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Meet the New Academic Power Couple

Johns Hopkins SAIS and Tel Aviv University launch cooperative degree program.

Tel-Aviv University (TAU), Gershon H. Gordon Faculty of Social Sciences and the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) have partnered to launch a cooperative degree program.

Two Master Degrees in Two Years

This two-year program will enable students to earn a Master of Arts in International Affairs at SAIS Europe, the school’s European campus located in Bologna, Italy, and a Master of Arts at Tel Aviv University International (TAUi) in one of the following English-led degree programs: Conflict Resolution and MediationCyber Politics and GovernmentDeveloping Countries, and Security and Diplomacy. All programs share a similar intent: To focus on current 21st century global challenges and offer ways of mitigating and solving them. Students in this two-year program spend one year at each campus and can choose to begin their studies in either Bologna or Tel Aviv.

SAIS Europe Director, Michael Plummer says “the new cooperative degree with Tel Aviv University provides students the opportunity to experience two distinct academic, social, and cultural environments, to develop a global perspective, and to better understand the challenges facing Europe and the Middle East. It is an excellent opportunity for students interested in a multidisciplinary, international tool-based graduate education in international affairs.”

“The Faculty holds an important role and duty of making current, updated and precise knowledge available to its students and researchers around the world. Our agenda is to train and equip the students with knowledge and experience to enable them to improve our society and help create a better world. We are proud and excited to launch a collaboration with the Bologna branch of Johns Hopkins University,” adds TAU Social Sciences Faculty Dean, Prof. Itai Sened.

An Experience of Growth and Non-stop Discovery

TAU International (TAUi) is host to nearly 3,000 international students from across the globe each year. Its 60 English-led academic programs are designed to empower its graduates through academic excellence, diverse experience, and non-stop discovery. 

“We offer our students at TAU International the chance to experience of growth and non-stop discovery on many levels. The collaboration between academic research and policy-making giants like TAU and Johns Hopkins, will surely be a leap for any student who seeks to reach new heights in search of today’s seemingly unsolvable global challenges,” says Orit Coty Marketing Director of Tel Aviv University International.

Make the most of your Master’s and become a true leader in policy making and world development by participating in the cooperative program between Johns Hopkins and Tel Aviv University. Applications for 2022-2023 will open soon and end in February 2022.

On Nov 17th, 2021 at 11am (Israel time) there will be a hybrid information session for prospective students with Prof. Itai Sened, along with Daniela Coleman, who is the Director of Admissions at SAIS Europe, and the program coordinators at TAU. They will be talking about the MA program, Daniela will describe the Bologna part of the experience, and all will answer questions. The in-person event will be held at the Faculty of Law Trobovich Building, Room 204, and there is also a Zoom registration link for those who won’t be able to attend live. 

For more information on registration to TAU’s international programs, visit international.tau.ac.il

Featured image: International students enjoying the beautiful Tel Aviv University campus

TAU Launches Cutting-Edge Center for Innovation Labs

Center to cooperate with industry veterans to develop innovative solutions to real-world issues.

Tel Aviv University is launching the Center for Innovation Laboratories. The center will join forces with industry along the goal of advancing groundbreaking research with potential applicability within a period of 3-7 years from the moment the research begins. At this stage, the center comprises six laboratories, with additional laboratories under construction. The goal of the labs is to adapt research to the needs of society, industry and public institutions.

Research in Consultation with Industry Experts

For the first time in Israeli academia, the choice of research topics will be made in consultation with industry and public bodies (e.g. hospitals) that will present the needs on the ground to the heads of the laboratories, who will try to provide a comprehensive scientific and innovative solution within a few years’ time. For example, if the industry describes a demand for the development of unique photographic technology for medical diagnosis purposes, or a need to monitor offensive content in information transmitted online, the researchers will try to provide an appropriate solution based on unique artificial intelligence methods.

