News

Thunderbird Partners with Mideast School

20 May 2008

Thunderbird School of Global Management continues to expand its global-learning network through partnerships with top business schools around the world, including its first partnership in the Middle East with Zayed University in United Arab Emirates.

Thunderbird has agreed to provide faculty for Zayed's new Master of Science in International Business degree. The program will be a combination of classroom and distance learning. The degree will consist of 12 courses over a two-year period ending with a capstone international experience for Zayed students, hosted by Thunderbird, in Arizona.

"The focus of the program is on developing an understanding of how organizations function internationally and the complex issues which managers encounter in a global environment," said Sulaiman Al Jassim, vice president of Zayed.

Zayed University was established in 1998 by the federal government of the UAE It has campuses in Abu Dhabi and Dubai led by a single administration, and offers similar programs on both campuses. The degree program could start as early as September.

"The leaders of the Emirates have made it clear that the economic prosperity and social development of not only the Emirates, but the region and developing countries everywhere is a priority," said Michael Owen, dean of the College of Business Sciences at Zayed. "The missions of both Zayed University and Thunderbird are closely aligned with this objective, and it is embodied in the goals of the Master of Science in International Business program."

The partnership with Zayed adds to Thunderbird's growing connections with schools around the world including exchange agreements with Tsinghua University in Beijing, the Indian Institute of Management in Bangalore and the Mannheim Business School in Germany. Thunderbird also offers exchange opportunities in Brazil, Costa Rica, France, Finland, Mexico, South Korea and Spain.

In addition, Thunderbird offers several dual degrees with international schools, including the recent addition of Vermont Law School as well as Soochow University in Taiwan; ESADE in Barcelona, Spain; INCAE in Costa Rica; and Adolfo Ibanez University in Chile.

"Thunderbird is honored to partner with Zayed University in delivering this program, and we hope to expand the scope of our collaboration from here," said Thunderbird Senior Vice President and Provost Robert Widing. "The two schools have much in common."