Educational partnership between Thunderbird and Oman redefines public leadership

In an era where global leadership, sustainable urban planning and digitalization of society at large have become a national imperative, the Sultanate of Oman has taken a bold approach.

He has invested deeply in government leadership and urban innovation practitioners, as well as their private sector counterparts. That vision found a powerful ally over 8,000 miles away at Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University.

What began as a one-off educational initiative between Thunderbird and the Government of Oman has evolved into a multi-year, multi-cohort partnership aimed at preparing Oman’s next generation of public and private sector leaders for the challenges of a rapidly transforming global economy and the full implementation of Oman Vision 2040.

“At Thunderbird, we believe that leadership education must be anchored in both global perspective and local relevance,” said Charla Griffy-Brown, director general and dean of Thunderbird.

“Our partnership with Oman is a powerful example of what’s possible when we co-design solutions that reflect national aspirations while drawing on global expertise.”

In 2022, Thunderbird responded to a call for tender issued by Oman’s Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning, and worked to create a capacity-building program tailored specifically to the needs of both emerging and incumbent government leaders that were tasked with implementing Oman’s ambitious Vision 2040.

What further set Thunderbird’s proposal apart during this competitive procurement process was the unique combination of global expertise and deep regional insight. With a team based in the MENA region, Thunderbird was uniquely positioned to understand the cultural nuances, institutional dynamics, and national aspirations behind Oman Vision 2040.

“Thunderbird’s competitive edge came from more than just program content,” says Mohamed Elsuhimi, executive director for global custom engagement at Thunderbird and co-faculty program lead. “It came from our ability to understand the cultural context and the specific needs of Oman. We had team members in the region who could engage fluently and sensitively, and we took a deeply customer-centric approach that prioritized responsiveness, flexibility, and collaboration every step of the way.”

This approach was evident throughout the engagement. Thunderbird’s team maintained close, proactive communication with MoHUP, often working across time zones and providing real-time support despite an 11-hour time difference. This level of attentiveness went beyond delivery and reflected a core commitment to partnership.

The program reflected Thunderbird’s core strengths in global management and agile leadership, while adding forward-thinking layers of digitalization and urban innovation, sustainable spatial planning smart city design and governance, and cross-sector leadership to meet the demands of a dynamic and changing world

Initially considered niche, the program has since expanded in scope, depth, and ambition. Now, with three cohorts completed, it has evolved into a world-class platform that bridges public sector vision and private sector capability, helping leaders prepare for and shape the cities of tomorrow.

“Leadership must be ingrained in meeting the practical needs of the citizens while also ensuring we develop leaders that are meeting the demands of climate change for future generations,” said Monica Kerretts-Makau, professor of practice at Thunderbird and head of the program leadership modules this year.

The program’s architecture is rooted in experience-based learning. Participants are immersed in interactive sessions, live simulations, and global case studies. Additionally, each cohort travels to some of the world’s most innovative urban centers, including Singapore, Seoul, Barcelona, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Austin, and Phoenix, to study real projects, explore policies, and engage directly with fellow leaders.

This exposure equips participants to evolve from roles such as architects, planners, and administrators, into cross-disciplinary city designers. They become fluent in a new civic language that blends urbanism and architectural strategy, effective citizen and community engagement approaches, and effective use of emerging digital technologies.

The Thunderbird-Oman partnership has proven a successful example of transformative leadership development, showing how modern governments can systematically build the human capacity required to lead in an increasingly complex world.

“What started as a focused offering is now a global model for what modern city leadership education should be,” said Bas Boorsma, professor of practice at Thunderbird and program leader.

“Having been active in urban innovation leadership roles for the past 24 years, knowing the capacity challenges communities face to do the right job, I could only wish for any local, regional or national public sector agency tasked with urban innovation to leverage a program like this,” he said.

As the world’s cities face mounting challenges that range from climate adaptation to digital transformation, the demand for agile, globally minded leadership has never been greater. Through the partnership between Thunderbird and Oman, public leadership education has proven to be both visionary and practical, and poised to act as a scalable model for other cities, regions, and countries seeking to build the leadership capacity their futures demand.