The model of this applied research is different from traditional basic research, which focuses on the interests of the researcher, without necessarily thinking about immediate needs. At the same time, however, while the center will focus on the applicable aspect of the research, this will not detract from the outstanding basic research that is taking place at the university. This fundamental research has been and will remain the bulk of the university’s scientific research. Furthermore, faculty members at the new center will continue to be an integral part of their “mother” faculties.

A Multidisciplinary Endeavor

In its multi-year vision, Tel Aviv University has defined three main elements: strengthening its international component, encouraging multidisciplinarity, and bolstering its relationships with knowledge-intensive industry and society. In this context, the new center will promote the university’s vision and act as a channel through which these three tracks will flow.

Unlike basic research, which traditionally focuses on one discipline, research at the new center will bring together experts from a wide range of disciplines. The Automated Justice Laboratory, for instance, will deal with areas in which the market and academia rarely engage, such as systems for improving democracy – handling fake news and the relationship between the government and the citizens. This lab will house people from various disciplines, including legal scholars, psychologists, software engineers, media specialists, political scientists, smart cities researchers and designers. A multidisciplinary approach is required and the research will have potential applicability within a period of 3-7 years.

Unconventional Approach to IP Rights

The center’s financial approach is based on the industry taking on a significant part of the funding of the research, in a format that involves “club membership” that confers product development rights.

The center also applies unconventional thinking when it comes to property rights. According to the new model, all players, including the university, the researchers, and industry partners, will receive the rights to use the research products. These rights will be under a non-exclusive and non-transferable license. This unique model will accelerate the application of academic innovation to the sphere of action and will overcome one of the most significant obstacles in commercialization of worth academic innovations.

These six labs will be kicking off this exciting journey:

  • Genetic Reproduction: Biology, Medicine, Engineering (Prof. Noam Shomron)
  • The Human Robot: Animal, Man, Machine (Dr. Goren Gordon)
  • Urban Science: Sustainability, Environment, Food (Prof. Tali Hatuka)
  • Computational Economics: Information, Intelligence and Economics (Prof. Michal Feldman)
  • Mechanized Justice: Law, Information, Intelligence (Prof. Omri Yadlin)
  • Act-Play-Game (Dr. Sharon Aronson-Lehavi)

 “This unique center redefines the interface between academia and industry,” says Director of the Center, Prof. David Mendlovic of the Fleischman Faculty of Engineering

“The academic freedom to create and innovate on the one hand, and the desire for research that has practical applicability on the other, has led to a center that brings together innovation labs dealing with a variety of topics and actors such as industry, hospitals and government agencies. Our unique commercial and funding model and our selection of unconventional innovation labs is leading to the close engagement of the center’s partners that will relay the academic innovation to those who will implement it. I am proud to be part of a university that is responsible for such an initiative.” 

Featured image: Dr. Goren Gordon (right) with a student in the Human Robot: Animal, Man, Machine Lab.

Israel-Indian academic ties boosted by visit of Indian Minister of External Affairs

(Left to right): President of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Prof. Daniel Chamovitz, Minister of External Affairs of India ,
Dr S. Jaishankar, and President of Tel Aviv University, Prof. Ariel Porat.

All photos by Shlomi Amsalem, Courtesy of Tel Aviv University

Meeting of Israeli university presidents and senior leadership with Dr S. Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs of India.

Tel Aviv University hosted a meeting of Israeli university presidents with Dr S. Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs of India. The Minister met with university presidents and senior leadership from Tel Aviv University, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the Technion, Ben Gurion University, Haifa University and Bar Ilan University to discuss opportunities for expanding and deepening academic ties between the two countries. The Minister also met with a group of Indian students studying in Israel to hear about their experiences and suggestions for how to expand student mobility.

The Minister noted that universities play a significant role in strengthening bilateral relations and whilst there has been increased cooperation in the higher education field in recent years, there is much potential to boost ties in many fields, including technology and innovation. Currently there are around 1,000 Indian students studying in Israel, around half of them post-doctoral students. The Minister said that India is “committed to finding new ways to expand our relationship”, and “the challenge before us is how to scale it up and shift it to the next gear”.

