The Asian Institute of Management campus sits in the heart of Makati, the financial and leisure district of Manila.
A cosmopolitan location
When students come to AIM, they find an amazing range of activities and conveniences within walking distance from our campus: trendsetting shopping malls, the best boutique shops, international restaurants and cafes, hotels, groceries, pharmacies, local and international banks, music and live performance venues, art galleries, theaters, gyms, salons, spas, and parks. The Makati Stock Exchange, the Makati Medical Center, and the rest of the central business district are also just a few minutes away.
A supportive, multicultural learning environment
With a mix of Southeast Asian sensibilities and Hispanic traditions found nowhere else in the world, the Philippines is an ideal training ground for truly global Asian leader-managers. Communication and cultural understanding between locals and visiting foreigners come easily, with both English and Filipino as official languages.
AIM's compact campus and smaller class sizes give everyone the opportunity to get to know (and learn from) one another.
The Institute does not compromise on its student selection standards. Despite a growing number of degree program applicants in the last 5 years, only 44.8% of the applicants in the MBA program were accepted. On the other hand, the MM and MDM programs reflect higher acceptance results at 67.4% and 51.2% since their applicants are generally mid-career level professionals and NGO leaders who are in a relatively better position to meet program qualifications.
And unlike many Asian business degree programs in the region that tend to be culturally homogenous, AIM has an international student population. Aside from helping develop each other's cross-cultural skills, students provide one another with a whole set of new ideas or experiences.
It is standard AIM policy to attact as wide a specrum of overseas students as possible. To date, although Filipinos still remain the biggest single nationality on campus at 55.3%, overseas students now account for 44.7% of the student population.
The Student Association supervises all existing student clubs, and liaises with AIM administration and groups or companies outside of AIM. Active clubs under the SA include:
- Finance Club
- Marketing Club
- Philanthropic Activities Society (PACTS)
- Association of Asian Managers, Inc. (AAMI)
- Perspectives (student publication)
Annual Celebrations, Holidays & Activities
AIM has its own set of annual celebrations, which have become tradition. Some of these are national holidays that require AIM administrative and faculty offices to close (with the exception of key security and engineering personnel).
Deepavali
Deepavali or Diwali is the Hindu Festival of Lights around late October or early November. By recalling the vanquishing of the demon Ravana by Lord Rama, Deepavali symbolizes triumph of good over evil, of hope over despair, and of righteousness over falsehood.
In AIM, this festival is marked by decorating the campus with rows and rows of candlelights. Students create colored rice mosaics on the ground, and mount a performance of the story of Rama and Sita. Women wear bright, flowing saris, and the men don their best khurtas. There is exuberant Indian music, dancing, singing, and a buffet of spicy Indian dishes and delicacies.
Eid ul-Fitr (End of Ramadan)
The end of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting, is a national holiday in the Philippines. In keeping with the solemnity of this feast day, most AIM administrative staff and faculty offices will be closed.
Note: Although Eid ul-Fitr is always on the same day of the lunar Islamic calendar, the date on the solar Gregorian calendar varies from year to year. This difference in calendars means Eid ul-Fitr moves in the Gregorian calendar approximately 11 days earlier every year.
Christmas
Commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, Christmas at AIM is celebrated Filipino style. In the Philippines, the anticipation of Christmas is itself one long celebration. Traditional Christmas parols (Filipino Christmas lanterns), belen (Filipino tableus of the Nativity scene), Christmas trees and other lighted decor begin to appear as early as November, and multiply in December as Christmas Day (December 25) approaches. The AIM campus is no exception to this practice. The celebration then culminates with a "Christmas Party" a few days before the actual date, with food, a special programme with musical presentations from both AIM staff and the students, contests and games, and dancing.
Most AIM administrative staff and faculty offices will then be closed for the week of December 25, and resume the following week.
New Year
As with the rest of the Philippines after Christmas, AIM closes again for the coming of the New Year. The holiday actually begins on December 30 (Andres Bonifacio Day), onwards to New Year's Eve on December 31 and New Year's Day on January 1. AIM re-opens all offices on the first working day that follows.
Chinese New Year
At the beginning of the lunar calendar (usually late January or early February), AIM marks the start of another Chinese year. A dragon and lion dance, fireworks, a showcase of Chinese food and fashion, red lanterns – these are just some of the features of Chinese New Year celebrations. AIM's Chinese and Filipino-Chinese students take the lead in organizing traditionally rowdy festivities.
AIM Anniversary and International Week
AIM celebrates its anniversary with weeklong activities set usually towards the end of February or the start of March.
A formal flag-raising ceremony with several ambassadors and AIM community members signals the start of the AIM Anniversary and International Week. A week-long fair featuring over a dozen different country booths is held in the middle of the campus garden. Each national booth sells exhibits or exhibits unique products, tourist attractions and cultural practices, and is managed by AIM students.
The week's activities also include the AIM Alumni Association's reunion celebration, the Triple A Awards Night, special public lectures by notable speakers, and the annual Board of Governors and Board of Trustees Multistakeholder Meeting, where both students and alumni are given a chance to interact with members of both boards.