to tag their names on the wall in a graffiti workshop.
 
We arrived back home late, and enjoyed another filling INSEAD dinner, and off to bed, with dreams (or perhaps nightmares) of the YFCD filled day to come… 

Imagine the possibilities, the potential, the problems … the power.

What aspirations would you have if you were ruler of the world?

Professor Subi Rangan’s first question in his lecture on Societal Progress provoked passionate conversation. We debated our global potential, and challenged our current perception. For example, according to most students, the current world order would only receive a C grade…. So we discussed what world order aspirations would have to be achieved to reach an A grade.

What do we prioritise? Eliminating prejudice? Guaranteeing trust in politics? Empowerment through education? Greater understanding of mental health? Collective climate change action? Sustainable living?
Students discussed the reality of their aspirations, as well as their various opinions on what would be best, where and why. Are these aspirations, choices or decisions? Where is the moral responsibility? Are we the generation to make this happen? As you can imagine, the discussion would have been endless, if not for Professor Rangan’s second question…

What principles do we rely on, in order to take action with our aspirations?

In true Rangan fashion, his ‘hunter-gatherer of information’ like style engaged a multitude of examples from a variety of issues forcing students to think critically. We discussed that we as human beings are driven by a desire for order and peace. In addition, we rely on the government as our biggest form of authority to implement this. Secondly, we advocate ethical intelligence and action and the role of NGO’s to enthuse charity, morality and fairness. Thirdly, human behaviour is largely stimulated by competition and the need for progress. In this sense firms influence the principle of ‘betterment’ and prosperity. Overall, when discussing aspiration, we should consider how the world is and how the world ought to be.

Personally I found one of the most striking points made today was the power of ideas and imagination. However, it was the decision or rather choice that we can make that makes us either a Slave of Success (S.O.S.) or a Bundle of Resilient Energy (B.O.R.E.).
The lessons and challenges of today resonate with the Serenity Prayer. In order to successfully understand your unique role in the team of bettering the progress of society, it is essential to realise your potential and acknowledge your own limits. In that sense we have the energy, and wisdom to achieve.

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

​The second week starts off with the usual debrief by Peter Zemsky. Students discuss the lessons and difficulties experienced during the teamwork. The lesson of the day was on business strategy. This class is lead by no other than Peter, the Deputy Dean of INSEAD. The class objective is to give the students an insight into digital strategy in business. Previously, the students had received several documents concerning the creation and development of an impressive company: BlaBlaCar. Since there is a meeting organised on Wednesday with one of the founders of the firm, the class largely takes the latter as an example of a successful business strategy. It is extremely useful for the students since they can see how discussions on strategy are suitable for real-life problems.
After lunch, students get an even more precise insight into how BlaBlaCar became so successful, and also the general value created by this firm. Students seem particularly interested, perhaps because most of them said they would be very interested in working for a start-up in the next 15 years.
 
Later in the afternoon, students have the option to participate in various social activities. One of the counsellors takes a couple of students to the swimming. Two other counsellors take a somewhat larger group to the supermarket to fill up on snacks. A final group head over to the football pitch, and another huge game occurs. As usual the game competition increases with every goal, foul and pass, and whist the two counsellors spend their time trying to tackle one another, the man of the match reward most certainly goes to Vicci and Pauline. Indeed, the only two girls courageous enough show that whilst being half the size of the boys, their pace and skills are way too much to take on for their opponents. Most of all, this is all done with a huge smile on their faces, quite a contrast from most players on the pitch who, as typical football players, (even I must admit this), spend their time moaning and complaining.
 
These activities lead to a well-deserved dinner. However, the students do not yet realize that the evening will also be a tough one. Indeed, their YFCD programme is far from over, and the workload for tonight is particularly intense. Still, all students seem to rejoice in this activity, and face the new problems that arise in the company with an amount of composure and maturity that does not cease to amaze me. For once, the students have to extend the curfew a little in order to finish their task. As always, all groups do not only finish the work, but also make sure the piece they hand in is excellent. Somewhat representative of INSEAD I should say.

 Day one started with an early breakfast with all the counsellors and Pascale, Sabine and Marie-Angelique. As students started to arrive, Ben and Ellie greeted them, and led everyone to registration to meet Theana, Jules, Hugo, Carmen and Nathalie. Bags were put away, friends were made, and everyone made their way outside to chat and play football in the sun – no rest for the jetlag!