Professor Ariel Porat, President of Tel Aviv University, noted the significance of the Minister’s visit in the context of the upcoming 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations and growing ties between the two countries. Professor Porat stressed that “TAU sees India as a strategic priority and we see great potential in expanding our partnerships with leading academic institutions and industry in India”. Professor Daniel Chamovitz, President of Ben Gurion University said “The strong academic collaboration between India and Israel is built on common values which facilitates the personal interactions”. The Israeli university leaders called for the establishment of more bilateral mechanisms to support joint research and student mobility.

Roohi Chaudry, PhD student in the field of cancer biophysics at TAU, reflecting on her experiences studying in Israel said “studying at TAU and Israel has helped me to gain insight into so many diverse cultures and take a giant leap out of my comfort zone to unravel endless opportunities. The well-equipped research labs with world class infrastructure and the most advanced innovative learning techniques assisted in reinforcing my desire to take up research as my line of work”. She applauded the Minister’s visit and called for the “more student exchanges in the future which will prove to be a testimony in strengthening Indo-Israel relations”.

Meeting of Indian students studying in Israel with Dr S. Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs of India.

 

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A Bridge to Clean Water

Joint Israeli-Emirati Water Research Institute to Open in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

A first of its kind agreement was signed this Tuesday in Abu Dhabi to launch a joint Israeli-Emirati Water Research Institute. It is the first official agreement of its kind when a Water Research Institute is being established as part of a strategic commercial collaboration between Watergen, an Israeli water from air technology company, and Baynunah, a sister company of Al Dahra Group, an Emirati agriculture group that specializes in food security, and will be working in close collaboration with the Moshe Mirilashvili Institute for Applied Water Studies at Tel Aviv University’s Water Research Center.

From Scientific Knowledge to Cutting Edge Possibilities

In attendance at the signing ceremony were: Dr. Michael Mirilashvili, Owner and President of Watergen; Prof. Ariel Porat, President of the Tel Aviv University; Prof. Milette Shamir, Vice President of Tel Aviv University; Amos Elad, Vice President for Resource Development and Public Affairs Division at Tel Aviv University, Prof. Dror Avisar, Head of Moshe Mirilashvili Institute for Applied Water Studies at Tel Aviv University; H.E. Khedaim Abdulla Al Derei, Vice Chairman and Co-Founder of Al Dahra Group; Mr. Eitan Na’eh, the Israeli Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, and other senior officials and members of the parties. Prof. Shamir stated: “Tel Aviv University has a strong commitment to excellence in research and to extensive international collaboration. Research at the joint water institute will build on our special academic strengths, and will open a path for collaboration with the U.A.E. in other mutual areas of research, as well as to student and faculty exchange programs.”   Tel Aviv University: A powerhouse in innovative water R&D

Producing Drinking Water from Air

Besides academic cooperation, Watergen and Baynunah laid the cornerstone for a Watergen production facility in the UAE. This joint venture will commercialize Watergen products in the United Arab Emirates, the Gulf States, and Africa. This joint venture has already been collaborating with the Abu Dhabi municipality, leading to dozens of Watergen devices being already deployed around the city for the benefit of its residents, forming the initial stage of one of this joint venture missions, namely to deploy thousands of Watergen devices all across the UAE. Watergen’s innovative technology enables to produce top quality pure and fresh drinking water solely from the air. Watergen devices use a standard connection to electricity or other alternative energy sources such as solar panels, and can produce up to 6,000 liters of top-quality pure drinking water per day. Today, Watergen’s devices are deployed in more than 80 countries around the world, and are located in remote villages, hospitals, city centers, public parks, schools, office buildings, and even in disaster struck areas. The partnership between Watergen and Baynunah expands the commercial footprint of Watergen in the region, while serving as a catalyst in strengthening the ties between the two nations. “The Abraham Accords has given countries in the Middle East the opportunity to improve and advance relations in various fields,” says Watergen’s President and CEO, Dr. Michael Mirilashvili. “Thanks to the agreements, we – an Israeli company – are able to cooperate with our Middle East neighbors to solve one the region’s difficult problems – water scarcity. Throughout history, conflicts have often been centered around controlling water sources. Today we are doing the opposite: building peace and a common future around a groundbreaking Israeli technology that will provide a plug-and-play solution which allows all residents of the UAE and the world an unlimited access to off grid, top quality and pure drinking water.” Featured image: From the signing ceremony in Abu Dhabi this week (Photo: Tel Aviv University)

