One of the country’s best known business colleges is not sitting on its laurels and is ready to take its education mantra to other parts of the country.

--BY KRISHANA PRASAIN

With 17 strong years of expertise in management education, Ace Institute of Management has established itself as a pioneer in management studies in Nepal and has produced 2,565 graduates till date. Being the country’s first college to introduce an Executive MBA degree in 1999, the demand for Ace graduates is high in Nepal and the global market with its reputed brand image. “We have earned the trust of the market and we think that we are living our vision of enhancing the capacity of individuals and institutions in Nepal to contribute to the nation’s development through the means of education,” says Ashish Tiwari, Principal and Director of Ace Institute of Management. 

According to Tiwari, Ace also focuses on holistic education preparing students for life. “We try to make learning relevant to real life,” he mentions. The institute is on a mission to promote a learning environment where individuals rediscover themselves and learn to be thoughtful and responsible managers, leaders, and entrepreneurs.  “And I think we have been successful in our mission so far,” he says. 

Noticing the growing demand for quality management education, the institute is planning to expand its education services outside the capital valley. “We are also planning to expand the institute in other major cities outside Kathmandu,” informs Tiwari. 

With 144 faculty members, the college provides students with opportunities to explore and develop their potential and make foothold in the job market. “Students who have graduated from here are very happy to be a part of the college and that is our major strength. Through their strong referrals and word of mouth they convey very positive message about us,” he expresses. 

About Ace
Ace Institute of Management is affiliated to Pokhara University. Apart from Ace Institute of Management there are other institutions under the Ace Education Ventures umbrella namely, Ace International Business School, Ace Higher Secondary School and Ace School providing education at different levels with a variety of programmes. Currently, 1,200 students are studying for bachelor and masters programmes at Ace.  The college produces 432 graduates annually from both programmes and also offers them national and international placements.

Programmes
Ace Institute of Management runs the Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) and BBA-BI (Banking and Insurance) programmes. Each programme costs Rs 750,000. Likewise, at the advanced degree level, the college offers three programmes including a two-year full-time Master in Business Administration (MBA). The minimum duration of the course is 24 months spread over six trimesters costing a total of Rs 685,000. 

Similarly, the college also runs a part time MBA programme of two and half year in the evening (6pm to 9pm). This programme allows fresh graduates to work and study together without compromising on either. The programme is divided into eight trimesters and its cost totals Rs 698,000

Meanwhile, the college has also been offering one and half year Executive MBA (EMBA) for working professionals. The programme is aimed at preparing managers who are comfortable in a wide range of disciplines and cultures and are able to exploit the opportunities for growth. It costs Rs 466,000 to complete the course.  

Other Ace Colleges
Under the Ace education umbrella, Ace International Business School (AIBS) affiliated to Queen Margaret University (QMU), UK has been running a 4 year BBA and a two-year full-time MBA programme. The BBA and MBA courses are approved by Ministry of Education and have equivalence from  Tribhuvan University's (TU) Curriculum Development Centre (CDC). It is designed to impart globally relevant knowledge matching the unique needs of students. 

The total cost for the BBA at AIBS is Rs 990,000. Similarly, the MBA course at AIBS is Rs 845,000. Both the BBA and MBA programmes have an international exposure programme integrated into the course. 

Placement and Opportunity 
“One of the best advantages to the students coming to study at Ace is that they will get access to a huge alumni network at national and international levels,” Tiwari mentions. According to him, Ace graduates are working at top level managerial positions in different reputed organisations in the country and abroad as well. Similarly, the college organises a Career and Placement Week two times a year and normally around 25 companies participate in the biannual event. 

Extra Curricular Activities           
Ace Institute of Management gives equal emphasis to extracurricular activities for the overall growth of its students. “We create an environment so that our students do not feel the burden of studying and we encourage them to take the responsibility for their learning,” says Tiwari, adding, “We let them engage in different activities so that they can have effective ways of learning.” For that purpose, the Institute provides various platforms to the students. For instance, the Institute organises many inter college activities such as the ‘Ace Expression’ which is a very popular event organised every year and managed by the students. There is another event called Spectrum, a national level inter-college management fest. The Institute has plans to make it an international event in the upcoming years. Bedsides this, the college organises corporate interaction and guest lectures, workshops, treks, tours and industrial visits. Similarly, there are different clubs related to areas such as theatre, sports, creative  events, marketing and finance where students can get a platform to explore 
their talents.

Competition
In the last few years, a good number of management colleges with international affiliations have been established in the country. Being at the forefront of management education, Ace Institute of Management has a strong foothold to compete in the education sector. “Competition is good as it keeps all service providers in gear either to deliver a good service or disappear from the market,” views Tiwari. He says that healthy competition results in delivering quality services to the service seekers. “It’s a healthy sign of growing economic development as well. We believe in competing with self and in that process we cooperate with others,” he adds. 

“When people give compliments saying that your graduates are doing well it makes you feel good,” shares Tiwari. He further says, “We have a long way to go and we would like to provide the same quality of education at the other parts of the country as well.”