Sealing the Tech Up Pilipinas partnership. On December 16, 2020, Union Bank of the Philippines and the Asian Institute of Management Scientific Research Foundation signed a memorandum of agreement with the goal to help address the demand for skills and talent in data science and innovation in the country as well as the region. Dr. Jikyeong Kang, President and Dean of AIM and Michelle Rubio, Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resource Officer of UnionBank formally inked the agreement in a virtual ceremony.

In pursuit of co-creating innovative solutions for a better world, Union Bank of the Philippines inked a P32.4-million partnership with the Asian Institute of Management to jointly develop initiatives on technology, innovation, and digital skills, which will allow more Filipinos to upskill themselves in a post-pandemic labor market. 

Dubbed ‘Tech Up Pilipinas Fund’, the donation is set up as a vehicle to align with the parties’ common objectives of building the capabilities of people to innovate through digital learning programs. There has been a rise in demand for skills and talents in these fields as industries worldwide adapt to the change brought about by the coronavirus pandemic. 

UnionBank’s donation complements a more significant undertaking of the Aboitiz Group’s School of Innovation, Technology, and Entrepreneurship. The fund covers a portion of the bank’s P100-million contribution to ASITE, which is committed over the next five years, which is seen to also boost AIM’s position as the best in data science in Asia as well as strengthen UnionBank’s program to build the skills of the future by training Filipinos in data science, blockchain, machine learning, and information technology, among others. 

“We welcome this opportunity with UnionBank so we can work together on specific innovation areas. With the intake we have for the courses being supported by UnionBank, we can see that the school will be one of the most sought-after learning institutions in the region,” said Dr. Jikyeong Kang, President, and Dean of AIM. 

The infusion of UnionBank’s donation will boost AIM’s commitment to training future-ready leaders who can create, develop, and sustain new engines for growth as industries begin to rebuild in the aftermath of the global health crisis. 

“For us at UnionBank, this is our way of fulfilling our promise to Tech Up Pilipinas by helping students and young professionals adapt to the VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous) world we live in today. We are honored to partner with AIM so both our organizations can leverage our respective innovation and digital strengths to future-proof the skills of many of our people,” said Michelle Rubio, Chief Human Resource Officer of UnionBank. 

The partnership will pursue joint research activities, fund a data science chair program, provide financial assistance for students, sponsor capstone projects, conduct talent pooling, and provide career counseling and job fair programs. 

UnionBank is a publicly listed company and one of the top ten banks in terms of assets in the Philippines. Through its Tech Up Pilipinas sustainability program, the bank is leveraging on its digital transformation capability to make inclusive prosperity, sustainable finance, and digital transformation happen by co-creating innovative solutions for a better world.