ASU Changing Futures Thunderbird School of Global Management

Change the future with Thunderbird

School of Global Management

Equipping leaders to solve the planet’s greatest challenges Thunderbird is not a place. It is an idea – one that transcends geographical, geopolitical and sectoral boundaries.

Thunderbird is a global network of futureready leaders, managers, entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs innovating across the private and public sectors to advance inclusive and sustainable prosperity worldwide.

Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University inspires the game changers who will transform industries to respond to humanity and the planet’s greatest challenges, now and in the future. Thunderbird graduates, or T-birds, are true global citizens, able to navigate different cultures and environments and bring unique perspectives to complex situations. Innovators, mavericks and genuine changemakers, T-birds are part of a powerful global network, driven by a higher purpose and desire to be the change they want to see in the world. Founded on the principle that ‘borders frequented by trade seldom need soldiers,’ a phrase coined by original faculty member William Lytle Schurz, Thunderbird remains as vital to the world today as ever.

The world’s first higher education institution to specialize in international management, Thunderbird is developing leaders who are equipped not just to lead today, but to shape the industries and ecosystems of the future. When Thunderbird joined forces with ASU more than a decade ago, it became a force multiplier for impact in society. Together, we are reimagining what global education can and should look like, and dismantling barriers to lifelong learning.

Through Changing Futures, we will give more leaders the tools and knowledge to join the next generation of global citizens who feel comfortable anywhere in the world and change it for the better.

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Thunderbird is repeatedly ranked the #1 school in international trade

by QS International Trade Rankings (2023, 2024, 2025).

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Expanding access to education

Thunderbird is increasing access to education for students of all backgrounds, achieving significant enrollment growth in its Master of Global Management program.

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Talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not. We will create new pathways to learning and access to opportunity for populations that are traditionally underserved.

As Director General and Dean of Thunderbird Charla Griffy-Brown states, “We are particularly interested in emerging economies, and ASU offers this great opportunity for deep research and collaboration you can’t find at other universities. Collectively, we are a powerhouse that can advance global prosperity in ways you cannot find in any other institution.”

One of Thunderbird’s most transformational upcoming initiatives is the Francis and Dionne Najafi 100 Million Learners Global Initiative, which will expand educational access on an unprecedented scale. This program will provide a Thunderbird-designed online entrepreneurship curriculum in 40 languages at no cost to learners, reaching post-secondary “bootcamp” participants and master’s-level graduates. With 70% of learners expected to be women, this initiative will invest in the next generation of global leaders, particularly in emerging economies.

As part of its commitment to advancing prosperity for women, Thunderbird is preparing to launch the Global Women’s Leadership Lab, combining research, education and actionable dialogue to empower women leaders worldwide. With a global faculty and practitioner community, including Rangina Hamidi, former Minister of Education in Afghanistan, the Lab will broaden discussions on women’s leadership beyond a Global North perspective.

“What Thunderbird is doing with its mission to connect with the globe and to have an open conversation about each other’s realities, fears, finances and opportunities — I am proud to be part of that,” says Hamidi.

By equipping those with limited opportunities with education, leadership training and entrepreneurial skills, Thunderbird is shaping a more inclusive, prosperous future for communities worldwide.

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Thunderbird is a global network of futureready leaders, managers, entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs innovating across the private and public sectors to advance inclusive and sustainable prosperity worldwide.

Breaking down barriers for leaders of tomorrow Investing in Thunderbird scholarships builds a legacy of support which will enable us to identify and encourage the brightest talent from the U.S. and around the world.

The SHARE Fellowship is our flagship international scholarship program, aimed at exceptional students from emerging economies and supporting not only fees and living expenses, but also mentoring, coaching and development.

This increases opportunities designed to put students on an equal career footing with more privileged peers.

“I created the SHARE Fellowship after thinking of my time working in Bangkok. While it was terrific to have American graduates running these organizations, I thought, ‘why don’t we have Thai, Indonesians or Filipinos doing this?’” says SHARE Founder Marshall Parke, ’77. “What we’ve found, whether they stay in the United States or go home, is that all of them make an impact on where they came from. They will go out and do something special.”

Changing Futures offers the opportunity to support other scholarships as well, including our Global Leaders Scholarships and Thunderbird’s Founders’ Vision Award, which targets high achieving students from the U.S., fulfilling our founding principle of teaching Americans how to do business overseas.

Together, we can alleviate financial hardship, create opportunities, help people start their Thunderbird experience and support them throughout their journeys.

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Tackling critical global challenges An inclusive ethos is baked into Thunderbird’s DNA, reflected in the design of our new centers: the Global Trade and Diplomacy Lab, Center for Responsible and Purpose-Driven Leadership and the Global Institute for the Future of Energy. Each of these centers will bring diverse groups together to address the critical topics of our time, challenging established conventions and bringing fresh global perspectives and voices to the table.

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Strengthening the Thunderbird network

Founded April 8, 1946 on the grounds of a deactivated airbase in Glendale, Ariz., USA, (Thunderbird Field No. 1), Thunderbird (formerly American Institute for Foreign Trade) became the first graduate management school focused on global business. The aircraft control tower, pictured here, became the faculty building for the school.

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Thunderbird graduates share a special bond that connects them across the globe.

