The Asian Institute of Management (AIM) has overhauled two flagship master’s programs to address what it calls a widening leadership gap in artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity across Philippine businesses.
AIM’s Master in Data Analytics (MDA) is now the Master in AI and Data Analytics (MAIDA), while the Master in Cybersecurity has been reframed as the Executive Master in Cybersecurity Management (EMCSM). Both are 18-month, six-term programs aimed at executives who must convert technology into strategy, value, and resilience.
“AI and cybersecurity are no longer emerging trends but essential business imperatives. Companies need leaders who can address these challenges now,” said Christopher Monterola, head of AIM’s Aboitiz School of Innovation, Technology and Entrepreneurship.
Program director Kenneth Co likened today’s tools to a race car: powerful but dependent on the driver’s skill. MAIDA trains leaders in descriptive, diagnostic, predictive, and prescriptive analytics, with AI embedded across the curriculum. New and updated courses include Fundamentals of Programming & AI-assisted coding, Business Statistics for Decision-Making, Data Visualization & Storytelling, AI for Data Analytics, plus electives such as geospatial analytics and MLOps.
Co cited market signals underscoring urgency: the global AI market is projected to reach $1.8 trillion by 2030, and 71% of CEOs already rank AI as a priority investment.
Redesigned for senior decision-makers, EMCSM emphasizes strategy, governance, risk, and resilience over narrow technical depth. Courses include Strategy & IT Security Governance, Cybersecurity Policy, Ethics & Law, and Security Management & Digital Forensics.
“Cybersecurity is a boardroom issue, not just an IT concern,” said Philip Kwa, EMCSM academic director, noting global cybercrime damages are estimated at $10.5 trillion this year. “Executives must safeguard continuity, customer trust, and competitiveness.”
EMCSM: current cohort launched in September with 38 students.
MAIDA: first intake starts April next year; AIM expects around 50 students, similar to the inaugural MDA cohort.
AIM said the redesign targets a critical shortage of leaders who can bridge technical capability and strategic insight, enabling organizations to move from pilots to enterprise-scale AI deployment and from compliance-driven security to governance-led cyber resilience. (with reports from Lau Balocos)