TAU and Columbia University Launch Dual Degree Program

“Synergy” between students, faculty is excellent as TAU prepares to welcome next cohort.

Despite the worldwide lockdown, an enthusiastic cohort of students arrived in Tel Aviv in fall 2020 for the inaugural year of the Columbia-Tel Aviv University Dual Degree in Liberal Arts program.

Two Universities, Four years, Endless opportunities

In a first-of-its-kind partnership between an Ivy League university and an Israeli institution of higher learning, the multidisciplinary program enables students to simultaneously earn two bachelor’s degrees—one from each institution. Asher Dayanim, a first-year student from Philadelphia, chose the Dual Degree Program because it “fit all of my goals: to spend time in another country and learn a new language.” Although he studied remotely from his TAU dorm room until April, Dayanim says he loved the content of his classes. He was able to become acquainted with fellow students at the dorms through regulated social activities in-person as well as online. Now, upon his return to the classroom, he says, “Meeting my classmates after only seeing them on a zoom screen for a whole semester is a profound experience. I have already started to bounce around ideas about philosophy, history, politics and economics and to learn from their experiences.” Dual-degree students study in TAU’s International Liberal Arts Program at the Lester and Sally Entin Faculty of Humanities for their first two years and spend their last two years at Columbia University in New York City. “The results of our partnership with Columbia have even exceeded our expectations,” says Prof. Bruce Maddy-Weitzman, Head of the TAU side of the program. “Our students bring enormous energy, intelligence, and curiosity to the classroom, and the resulting synergy with their fellow students and their professors is palpable. The high level of our incoming cohort guarantees that the coming academic year will be even more exciting and productive.” Featured image: Students in the Columbia-TAU Dual Degree program on the TAU campus. From left: Lemony David, Ann Mizrahi, Katie Friedman, Asher Dayanim and Kristupas Packauskas

Add ‘Zoom w. Dubai University’ to Your Calendar

TAU students welcome to join week of activities and getting to know our friends at UD.

Israel and the UAE have been inching toward normalization in recent years. The historic, US-brokered peace deal that was reached between the countries in September 2020 leads the way for our countries to establish normal relations, including academic exchange. TAU quickly recognized this as a window of opportunity and we are excited to share that the very first “University of Dubai and Tel Aviv University Collaboration Week” is about to take place, and welcome all TAU students to join the event.

By Students & For Students

When Ido Montaniez, Head of Culture, Sports and Foreign Affairs at the TAU Student Union heard that fellow student, Oleg Ben-Avi, was in Dubai, he swiftly coordinated for Oleg to meet with the President of Dubai University’s student union, their student council advisor, as well as the head of Dubai University’s gaming club. Oleg became the first student from TAU to meet with students from the University of Dubai. Since that momentous meeting, a new and exciting relationship has evolved between students from both universities. Ido kept in touch with his contacts at UD, and already during their first meeting the idea was brought up: to organize a full week of virtual activities for students of the University of Dubai and TAU to celebrate the newfound connection between our universities, building on the relationship formed and to exchange knowledge. Subsequently, on the TAU side, Ido and Orit Coty, Marketing Director of TAU International, have been preparing the first initiative ever to be organized between TAU and an academic institution in Dubai, by students and for students. UD President Eesa Mohammed Bastaki, Ph.D is expected to make a statement at the event, as will our own TAU President Prof. Ariel Porat. The event has also opened for engagement between researchers from both universities, as some of the sessions will be co-presented by scholars from both sides. Prof. Hayit Greenspan from TAU’s Department of Biomedical Engineering will be presenting in a session on Artificial Intelligence and its Applications: Space and Medical Fields and Prof. Danny Ben-Shahar from the Coller school of Management will be giving an overview of the Israeli economy.