The ‘Thunderbird Mystique’ approach. A dynamic digital revolves around a marketplace for networking deep-seated sense of and engagement, it will global camaraderie and provide a home for our professional excellence mentoring, coaching, that transcends traditional communities of practice, educational bonds. T-birds masterclasses, virtual are renowned for their events and lifelong learning. international business We will redefine the T-bird acumen, cultural intelligence experience for alumni and and shared ethos of students alike, creating fostering global prosperity lasting memories at and understanding. This Thunderbird and meeting network is not just a evolving career needs professional fraternity, for life. but a vibrant, supportive “This is a way for us to community characterized really demonstrate our by lifelong friendships, commitment to lifelong collaborative ventures and learning and supporting a commitment to making a students and alumni as positive impact worldwide. they grow at different Through Changing stages of their career,” says Futures, we will establish Lawrence Abeln, Deputy Thunderbird’s Next Gen Dean of Thunderbird Graduate Center, a Executive Education. “It’s virtual hub to leverage the a virtual center, but it is power of the Thunderbird also us saying that we Mystique. Inspired by the will continue to provide concept of a traditional educational opportunities campus alumni center, for your career development the Next Gen Center will and success — that we pioneer a new digital will be your partner in your and globally inclusive leadership journey.”

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Thunderbird graduates will not just thrive in the global economy — they will redefine it, creating the industries, ecosystems and future we all want for ourselves and generations to come.

—Charla Griffy-Brown Director General, Dean and Professor of Global Digital Transformation

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Support Thunderbird and shape a better future With your support, Thunderbird will continue to shape and inspire a futureready workforce of leaders and lifelong learners who bring out the best in each other across the globe.

Thunderbird is dedicated to closing the gaps in global education, whether based on gender, economic status or other barriers. Your support will allow Thunderbird to educate, train and inspire more of the talented leaders the future will require, support them throughout their lifelong learning and transform what leadership looks like in years to come.

Join Thunderbird as we change futures for our students and the world.

Now celebrating a decade of partnership with ASU, repeatedly ranked as the most innovative university in the country, Thunderbird is poised for even greater impact in its next era.

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Change futures

Thunderbird

Transform global education

Inspire tomorrow’s game changers

Reshape our relationship with the planet

Empower community resilience

Advance technology for good

Thunderbird requires visionary leadership to sustain its role as a global leader in business education while adapting to societal challenges and the digital age’s demands.

By increasing Thunderbird Global Leaders Scholarships and SHARE Fellowships, we can provide full scholarships and vital learning opportunities to students from underserved communities. This will enable them to pursue unpaid internships and extra academic programs that will fuel their careers and build cultural competency, strengthening their ability to serve their communities. We aim to grow the SHARE cohort and expand the reach of Thunderbird’s flagship student success program, as well as our capacity to provide scholarship support.

As the world undergoes a major energy transition, a widespread lack of understanding about energy systems limits public engagement and informed decision-making, impacting economic and environmental security. The Global Institute for the Future of Energy will expand energy literacy and empower communities and leaders to navigate informed, sustainable transitions that support environmental and human well-being.

Thunderbird’s unique alumni network is an asset to students and graduates alike. By creating a virtual alumni center, we will nurture the Thunderbird Mystique and support the lifelong learning and success of T-birds worldwide. The Thunderbird Alumni Center for Global and Digital Learner Success will bring together alumni initiatives and executive education opportunities, enhancing students’ experiences and fostering a globally connected community.

Thunderbird’s cutting-edge digital learning technology needs continuous enhancement to support innovative, immersive education. Establishing a Thunderbird Technology Endowment and expanding the “Thunderbird Tech Five” initiative will maintain technological leadership, enrich global collaboration and broaden digital engagement for students on and beyond campus.

by supporting

As Dean Charla Griffy-Brown shapes Thunderbird’s future by fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, advancing research and engaging alumni and donors, a Dean’s Chair will secure philanthropic support, building a sustainable foundation for Thunderbird’s continued impact.

Global educational inequity hinders economic growth and stability, as limited access to quality education and brain drain prevent many from obtaining skills necessary for the modern workforce.

The Najafi 100 Million Learners Global Initiative offers flexible pathways to education, accessible in 40 languages at no cost to the learner.

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In 2025, Thunderbird’s Master of Global Management degree program was ranked as the world’s leading international trade program for the third consecutive year, as declared by Quacquarelli Symonds.

Thunderbird’s new Global Trade and Diplomacy Lab will build on this success, leveraging our educational foundations and networks across air, land and sea to foster applied research and thought leadership, supporting ethical and intentional leadership.

The Lab will address global challenges in areas like space, agriculture, sustainability and water access, inspiring integrated, peaceful solutions.

School of Global Management

The next-level scientific innovations necessary to address challenges like climate change must be matched by the ethical, forward-thinking business leaders who will help bring them to fruition. The Center for Responsible and Purpose-Driven Leadership will unite the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory with the leaders only Thunderbird can create.

Together, we will work to shape the people and policies that will define the next generations of life on Earth.

Many women across the globe are excluded from education and employment and underrepresented in leadership, which sharply limits their rights and opportunities. Thunderbird’s Global Women’s Leadership Lab will address gender bias through research, education and partnerships, fostering dialogue and providing scholarships and resources to empower women leaders worldwide.

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About Us Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University is the world’s premier institution for global and digital leadership and management education. Thunderbird empowers, educates, and influences global leaders, managers, entrepreneurs, and intrapreneurs who maximize the benefits of the Fourth Industrial Revolution for business, government, society, and the environment.

For more than 75 years, Thunderbird has been the vanguard of global management and leadership education, creating inclusive and sustainable prosperity worldwide by educating global leaders capable of tackling the world’s greatest challenges. Thunderbird is ranked No. 1 in the world for international trade by the QS World University International Trade Rankings (2023, 2024, 2025), scoring 100/100 points. To learn more, visit thunderbird.asu.edu.

ASU Charter ASU is a comprehensive public research university, measured not by whom it excludes, but by whom it includes and how they succeed; advancing research and discovery of public value; and assuming fundamental responsibility for the economic, social, cultural and overall health of the communities it serves.

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