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The most technologically advanced education headquarters on the planet
THE TECHNOLOGICAL CAPABILITIES IN THE PHOENIX GLOBAL HEADQUARTERS WILL ENABLE THUNDERBIRD TO CREATE THE FUTURE AND TRANSFORM THE NEXT 75 YEARS.
In 2019, we broke ground on our new global headquarters in downtown Phoenix. After two years of hard work and collaboration with our dedicated team of architects, construction engineers, consultants, and technology experts, we are excited to be opening this August.
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Our first global headquarters in Phoenix will be Thunderbird’s digital and physical hub and the embodiment of our “global is digital and digital is global” philosophy. The building has been purposefully designed and built with flexible spaces and stateof-the-art technologies that will enable global connection, communication, and collaboration in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Imagining commencement ceremonies in our global forum.
“Every aspect of this project is so forward-thinking,” said architect Buzz Yudell, Partner at Moore Ruble Yudell. “We designed the building with the goal of making it extremely flexible for pedagogy, for gathering, for professional interaction, and for research. The building was designed to be able to deal equally well with inperson teaching and collaboration as well as to really be at the forefront of virtual teaching and collaboration.”
DIGITAL IS GLOBAL AND GLOBAL IS DIGITAL
The building is equipped with the most advanced technologies on the market that will enable people across borders, cultures, time zones, and languages to gather, learn, and collaborate – in person in Phoenix and virtually from each of the regional centers of excellence.
For instance, the global forum is equipped with a data immersive digital globe and ring of custom-made displays, seamlessly built into the presentation space, that will allow us to host thought leadership events, meetings, classes, and more on a global scale. On any given day, students will have opportunities such as attending a speech or panel discussion featuring a CEO, a head of state, and an academic researcher, hosted in this spacious, elegant venue joined by dozens of virtual attendees who will appear arena-style on the ring of large video screens. As another example, the VR/AR/ XR technology-enhanced language lab will integrate interactive digital tools to open up new dimensions in teaching, learning, and practicing languages – a core component of a Thunderbird education. In the innovation lab, high-tech resources will enable students to collaborate with anyone in the world on global solutions to global problems, crisis management and so much more.
Imagining commencement ceremonies in our global forum.
“The very fabric of this building will be highly visual and interactive and will help accelerate Thunderbird toward their mission,” said Peter Lawrence ’91, who is Director of Custom Design Team at Planar, the world’s premier display provider and our partner for all the digital displays in the building. “Every aspect of this building was designed with careful thought and purpose. Yes, it will allow people to do really cool things, but more importantly, it will help Thunderbird connect people and solve global challenges. It’s the capstone of my career.”
TECHNOLOGY WITH PURPOSE
Technology in and of itself does not enable productive engagement; that fact was made abundantly clear during the COVID-19 pandemic. Technology – and the modes by which we leverage it – have to be purposefully designed and taught. “The new building is part of our bigger effort to engage globally and digitally,” said Thunderbird Director General and Dean Sanjeev Khagram. “It’s not just technology for the sake of technology. Its thoughtful integration will support and advance the education that Thunderbird provides. We can’t advance equitable and sustainable prosperity around the world without it.”
From the global forum to the classrooms, the technology in the building is designed to enhance and facilitate learning and connection. “We made a conscious decision not to design the classrooms traditionally,” explained Yudell. “Teaching and learning at Thunderbird is dynamic, collaborative, and active, and we wanted the classrooms to support that.”
Rendering of immersive classroom experience
Even prior to the pandemic, the classrooms were designed to be globally accessible and highly flexible – making it easy to meet the demands of in-person and online students simultaneously. Many of the classrooms feature Planar’s interactive tabletop touch displays and wall displays to digitally enhance students’ learning experiences.
Furthermore, the technological capabilities will help prepare students to lead and manage in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. “Students will be doing business in a digital world. We can’t teach them to be leaders of this world if we’re not doing it practically with them,” said Dean Khagram. “We’re creating an integrated, experiential environment. One in which students engage with technology every day in every way because that’s the world they have to lead and manage in.”
Indeed, in order to reimagine the architecture of our future and fulfill our mission, we must continue to evolve. Adoption of the latest technology is key. “The implementation of innovative technology in the building is about so much more than the technology,” said Patrick Lynch, Clinical Assistant Professor of Analytics and Leadership. “It’s a commitment to evolution and to sustained innovation and adoption of new ways of thinking and making decisions.”
In addition, Lynch said, “It’s appropriate, it’s timely and it’s savvy that Thunderbird is embracing technology and the future in a way that will ensure our faculty, students, and alumni stay relevant for tomorrow. And because of our global mindset, we will utilize these technologies in collaborative, boundary-busting ways that no other school will even conceive.”
That’s why our vision was to design and build the most technologically advanced global professional school building on the planet – not just for the sake of technology, but for the sake of global connection and collaboration. For the sake of preparing T-birds to lead, innovate, and transform the next 75 years.
Stay tuned for more updates on the grand opening, and in the meantime, check out the construction progress via our live feed on T-bird Connect (https:// t-birdconnect.com).