What’s Planned?

The sessions have been curated to offer something to students of all fields: March 21, – An Overview of the UAE and Israel Economies (14:00-15:00) – Dr. Genewew Bekele from the University of Dubai and Prof. Danny Ben-Shahar from Tel Aviv University give an overview of our countries’ economies. More details here and register on Zoom here. March 21 – Israelis Meet Emirates (19:00) – A stimulating cultural exchange activity including a joint panel discussing the Emirati and Israeli character; fun facts about UAE and Israel; “a day in the life” with videos, and an open discussion. More details here and register on Zoom here. March 22 – Artificial Intelligence and its Applications: Space and Medical Fields (16:00-17:00) – Dr. Alavikunhu Panthakkan from the University of Dubai and Prof. Hayit Greenspan from Tel Aviv University will lead this super interesting IT-Engineering session. More details here and register on Zoom here. March 24 – Environmental Day (19:00) – Fair trade and fashion, the animal industry and tree planting benefits and more will be discussed during this session. More details here and register on Zoom here. March 25 – FIFA Competition (19:00) – What better way to end our collaboration week than a FIFA match on PlayStation, Tel Aviv against Dubai? Click here to learn more and register.

What’s Next?

According to Ido, this will be the first time that UD cooperates with an Israeli institution, and they are now looking into sending a delegation to visit TAU campus this summer. Who knows, perhaps we will soon be able to welcome our first UAE exchange students here on TAU campus as well? The ‘University of Dubai and Tel Aviv University Collaboration Week’ is beyond doubt a brilliant way to embark on what we hope will be the beginning of a productive and lasting relationship between our universities.   Israel and the UAE have been inching toward normalization in recent years. The historic, US-brokered peace deal that was reached between the countries in September 2020 leads the way for our countries to establish normal relations, including academic exchange. TAU quickly recognized this as a window of opportunity and we are excited to share that the very first “University of Dubai and Tel Aviv University Collaboration Week” is about to take place, and welcome all TAU students to join the event.

By Students & For Students

When Ido Montaniez, Head of Culture, Sports and Foreign Affairs at the TAU Student Union heard that fellow student, Oleg Ben-Avi, was in Dubai, he swiftly coordinated for Oleg to meet with the President of Dubai University’s student union, their student council advisor, as well as the head of Dubai University’s gaming club. Oleg became the first student from TAU to meet with students from the University of Dubai. Since that momentous meeting, a new and exciting relationship has evolved between students from both universities. Ido kept in touch with his contacts at UD, and already during their first meeting the idea was brought up: to organize a full week of virtual activities for students of the University of Dubai and TAU to celebrate the newfound connection between our universities, building on the relationship formed and to exchange knowledge. Subsequently, on the TAU side, Ido and Orit Coty, Marketing Director of TAU International, have been preparing the first initiative ever to be organized between TAU and an academic institution in Dubai, by students and for students. UD President Eesa Mohammed Bastaki, Ph.D is expected to make a statement at the event, as will our own TAU President Prof. Ariel Porat. The event has also opened for engagement between researchers from both universities, as some of the sessions will be co-presented by scholars from both sides. Prof. Hayit Greenspan from TAU’s Department of Biomedical Engineering will be presenting in a session on Artificial Intelligence and its Applications: Space and Medical Fields and Prof. Danny Ben-Shahar from the Coller school of Management will be giving an overview of the Israeli economy.