​

Elegance, majesty, stately and dignified would not be the words to describe counsellors Ellie and Ben as they embraced the impressive Palace of Fontainebleau in rented Georgian costumes. Embarrassed students dispersed quickly around the lake, grounds and myriad of rooms as the counsellors set off in sweaty pursuit. The Palace of Fontainebleau is one of France’s largest royal ‘châteaux’. The medieval castle and later château was the residence of French monarchs from Louis VII through Napoleon III. Despite its beauty and the luxurious lifestyle of its inhabitants, we still couldn’t understand why the beds were so small and why there were so many chairs… 

Students were also given the opportunity to visit the local market where a fish head was bought and made to be passed round the students throughout the day.  I can’t, for the life of me, find an explanation for this bizarre simulation of ‘pass the parcel’.  Or perhaps they’ve been wrongfully inspired by The Godfather…

This afternoon, not for the first time, saw the counsellors climb the walls. This time it was a team building exercise and not sending the older boys to bed at curfew. Bouldering and wall climbing teams were set up and we saw Trym dominate the pull-ups and many students reaching the top of the more challenging walls. 

The evening passed with more challenges been thrown at the YFCD groups as they tried to keep up with demanding corporate emails as well as set up a vision for their new company.

Karaoke is set up for the after dinner activities and with a preview of singing talent from last night’s talent show we’re expecting a great night! 
​

​                        DAY 6: THE COMPANY IS OURS
 
6:30 am-alarm clocks start buzzing for the most courageous ones. Indeed, Theana and Hugo (two counsellors) have volunteered to take the willing students on a very early run. Theana is swiftly leading a group of girls around a clear pathway in the Fontainebleau forest. On the other hand Hugo is trying to lead a group of enthusiastic boys through a few unknown paths. Worse, he realises that he may be the one who will struggle to keep up with these athletes!
Following this morning activity comes a well-deserved breakfast, and at 8:45 is the usual debrief lead by counsellors and Miguel Lobo. The students have well understood the classes from the day before, and have heard the final information on the upcoming talent show.
 
However, the most important part of the day is most certainly what comes just after; the beginning of YFCD! This acronym means “Your First Hundred Days” (with the letter C referring to the roman numeral 100). For the remainder of the program, students will be facing the very difficult but incredible experience of simulating the acquisition and then the managing of an imagined company, Maywood Cycles. At the heart of this program is Adrian Johnson, teacher at INSEAD. Over the weeks preceding Summer@INSEAD he sent the students many documents covering the details of the company, from the history of the company, to the financials or the production route of the bicycles. This will all be very new for the students, who however seem extremely eager to learn. In groups of 5, they have already created themselves a team name, (some very funny ones) and decided which role each member of the group will take on.
 
During the morning session, Adrian shows the students a couple of videos of the different members of the staff of Maywood Cycles, and also gives quite a bit of information on more precise and specific details of the company. This will prove to be crucial in the following negotiations between students and counsellors, who will be taking on various roles during the process, such as representatives of HSBC.
A little before 11 o’clock, students regrouped and started preparing for the upcoming meetings.
 
Then follows a series of quick meetings between each group and several entities.  The students must negotiate the best possible deal for their new company.  The negotiations are intense, as each group is trying very hard to prove how they have the upper hand. The rapid lunch break is used as a way for all to regroup and prepare for the next meeting. The afternoon is thus quite similar; intensity has not dropped, as the students are faced with new difficulties within their firm. Adrian then steps in to reflect on the day and explain the students how they should have approached each situation. This is extremely useful for the students, who will now be able to reflect on these experiences and thus be more prepared on how to react if the same situation were to occur in their lifetime.
 
Late afternoon, students can now go outside and enjoy the sun. They now face a lighter task of teamwork. Indeed they are put into larger groups and have to prepare for an upcoming kart race. However it is not that simple, they must modify their kart in order for it to gain speed. Smiles can be seen everywhere, as each group discusses the best way to approach the situation. In the end, it can be called a win for everyone, as clearly all have enjoyed it, and students now rush to dinner.
 
