INSEAD receives transformational €15 million gift to accelerate the development of the Human and Mac

A milestone in strengthening INSEAD's leadership in adopting a responsible, human-centered approach to artificial intelligence

CHRM NEWS Fontainebleau (France), Singapore, Abu Dhabi (UAE), San Francisco (US), 19 January 2026 – INSEAD, The Business School for the World, today announced a transformational €15 million gift from an alumnus and longstanding donor to accelerate the development of the Human and Machine Intelligence Institute (HUMII).  The largest gift received to date for the HUMII, it marks a significant step in advancing INSEAD’s ambition to lead business education and research on the human-centred and responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) in business.

“INSEAD shaped my own thinking and career. I believe in its mission and trust its leadership,” said the donor. “Artificial intelligence offers significant opportunities, alongside critical questions for business and society. With HUMII, I want to help ensure INSEAD stays at the forefront by providing relevant research and insights that help leaders navigate this transformation effectively and thoughtfully.”  

Research lies at the heart of INSEAD’s mission to bring together people, cultures and ideas to develop responsible leaders who transform business and society.  As AI accelerates change across industries, organisations increasingly rely on rigorous, globally informed research to understand how human and machine intelligence can work together. Humans bring context, experience and judgement; AI contributes speed, precision and analytical power. HUMII brings these strengths together to enhance decision-making and performance – ensuring that technology supports human leadership and enables teams to work smarter and create meaningful impact. 

Launched in early 2025, HUMII explores how AI can enhance human capability across business and society. Built on strong foundations in research, teaching and service, HUMII reflects INSEAD’s commitment to AI across all its dimensions. Anchored in rigorous research, INSEAD connects discovery to education — shaping both what we teach and how we teach — while extending into engagement with leaders and organisations and informing the way we work as a school.

“AI is reshaping how we live and work, and INSEAD has a responsibility to help leaders understand what this means for people and organisations,” said Francisco Veloso, Dean of INSEAD. “This gift strengthens our ability to advance AI research, attract leading scholars and translate knowledge into education and impact, guided by academic rigour and a global outlook. We are deeply grateful for this exceptional generosity and the trust placed in us by our donor.”

“This gift comes at a pivotal moment,” added Lily Fang, Dean of Research and Innovation and academic leader of HUMII. “HUMII enables INSEAD to advance research at the intersection of human and artificial intelligence – a space where thoughtful leadership is urgently needed.  This exceptional support allows us to deepen our work, accelerate discovery, and expand the global impact of our research.”

Since inception, HUMII has mobilised faculty expertise, alumni engagement, and global partnerships. It has convened multi-campus AI Forums, launched cross-disciplinary research initiatives and began integrating cutting-edge AI content into INSEAD’s curriculum.