THUNDERBIRD'S D.C.
Program Graduates
LEAVING THE WORLD BETTER THAN THEY FOUND IT Today’s world needs future-ready global leaders and managers more than ever and our Executive Master of Arts in Global Affairs and Management (EMAGAM) was designed with that in mind. The EMAGAM provides students a digital global mindset and a unique combination of 21st-century hard and soft skills that will prepare them for the complexities of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. During the year-long program, students build expertise in leading systems and new enterprises, managing complexity, disruptive innovation, digital transformation, and collaborative problem-solving. Bringing the EMAGAM program to Washington, D.C. at the beginning of 2020 was an exciting milestone for us. Since our founding, many people have come to Thunderbird from the Washington, D.C. area to advance their career or transition to a career in a new sector. “Our goal with the EMAGAM was to design a truly unique, 21st-century degree program at the intersection of global affairs, policy and business – and make it accessible for working professionals in the D.C. area,” said Thunderbird Director General and Dean, Sanjeev Khagram.
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THUNDERBIRD MAGAZINE SPRING 2021
FIRST CLASS Then COVID-19 hit. But rather than slowing things down, the pandemic highlighted how necessary the program is. “We designed the EMAGAM to empower students to master and manage the complexities of the 21st century,” said Thunderbird Clinical Professor and EMAGAM Co-director Ann Florini. “Little did we suspect how urgently this revamped curriculum would be needed, as the pandemic exploded just weeks after the program launched.” “This period has been incredibly disruptive as the world is facing some of the biggest crises of modern times. It adds an unexpected new level of relevance and practical application to the curriculum,” echoed Landry Signé, Thunderbird Professor and EMAGAM Co-director.
STEPPING UP TO THE CHALLENGES OF THE PANDEMIC Despite the major disruption, students and faculty adjusted and adapted quite seamlessly. They pivoted with resilience and agile use of the technological resources within Thunderbird’s D.C. hub, which allowed students and faculty to stay safe and
