Thet Mesias | May 8, 2019

The Aboitiz Group, through Aboitiz Foundation, made a historic donation of over half-a-billion pesos ($10 million) to the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) Scientific Research Foundation to help address the demand for skills and talent in data science and innovation in the country as well as the region.

Named the Aboitiz 100th Anniversary Commitment Fund to mark Aboitiz & Company’s 100th year of incorporation in 2020, the endowment will support AIM’s degree programs, professorial chairs, student loan programs, as well as site and facilities improvement at the newly renamed Aboitiz School of Innovation, Technology & Entrepreneurship (ASITE) ー a move that the Institute believes will address the demands of an emerging knowledge and technology economy in Asia.

This is our way of giving back to the country that has been very good to us for 100 years now. The Group has made a name for itself in its corporate social responsibility efforts, but we truly believe that it is through our businesses that we actually make the greatest impact on improving the quality of life of our fellow Filipinos. The donation is in line with our promise of advancing business and communities.

– Erramon I. Aboitiz, Chairman, Aboitiz Foundation

 

“Over the past 50 years, AIM has contributed immensely to sustaining the growth of businesses and societies, not only in the Philippines, but in Asia, by developing professional, entrepreneurial, and socially responsible managers and leaders. Similarly, sustainability is at the core of our growth story anchored on our philosophy that we can do well by doing good, always making the right long-term decisions that balance the interests of people, planet, and profit,” said Aboitiz.

“With the Aboitiz 100th Anniversary Commitment Fund, we hope that this new innovation-focused school will be able to benefit AIM as it leads and blazes new trails, to inspire real-world learning, and to transform principled leaders,” he added.

 

AIM’s ASITE degree program offerings are Master in Entrepreneurship (ME), Master of Science in Innovation and Business (MSIB), and Master of Science in Data Science (MSDS). These programs are expected to raise a new breed of professionals whose competencies in leadership and management are strongly complemented by an entrepreneurial, innovative, and tech-oriented mindset and skillset adept at navigating the complexities of Industry 4.0.

Indeed, the establishment of the new ASITE is a key innovation of the institute, acting as a catalyst that engenders impactful change. It boosts AIM’s commitment to training future-ready leaders who can create, develop, and sustain new engines for growth within the region.

– Dr. Jikyeong Kang, President and Dean, AIM

ASITE provides a stage for innovators, data scientists, and entrepreneurs to work together and produce actionable insights that foster innovation, create value across industries and society, and generate positive impact, especially within the Asian context.

 

 

In the midst of exponentially growing technological progress, the school’s goal is to provide our students with a collaborative environment that enables them to develop their core competencies while interacting and networking with peers who can and would be potential partners.

– Peter D. Garrucho, Jr., OBE, Chairman of the AIM Board of Trustees, Asian Institute of Management

The donation will also sustain the school’s interest-free student loan program, which AIM expects to broaden its target market and give talented and motivated young people who cannot otherwise pay their tuition fees the opportunity to have an AIM education.

The Aboitiz School enrollees totaled 167 students in ME, MSIB, and MSDS in 2019, a big jump from only 75 students in ME and MSIB in 2017. AIM expects the number to exceed 200 next year.

“We are growing the number gradually to ensure that the quality of the teaching and learning experience is maintained,” Dr. Kang said.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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