XLRI is all set to have a tie up with Manila-based Asian Institute of Management (AIM) with an eye to become a force to reckon with in the world of management studies in Asia.

It will help both of us. Together we aim to be in a strong position in Asia, XLRI director Father NCasamir Raj told FE on Monday.

The two B-Schools initially will join hands to offer short-term management development programmes (MDPs) in all the Asian countries and may conduct MBA courses in a third Asian country (i.e. apart from India or the Philippines) in future.

Considered to be one of the best B-Schools in Asia, the 40 year-old AIM, which enjoys the support of both the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), is currenty offering MDP courses in Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and South Korea. XLRI offers the same in India, the UAE (Dubai) and Singapore.

Father Raj, who has just returned from Manila after completing negotiations, said as the AIM, helped by the Harvard Business School, was every strong in case studies, the tie up would give XLRI access to the Harvard case studies too.

Harvard case studies are said to be very expensive, but the AIM gets those at almost one-fifth prices of what Harvard normally charges. The Manila based B-School will also conduct workshops at XLRI here on case teaching methods.

Though everything has been agreed upon, the two are, however, expected to sign a formal agreement in Jamshedpur some time in February-March 2008.

Under the pact, AIM will opt for the XAT from the academic year 2009 by way of selecting entrants for its various management courses.

The two institutes, which already have a student exchange programme, will exchange two faculty members every year, each for a month's duration, according to the agreement.