Jakarta, Indonesia (20 November 2024) — Dr. Charla Griffy-Brown, the newly appointed Dean of Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University, concluded her first visit to Indonesia, underscoring Thunderbird’s commitment to fostering empowerment, sustainability, and inclusive growth, aligning closely with the nation’s ambitious vision under President Prabowo Subianto’s new administration.
During her visit, Dr. Griffy-Brown met with Thunderbird’s Indonesian alumni, officiated a house-building project, and participated in strategic engagements designed to deepen Thunderbird’s impact in Indonesia.
Returning to the country where she once lived in the 1990s, the Dean emphasized her vision to empower Indonesian leaders across public, private, and community sectors, equipping them with the skills and mindset to address global challenges and create sustainable prosperity.
“My vision is for Thunderbird to prepare leaders who are not only business executives but also systems thinkers capable of building industries and solutions for a better future. This includes leaders from public and private sectors, as well as community activists working at the intersection of the digital and global worlds,” Dr. Griffy-Brown said.
Strengthening Thunderbird’s Legacy in Indonesia
Thunderbird has established a robust presence in Indonesia, opening its Jakarta Center in 2019 to serve as a hub for leadership development and global collaboration in Southeast Asia.
Today, Thunderbird is ranked No. 1 in the world for international trade by the QS International Trade Rankings, ahead of Harvard, Penn (Wharton), and IMD. Thunderbird, as part of Arizona State University, has been ranked No. 1 “Most Innovative School” in the nation by U.S. News & World Report for eight years in a row.
Thunderbird draws on a vast spectrum of disciplines of excellence to empower leaders across sectors to advance inclusive and sustainable prosperity worldwide.
Griffy-Brown said Thunderbird’s top priority for Indonesia would be the empowerment of all nationals, providing opportunities through multiple initiatives, including a more intensified outreach on the existing world-class Najafi 100 Million Learners Global Initiative online management educational platform in Bahasa Indonesia and 39 other languages—with no cost.
Launched in January 2022, the program offers three levels of education—foundational, intermediate, and advanced—seeking to capitalize on increasing global connectivity and international digital transformation.
“We can harness the power of education to uplift communities, drive sustainable growth, and empower individuals to achieve their full potential, but also to help us all architect the solutions that we so desperately need,” she said.
Griffy-Brown and Thunderbird aim to leave a greater legacy for Indonesia after witnessing the country’s potential in various areas such as its cultural diversity, resilience, and strides in empowering women, fostering youth entrepreneurship, as well as advancing sustainable economic practices.
“What I would like to see, even in two years, is hundreds of businesses that are owned by women here in Indonesia are moving toward exit strategies and developing into very successful businesses. I would like to see a world in which we see more women in leadership roles in the public or private sector. It would be wonderful if we were able to transform our world so that the planetary health problems we’re currently experiencing—climate and weather included—are dissipated,” Griffy-Brown said.
“I would like to see two years from now, through this work in Indonesia, greater connectedness and collaboration in which our common values animate our work. We can only really develop those values and build on them if we take the time to get to know each other. That’s what Thunderbird is all about—building these relationships so that we can create a better future,” she added.
Empowering Indonesia for Global Competitiveness
Founded in 1946, Thunderbird seeks to stay true to its roots to facilitate and engage individuals with a global viewpoint across borders, even thousands of miles away.
Yully Purwono, Thunderbird’s director of business development in charge of Indonesia and Southeast Asia, earned his master’s degree from Thunderbird in 2019. He understands how an international education and perspective like those offered by his alma mater would open more doors for his fellow citizens.
“Thunderbird is renowned for its global mindset. How do we develop the mindset to engage in dialogue and communicate with others from different cultural, economic, or organizational backgrounds? How can we bridge those differences? This aligns well with many government policies today aimed at global competition, which is very much in line with our vision at Thunderbird,” Yully said.
“I envision an Indonesian society that is highly competitive, increasingly equipped with global skills. It might sound cliché, but the goal is to be able to compete with other nations, particularly the advanced ones. Not only at the national level, but the people themselves should also embody a competitive mindset as an advanced nation,” he added.
As Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto takes office, Yully sees Thunderbird as a partner to help expand the Indonesian government programs’ reach and enable other organizations to achieve a greater impact.
“We also aim to nurture individuals withstrong intellectual capabilities and access to quality education. Inclusivity is a part of our mission and goal, ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to access quality education,” he said.
“This reflects my aspiration as an Indonesian citizen who wishes to contribute my best work for the society, the nation, and the world.”
About Thunderbird School of Global Management
Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University is ranked No. 1 in the world for international trade by the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) International Trade Rankings 2023, ahead of Cambridge, Harvard, and Stanford. As part of Arizona State University, ranked No. 1 “Most Innovative School” in the nation by U.S. News & World Report for nine years in succession, Thunderbird draws on a vast spectrum of disciplines of excellence to empower leaders across sectors with future-ready skills. For more than 75 years, Thunderbird has produced leaders capable of tackling the world’s greatest challenges. Ushering in the Thunderbird 4.0 era was the opening of the F. Francis and Dionne Najafi Thunderbird Global Headquarters building, spanning 110,000 square feet over five floors on ASU’s Downtown Phoenix campus.
Thunderbird became the world’s first-ever higher education institution to focus exclusively on international leadership by concentrating its curriculum on global management and business skills, international political economy and regional business environments, languages, and cross-cultural communications.
Thunderbird is now known worldwide for its vast and engaged alumni network of more than 45,000 graduates in nearly 150 nations around the globe.
Thunderbird’s global footprint has also grown over the years, with operations now in Geneva, Dubai, Tokyo, Nairobi, Jakarta, and nearly 15 others. Thunderbird’s regional Centers ensure that the School is now the world’s first truly “global multinational business school,” committed to training the next generation of global leaders. Learn more about Thunderbird at: http://thunderbird.asu.edu
