Growth to International Campuses: Thunderbird Plans Strategic Partnership with Laureate

by , Nov 8, 2013

Thunderbird School of Global Management is planning a strategic alliance with Laureate Education, Inc. that will provide the school an opportunity to establish permanent Thunderbird campuses around the world.

The main Thunderbird campus is currently located in Glendale, Arizona and the school itself has been ranked #1 in international business by U.S. News & World Report for the past 18 years. The additional campuses that are in the works with the new Laureate partnership are initially slated for Paris, France; Madrid, Spain; Sao Paulo, Brazil; and Santiago, Chile. The new Thunderbird campuses will utilize the facilities already in place at schools within the Laureate network.

The alliance will allow Thunderbird to give students access to broader global study opportunities and provide Thunderbirds global alumni with easier access to continued education with Thunderbird where they live. It will also help to strengthen Thunderbirds rankings, in the international specialty and in graduate management education in general. Most importantly, it will give students and alumni access to an even more robust selection of international employers through both Thunderbird and Laureates networks.

Additionally, Thunderbird has plans to update the main campus with about $30 million in significant technological and structural improvements to ensure Thunderbird students stay ahead of the curve when it comes to using technology in the classroom, and later in professional business situations.

Looking ahead, the Thunderbird partnership with Laureate will also allow the school to increase scholarship funding and strengthen its programs as well as expand its faculty resources. Its going to provide access to resources that will significantly expand Thunderbirds current online programs. The school also plans to expand executive education in ways that allow the school to reach more multinational companies in more locations around the globe.

There are plans to also develop an undergraduate program for Thunderbird School of Global Management. This means new dorms and student housing for Thunderbird students. Undergraduate students would start their programs outside the United States and then come to Thunderbirds main campus for the final year. This means the planned undergraduate programs will bring only college seniors to the Arizona campus.

The partnership with Laureate is in no way a merger or acquisition. The school will remain a 100% independent, nonprofit 501(c)(3) institution completely responsible for and in control of its brand, faculty, curriculum, admissions criteria, quality assessment, standards for award of academic credentials and the awarding of all degrees and certificates bearing Thunderbirds name.

The Thunderbird/Laureate alliance is a bold and significant step that will position Thunderbird for continued global growth. Thunderbird and Laureate are each bringing their greatest strengths and resources to the alliance, and together, will challenge the traditional notions of graduate education by exploring new opportunities that will keep Thunderbird at the forefront of its academic specialty.

For more information on the proposed Thunderbird Laureate partnership click here.

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Jessica Dines graduated from Northern Arizona University as a double major in Public Relations and Advertising. She has been writing professionally for a variety of industries for more than 5 years. Follow her on Google+.