What’s Planned?

The sessions have been curated to offer something to students of all fields: March 21, – An Overview of the UAE and Israel Economies (14:00-15:00) – Dr. Genewew Bekele from the University of Dubai and Prof. Danny Ben-Shahar from Tel Aviv University give an overview of our countries’ economies. More details here and register on Zoom here. March 21 – Israelis Meet Emirates (19:00) – A stimulating cultural exchange activity including a joint panel discussing the Emirati and Israeli character; fun facts about UAE and Israel; “a day in the life” with videos, and an open discussion. More details here and register on Zoom here. March 22 – Artificial Intelligence and its Applications: Space and Medical Fields (16:00-17:00) – Dr. Alavikunhu Panthakkan from the University of Dubai and Prof. Hayit Greenspan from Tel Aviv University will lead this super interesting IT-Engineering session. More details here and register on Zoom here. March 24 – Environmental Day (19:00) – Fair trade and fashion, the animal industry and tree planting benefits and more will be discussed during this session. More details here and register on Zoom here. March 25 – FIFA Competition (19:00) – What better way to end our collaboration week than a FIFA match on PlayStation, Tel Aviv against Dubai? Click here to learn more and register.

What’s Next?

According to Ido, this will be the first time that UD cooperates with an Israeli institution, and they are now looking into sending a delegation to visit TAU campus this summer. Who knows, perhaps we will soon be able to welcome our first UAE exchange students here on TAU campus as well? The ‘University of Dubai and Tel Aviv University Collaboration Week’ is beyond doubt a brilliant way to embark on what we hope will be the beginning of a productive and lasting relationship between our universities.

See you in Dubai

The new agreements between nations have created new opportunities – A TAU student meets students from the University of Dubai.

Oleg Ben-Avi, a third-year student in the Digital Society Studies Track at the Gershon H. Gordon Faculty of Social Sciences, was the first student from TAU to meet with students from the University of Dubai.

Connecting through Instagram

Oleg’s meeting with the Chairman of the University of Dubai’s Student Union, the Union’s Consultant and the Head of its Gaming Club, was coordinated by Ido Montaniez, Head of Culture, Sports and Foreign Affairs at the TAU Student Union, who says:  “We have good relations with universities in the UAE, and every day we form more ties. But our ties with the Student Union of the University of Dubai are especially close.” Ido recounts how he created the initial contact through the Instagram: “We conduct thorough research on every institution we wish to contact. If we find that a certain institution is especially active on a social network, we use that channel. Encountering too many obstacles in the University of Dubai’s formal channels, I turned to the social networks, and it worked,” he smiles.

Once the channel had opened, Oleg, a TAU Union representative on holiday in Dubai, was more than happy for the opportunity to make new friends. He shared his experiences with us:

  •  What did you as a student gain from this encounter?

“As a student of Digital Society Studies (Sociology-Anthropology and Communication), I wanted to get to know their culture and social perceptions. At the beginning the conversation was a bit guarded, but gradually they opened up, and I found people who are not very different from us. They are cynical like we are, they enjoy free humor – as long as it does not offend their religion, but even this rule can be bent at times. They are in favor of criticism, and open to discussions and questions that can be challenging. For example, the standup performances of Achmed the Dead Terrorist are very popular over there.”

  •  What insights did you gain from the meeting?

“I realized that the degree I am studying for can really be useful, today and in the future. I saw how active they are on the social networks, and how the technological revolution has helped Dubai grow and become a world power in quite a few areas. It was also clear to me that this meeting was only the beginning. They expect to establish numerous collaborations with us, between our universities specifically, and with Israel in general. My new friends just can’t wait to visit Israel. I played some Israeli music for them, which I thought was their style (based on what they had played for me) and told them that we have an enormous range of music genres. They loved it!” 

  • What about a return visit to Israel?

