Inside the Master in Development Management: Navigating Careers with Purpose and Global Impact
MAKATI CITY, Philippines – Last June, the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) hosted the International Development Careers Forum, which highlighted high-impact careers in international development and public policy. The event brought together alumni, students, and faculty of the Master in Development Management (MDM) program.
Through this initiative, the Stephen Zuellig Graduate School of Development Management (SZSDM) showcased the diverse career pathways, personal growth, and mission-driven community behind the MDM program.
Shaping Careers Across Borders
The featured panelists, esteemed alumni working both in the Philippines and internationally, shared how the MDM program shaped their leadership journeys in public policy, social enterprise, and sustainable development.
Aleem Guiapal, MDM 2008, Program Manager at the Department of Trade and Industry – Halal Development and Trade Office, shared how his AIM education helped him transition from public policy to investment, contributing over PHP 7.9 billion in trade revenue. He also offered a striking illustration of the program’s impact: “For those of you who are familiar with the salary grade of the Philippines, before I came to AIM, I was at salary grade 18. After I graduated, I became one of the youngest Presidential Appointees, and from salary grade 18, I transitioned to salary grade 28.”
Sharing her experiences, Ashrina Ranjit, MDM 2022, said “When you say MDM, what really comes to mind is impact leaders.” Alexa Blas, MDM 2024, was one of the alumni who was onsite. She shared, “Taking MDM is an investment. And as with any investment, it’s not going to be easy. It’s not for the faint of heart.”
Student Voices: Resilience in Real Time
The current cohort was represented by Class President and Asian Development Bank-Japan Scholarship Program (ADB-JSP) scholar, Vince Manglicmot, and 11 other students.
Aside from receiving congratulations for now being halfway through their program, they also spoke about the challenges they faced, from visa problems to the humidity, to the exacting work one had to put into their studies.
Farima, who stays in the dorm, says, “It’s a little difficult because you cannot find halal foods easily. But after a while, you find it really, really good here. I’m happy because the environment is really good for studying.”
Speaking of Learning Teams, Roland Atanante, the youngest in the cohort says, “The Learning Team really saved my life. That diverse pool of talents really offers different perspectives for me as a student, and being the youngest in this cohort, being in the same room as these people, I really learned a lot.”
Potential Career Paths
Professor Dominik Balthasar, PhD, the Academic Program Director of MDM emphasized that the program equips students with highly in-demand skills. He shared three things to help students jumpstart their careers even before graduating from AIM:
- Identify a thematic niche
- Register with mainstream recruitment platforms
- Schedule informational interviews at organizations like ADB, the World Bank, or social enterprises
Professor Balthazar also discussed market-relevant skills such as data and evidence use, project finance and modeling, monitoring, evaluation and learning, systems design, futures thinking, languages and cross-cultural communication, and interpersonal influence emphasized that the curriculum is built around these skills and that students go through the program immersed in real-world development work.
Why MDM at AIM?
The MDM program at the Asian Institute of Management is designed for professionals seeking growth in the development field. Whether transitioning between sectors or deepening impact, MDM graduates emerge with the skills, networks, and mindset to lead in complex, ever-changing environments.
