Thunderbird EMBA graduates on Institute grounds

The November-December session of the Thunderbird Executive MBA, with participation from the Graduate Institute, has come to a close in Geneva. On this occasion the Institute interviewed William McDonald, Director of the Executive MBA programme for Thunderbird School of Global Management, Europe.

How does Thunderbird’s partnership with the Graduate Institute contribute to the Executive MBA programme?

Our partnership with the Graduate Institute has provided invaluable support since we launched in Geneva in January 2010.  Professors from the Institute deliver key courses in the programme—from Global Political Economy to International Law—which helps set the stage for understanding the global context in which future business leaders will manage. The Institute has also taught cohorts from Thunderbird’s Executive MBA in Arizona, and Professor Jean-Louis Arcand, who teaches the Global Economics course in the Executive MBA programme, was selected as Most Valuable Professor in 2010, and was invited by the students to Arizona as Commencement Speaker.

Why did Thunderbird seek to partner with the Institute?

We found that The Graduate Institute shares many of our key values. Rather than partnering with another school to supplement what we do, we found an institution which has its core competencies in complementary areas of expertise that are mission-critical in our educating of global managers.  And, of course, Geneva itself serves as a unique location for global learning.  Thunderbird has many alumni in Geneva and throughout the region, in private companies, public roles and NGOs, much like the Institute.

What is unique about Thunderbird’s approach to education?

Thunderbird has always approached business from its global context and its social impact, with a legacy of a ‘tripartite’ curriculum that included business, international studies, language and culture.  The school believes firmly that business leaders who work in a global context—launching products or services in new markets, expanding across borders, sourcing goods abroad and managing global teams—must understand the unique nuances, trends, risks and opportunities, a framework of learning competencies often missed by b-school curricula.  Over the school’s legacy, this has grown to its current mission of “educating global leaders who create sustainable prosperity worldwide”, and all of our degree programmes require study abroad, cross-cultural course work and regional business environment (from understanding history and culture to politics and government systems).  The school has a strong emphasis on the social impact of business, and all graduates are invited to take an oath of honour (business ethics code).

Thunderbird’s Executive MBA in Global Management is an 18 month programme consisting of 12 modules of roughly one-week mostly in Geneva, the programme’s hub. Other sessions rotate between Brazil, Russia, India and the United States. Graduate Institute Alumni benefit from a discount in the programme.