The Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies (AIIAS) (pronounced "I-Us"), is a Seventh-day Adventist graduate institution located in the Philippines, offering graduate degrees in Business, Education, Public health, and Theology. It is a part of the Seventh-day Adventist education system, the world's second largest Christian school system. AIIAS is a truly international institution, with faculty representing 18 countries. The institution has thus far served students from 123 countries around the world. AIIAS is composed of two schools: the Seminary and the Graduate School. The library holds over 70,000 volumes and offers print and online journal access, and provides access to standard online databases for scholarly research. It is both locally and internationally accredited. AIIAS is located in Silang, Cavite, Philippines, about 28 miles (45 km) south of Manila, along the highway to the popular resort town of Tagaytay. It is characterized by buildings with architectural touches representing its Asian locale, sprawling green lawns, coconut palms, and local fruit and shade trees. The campus also houses AIIAS Academy, an international K–12 school which primarily serves the children of students, staff and faculty. History AIIAS officially came into existence on 31 January 1986, through Philippine Presidential Decree 2021 signed by then-President Ferdinand Marcos. At its start, AIIAS was located on the campus of the Adventist University of the Philippines. In 1991, the school was moved to its current location in Lalaan I, Silang, Cavite, Philippines. On 6 October 1996, in an action taken during the Annual Council of the Adventist Church, AIIAS became an institution of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. It is one of four General Conference institutions; the other three include the Adventist University of Africa, Andrews University, and Loma Linda University. The AIIAS Division of Online Learning was established in 2001. AIIAS was one of the first Adventist educational institutions to confer master's degrees on students who complete their program entirely online, and became the very first Seventh-day Adventist institution to offer a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Business. Academics AIIAS Graduate School and Theological Seminary each comprises three departments. There is also an English Center serving non-native English-speaking students who desire to learn English as a second language. Most students matriculate into the regular academic programs upon completion of their language study, which usually takes about three months. AIIAS also awards degrees through its Division of Online Learning (DOL), and several Distance Learning Centers (DLCs) throughout the