“The Student Union is planning official visits, joint seminars and student exchange programs with its UAE partners. A full week of online events is planned for March, including both social and academic meetings between students. I invited them to Israel and promised to be their guide. I do hope they’ll take me up on it.”

Pic: Oleg, Ahmed, Matt and Abdullah at a café.

TAU’s Foreign Office

Behind the scenes, planning meetings and collaborations between students, we also found TAU’s VP International, Prof. Milette Shamir, and the team at TAU International – responsible for TAU’s interface with universities worldwide, serving international students and proposing suitable programs.

“From the moment the agreements were signed it was clear that, in addition to forming new academic connections and collaborations, we must also define the role of academia in building bridges between nations and cultures,” says Prof. Shamir. “Ties between students are an excellent basis for all the rest. The spirit of Tel Aviv University, which places great emphasis on innovation and entrepreneurship, as well as the city of Tel Aviv – an international hub of entrepreneurship, go very well with the spirit of universities in Bahrein and the UAE, especially in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, where entrepreneurship and innovation also predominate.”

“One high-potential aspect of our connection with the UAE is the prospect of bringing over some of their outstanding students. Many young people from the UAE go overseas to study, and traditionally they prefer elite academic institutions in the UK or US. Now they can attend excellent universities closer to home, offering programs that can suit their fields of interest, and an environment that feels more like home. 20% of our students know Arabic from home. We are in the Middle East. We have hummus in our cafeteria.”

Featured image: Oleg Ben-Avi and his friends from the University of Dubai

Accelerating Jewish-Arab Entrepreneurship

TAU’s jumpTAU program helps bicultural teams found start-ups and friendships.

By Lindsey Zemler

“If you put a law student, a medical student, a social sciences student and an engineer in a room—it’s not the start of a joke. It’s the start of a creative idea,” says Yair Sakov, Managing Director of TAU’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center and its accelerator program, jumpTAU. 

The four-month program provides a framework for teams of TAU students and recent alumni to develop a business or social venture. In 2020, the Center, which promotes the integration of diverse communities into Israel’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, focused on bringing together Arab and Jewish students. 

Although Arab society constitutes more than 20% of Israel’s population, relations between Arab citizens and the Jewish majority are often characterized by ignorance, prejudice and fear. The same is true on Israeli campuses: “Connections between Jews and Arabs are happening in the workplace,” Sakov says, “but in academia we don’t see it enough.”

According to jumpTAU participant Lena Polevoi, a Jewish biomedical engineering student, having Jews and Arabs working together gave her team unique insights into developing a product. She acted as CEO of a student group developing a digital platform called Chatty, which aims to reduce loneliness among the elderly. “We discovered that loneliness is less prevalent among Arab seniors because they generally live with their families, while Jewish seniors do not,” she says.

 

Lena Polevoi. Photo: Yael Tzur.

Polevoi adds that she entered the program ready to learn as much as possible before graduating, especially in the field of digital marketing.

Similarly, Arab-Israeli Osaid Watted, a second-year mechanical engineering student, applied to jumpTAU to cultivate his entrepreneurial skills. He also wished to forge connections to the Jewish business world. Watted was part of the team that launched Game On, an online social platform for amateur athletes to find sports games to compete in. The team members’ different fields of study enhanced the business development process, he says.

The jumpTAU novice entrepreneurs received guidance from industry veterans and executives with decades of experience. All of the program’s volunteer mentors are TAU alumni. Most important, the mentors provided an entry point into the business world, which was a major advantage, especially for the Arab students; finding a job, for example, says Watted, would otherwise be very difficult for him, who has no experience or contacts in Israel’s business community.

Osaid Watted. Photo: Yael Tzur.

Osaid Watted. Photo: Yael Tzur.

In addition to networking opportunities, the program, funded by the U.S. Embassy and USAID’s Conflict Mitigation and Management (CMM) Program, provided additional benefits to participants, says Sakov. 

Jewish students gained a rare window into the Arab market through their Arab peers, a huge market opportunity locally and globally, he says.

