Q & A with Prof. Ricky Lim

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Prof. Ricky Lim, Associate Dean of the Washington SyCip Graduate School of Business of the Asian Institute of Management, was very gracious to answer a few questions about AIM, current events and prospective MBA students:

The AIM Blogger (TAB): In your opinion, what makes AIM very relevant today?
Ricky Lim (RL): This is the Asian century. The balance of economic power is swinging to Asia, particularly China and India. Understanding how these countries work is an imperative, because much of the production and brain power will come from these two countries--together they form what? 2.4 billion people, about a third of humanity.

But we smaller Asian countries play a role as well. You know Filipinos are the workers of the future. Have suitcase, will travel to just about anywhere, do anything. And send back 15 billion dollars a year. The Philippines may well be the new paradigm of economies: everything outsourced, nothing produced. Ditto for complex Indonesia, one of the last countries with such resource richness; Vietnam. Thailand. Malaysia. Singapore. Each with unique strengths; as a whole, a synergistic bunch, if only we can work together and understand each other. And we do not even mention Korea and Japan, economic powerhouses in their own right.

TAB: What misconception/s you have heard or read about AIM would you like to debunk?
RL: Like any insitution we will have our detractors. They have many misconceptions, but rather than argue them here, let's focus on some basic truths: even our critics will agree that we are a mean, hard program that breeds tough, seasoned managers. This trumps all our criticisms: by focusing on toughness and seasoning, misconceptions become irrelevant.

TAB: Why would you recommend AIM to a prospective MBA applicant?
RL: See 1) above. To elaborate, for positioning: our position can only help our MBAs deal with a complex, changing world. For rigor and discipline: we are a throwback to the old days of intense, hard training. For expansion: an AIM education will blow your mind--literally. The hard work will expand your absorptive capacity, and ultimately, your ability to out-think your competition.

In knowledge and content we are no different from other MBAs. Where we differ is we offer the hardest-driving, intense, and exhausting experience. Our students come out initially tired, but in the long run well-conditioned and toughened for a brutal environment.

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