The final activity of the day consists of a movie about a failed attempt to climb Mount Everest. This movie, along with a written story that the students received prior to the program, are meant to prepare for the class of the following day. Indeed, Ludo Van Hayden (former Dean of INSEAD) will deliver a class on teamwork, by using these sources as examples. The students seem to enjoy and engage with the film very much.
They are also extremely pleased because they can enjoy an extra hour before curfew tonight! As usual, some are a little tired and decide to go to bed, some others are outside playing Ping-Pong and a final group are playing the piano/guitar, to the huge delight of the counsellors, still in awe of these talented students. Finally, a little reluctantly, the last students are brought to bed, as the first week of Summer@INSEAD comes to an end.

A select few of Summer@INSEAD’s bravest dared wake up at 7:00 AM for a grueling fitness session with the counsellors on the cold morning of August 4th.
​
Only the session was not so much grueling as it was refreshing. And it was arguably a rather cool summer morning, as it usually is. Nonetheless, Summer@INSEAD remains a place of miracles; only here can you experience the phenomenon of teenagers waking up at 7:00, in August, during their summer holidays. 

Your current state of bewildered awe is understandable, and most likely relatable.

A handful of cold showers later, paired with the onomatopoeic clatter and clang of breakfast, and 70 fresh faced students (this is an overstatement) sat in Amphi B awaiting eagerly the arrival of Miguel Lobo (this is an understatement).

In his return to Summer@INSEAD, Miguel reshaped our view of decisions in his course Decision Making: The Hidden Traps. Although they may appear as one dimensional, black and white choices that we must make every day of our lives, there is a multitude of aspects to be considered when approaching a decision. We must analyze the language of the decisions we are asked to take in order to protect ourselves from any bias’s subconsciously felt when considering the best course of action. How do we do this? Miguel Lobo never ceased to remind us; ask questions. Questions allow us to deepen our understanding of what faces us throughout decision making, and allows us to pass from a state of unconscious incompetence to one of conscious competence (that was a mouthful!)

An important conclusion that can be drawn, on which both Professor’s Lobo and Sinaceur were adamant is the following: questions will always pave the way to a better understanding. We must never shy away from because they are “stupid” or because we think we “know” something. An important quote comes to mind: 

” To know that we know what we know and that we do not know what we do not know, that is true knowledge”. 

August 4th finished with an intense face off between the rugby and football factions of Summer@INSEAD. Inevitably, rugby players were forced to play football, due to the wildly ephemeral nature of football players. From afar, it probably resembled rugby; the footballers lay rolling around on the ground clutching their uninjured limbs, while the rugby players kept abreast of their ignorance of footballing law, by blissfully breaking every rule in the book.

A hearty dinner later, the campers enjoyed their small festivities before returning to their natural habitats; their beds.

Special thanks to Miguel Lobo!

A morning spent at Accenture in Paris provided us with an insight into the creative world of innovative ideas and technology. Iron Man-esque computer systems, ticklish robots, mind-reading drones and lots and lots of sandwiches took up the majority of the morning. Monsieur Berthon, Managing Director of Digital Strategy at Accenture talked to us about the potential and possibilities of developing technology to alter our lifestyles. We were inspired by the process of “ideation” – fostering an environment of innovation setting the foundations of an idea, creating a Rumble workshop of thoughts and ideas, creating a  mock-up or even a ‘pretotype’ (a pretend prototype to explore practicality and usability) and finally working towards developing the idea into a business opportunity. 
We were most interested in ethical responsibilities of technology design and innovation in medicine and health, the rise of a digital generation and the possibility of regressing into a greater anti-social society (Pokemon-Go comes to mind?) as well as the question to how and when this technology will arrive in schools. Needless to say, the Accenture tour asked critical questions regarding our digital future.

The afternoon we split into groups and took on Paris! Different groups explored the dark side of Paris and the Sweeney-Todd characters that inhabited the dark alleyways whilst some of us enjoyed the sweeter side and ate chocolate, caramel and petit-chou’s until we couldn’t walk! The French Revolution, WWII and Parisian landmarks were also tours to choose from. Whilst the counsellors slept on the bus back to Fontainebleau, the students reenergised with their stories of blood, torture, prisons…  cakes, chocolate, pain au chocolat…