Mission Statement

"We educate global leaders who create sustainable prosperity worldwide."

Thunderbird's unique mission is grounded in our steadfast commitment to furthering worldwide prosperity by educating the leaders of global enterprises. Summed up in the phrase, “borders frequented by trade seldom need soldiers,” the worldwide Thunderbird community is the living embodiment of the belief that global management can be a force for positive economic and social change.

To prepare global managers to fulfill this mission, Thunderbird offers a unique and powerful educational experience that teaches the application of management knowledge across cultures, borders, and socio-economic systems. This ability to work successfully with individuals from diverse cultures and to manage effectively in different social, economic, and political environments is both the core value we provide and the essential characteristic that sets T-birds apart from their peers.

While Thunderbird has remained consistent in its mission, the School has a long history of anticipating market needs. Thunderbird’s founding was itself visionary, coming long before the need for global management talent was widely recognized. In the six decades since, Thunderbird has continuously met the challenges of a dynamic global market and rightfully earned its reputation as the world’s top-ranked school of global management.

Today, the continuous march of globalization means the Thunderbird mission has never been more relevant and in demand. We will seize this opportunity to enhance our rich legacy to firmly establish Thunderbird as the world’s foremost learning community for global managers and global enterprises.

Thunderbird 2010

Through “Thunderbird 2010,” the school’s strategic roadmap for the future, Thunderbird will remain dedicated to a core expertise in global management education. We will deliver a unique global education to full and part-time students, enterprises, executives, and the global management community through distinct business units that leverage our core expertise.

We will remain committed to the development of a global mindset that distinguishes T-birds from their peers and sets Thunderbird apart as the world’s leading provider of global management education.
We will develop and deliver degree and non-degree programs to meet market demand. We will provide integrated global business solutions to our corporate customers through a combination of Thunderbird’s own activities and close strategic partnerships that address the full range of our clients’ management education needs.
We will invest in our campus, our faculty, our technology, and our curriculum to ensure a unique world-class experience for our students and clients.
We will support and engage our far-reaching global network of alumni by providing opportunities for business networking, lifelong learning, career development and partnership in School endeavors.
We will establish global thought leadership through research and development that provides insightful practical solutions to real-world management issues.
Our actions will always be driven by our core values and our brand promise to offer a Truly Global education to current and future global managers.

We Believe In and Uniquely Develop

Global Mindset—Effective global managers must be capable of leading global organizations, applying business knowledge in different social, economic and political environments, and working with individuals from diverse cultures
Global Citizenship—Global management is a true profession, dedicated to the creation of sustainable economic and social value worldwide
Global Entrepreneurship—Successful global managers must be resourceful, innovative and capable of pursuing new opportunities in uncertain environments
Global Thought Leadership—Management knowledge is advanced most effectively through academically rigorous and practically relevant research
Global Learning Network—Networking among managers and experts on a global scale and exposure to different cultures and business environments is essential for life-long learning and effective professional practice

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