Vaclav Havel to Receive Thunderbird Honorary Degree; Former President to Address Global Business Leaders from Central and Eastern Europe During Thunderbird and CMC Executive MBA Commencement Ceremony

Business Wire, August 3, 2005

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Thunderbird, The Garvin School of International Management and the CMC Graduate School of Business will confer an Honorary Doctor of International Law degree, Honoris Causa, upon former President of the Czech Republic Vaclav Havel. The degree will be presented during commencement ceremonies for the Executive Masters in Business Administration in International Management program scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 6 in Prague.

A prominent playwright, poet and social activist, Havel became a worldwide symbol of freedom through his defense of human rights in the face of harsh political repression by the former communist. Havel was jailed three times for his political beliefs and activism and spent nearly five years in a Czech prison. After helping lead the Velvet Revolution, which ended communist rule in 1989, he was elected president of Czechoslovakia. He was re-elected in 1990 and served until 1992. In 1993, he was elected president of the newly formed Czech Republic. He was re-elected to the Czech presidency in 1998.

"Vaclav Havel is the embodiment of courage and personal commitment to the democratic ideal," said Thunderbird president Dr. Angel Cabrera. "It is an honor for Thunderbird to celebrate his contribution to making the world a better place while we graduate this new group of EMBA degree-holders with the exhortation to follow President Havel's example and practice the virtues of global citizenship."

Among the notable participants in this year's graduation will be Cabrera, CMC president Marco Sipione, and Robert Dudley, an alumni from the class of 1979 and president and CEO of TNK-BP, one of the largest oil companies operating in Russia. Dudley will serve as the alumni convocation speaker for the event. The ceremony will be held at 1 p.m. at the Rudolfinum Concert Hall in Prague, Czech Republic.

The Executive MBA degree is offered jointly with Thunderbird and CMC Graduate School of Business, Central Europe's leading regional business school. The 14-month Executive MBA program is designed for top executives in senior management positions from the Czech Republic, as well as the wider region of Central and Eastern Europe. This year's graduating class includes citizens from Canada, Czech Republic, Italy, Kuwait, Macedonia, Russia, and the United States.

About Thunderbird

Thunderbird is the oldest graduate management school in the United States focused solely on preparing graduates for global leadership. Ranked among the best in the world by Financial Times, U.S. News & World Report, The Wall Street Journal and BusinessWeek, the school's unique curriculum is based on the principle that to do business on a global scale, executives must not only know the intricacies of business, but also understand the customs of other countries and be able to communicate with different cultures. More than 35,000 men and women in 138 different countries have graduated from Thunderbird since 1946. Thunderbird is accredited by AACSB International -- The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, the North Central Association for Colleges and Schools, and the European Quality Improvement System (EQUIS). To learn more, visit: http://www.thunderbird.edu.