The Aboitiz Group, through Aboitiz Foundation Inc, made a historic donation amounting to over half a billion pesos ($10 million) to the Asian Institute of Management’s Scientific Research Foundation Inc. to help address the demand for skills and talent in data science and innovation in the country as well as the region.
The Aboitiz 100th Anniversary Commitment Fund is in celebration of Aboitiz & Co.’s 100th anniversary in 2020.
“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,” said Aboitiz Foundation chairman Erramon Aboitiz.
The fund will support degree programs, professorial chairs, student loan programs and site and facilities improvement of the newly-renamed Aboitiz School of Innovation, Technology and Entrepreneurship at AIM—a move that the institute believes will address the demands of an emerging knowledge and technology economy in Asia.
“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,” Aboitiz said.
AIM offers the following programs at ASITE: Master in Entrepreneurship, the Master of Science in Innovation and Business and the Master of Science in Data Science degree programs. These programs are expected to generate a new breed of professionals whose competencies in leadership and management are strongly complemented by an entrepreneurial, innovative and tech-oriented mindset and skill set 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 of AIM, said.
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,” said Peter Garrucho Jr., chairman of the AIM board of trustees.
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,” Kang said.