Polevoi emerged from the program with new knowledge and skills and a refined direction in life. The experience led her to take a job in a solar energy venture upon graduation from TAU. She also became good friends with her Arab teammate and says that participation in the accelerator was an opportunity to get to know a new culture first-hand. 

For Watted, the experience provided enormous personal and professional benefits; “the entrepreneurial sense in me just grew, and I became more confident in my abilities, like how to actually build a start-up—it’s just priceless.” He now plans to start his own company, based on the values he was raised on: to provide an egalitarian and empowering work environment for disadvantaged groups within the Arab community, including Arab women. 

“Respecting each other and working with each other creates a feeling of tolerance,” said Watted. 

By the program’s end, two out of eight teams had raised investment funding for their start-ups to continue beyond the accelerator. Yet, to Sakov, securing funding is but “the icing on the cake.” 

“Professional collaboration is where humanity begins,” concludes Sakov. “When you work with someone, you trust them. All of a sudden, the label that says Jewish or Arab disappears, and you see the person behind it.”

featured image: jumpTAU students. Photo: Yael Tzur.

Historic TAU-UAE Partnership Symbolizes Hopeful Future

Moshe Dayan Center signs agreement with TRENDs Research Center in Abu Dhabi

TAU’s Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies (MDC) has announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the TRENDS Research and Advisory Center in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Part of the historic onset of diplomatic relations between the two countries, the agreement aims to augment academic cooperation in fields such as geopolitics of the Middle East, economics and intercultural relations.

“We are very excited about this special opportunity and grateful to our colleagues at TRENDS, with whom we will make this happen – together,” says Prof. Uzi Rabi, Director of the MDC. “This academic cooperation envisions a different, hopeful future for our region – enhanced by genuine personal partnerships, while expanding the cooperation between our two nations.”

The two Centers expect to mutually expand each other’s knowledge base and benefit from one another’s accumulated practical and research experience to serve their respective societies and support policy makers. Collaborative activities will include joint research projects, conferences, workshops, seminars and symposiums, exchange of publications, joint release of publications, and a common research database.

The MoU follows the September 2020 “Abraham Accords,” a US-brokered normalization agreement and opening of diplomatic relations between the UAE and Israel. The first deal of its kind between a Gulf state and Israel, it opens opportunities for business, academic and political cooperation.

Dr. Mohamed Al-Ali, Director General of TRENDS Research & Advisory Center, sees the partnership as a timely and promising initiative, with potential for both sides to learn about each other. “A region with such a large youth population must have think-tanks and researchers projecting and strategizing future trends and also coming up with robust policy recommendations,” says Al-Ali.

Advancing Israeli Innovation in China

A new agreement signed by Tel Aviv University and Tsinghua Shenzhen International Global School (TSIGS) will promote technological exchange between the two institutions

A ceremony marking a new cooperation agreement between Tsinghua Shenzhen International Global School (TSIGS), China, and Tel Aviv University was signed last week at TSIGS in the presence of Mr. Chen Rugui, Mayor of Shenzen; TAU President Joseph Klafter; TAU Rector Yaron Oz; and Advisor to the TAU President and Director of Asia Affairs, Ms. Orly Fromer; as well as leading TAU researchers. A second signing ceremony was held at TAU during the visit of a delegation from Shenzen to TAU headed by Mayor Chen Rugui.

The agreement aims to promote collaborative research, startup acceleration and incubation, and business relations between the two institutions. Bridging Tel Aviv and Shenzhen, the center will advance Israeli projects entering the Chinese market, and vice versa. It will serve as a gateway for startups emerging from Ramot, the technology transfer arm of Tel Aviv University and will attract investors for early stage technologies.

The cooperation agreement was first announced at the Third Annual China Israel Innovation Forum (CIIF), held in Shenzhen on November 30-December 1, 2018. The Forum was attended by the three co-chairs of CIIF: President of Tsinghua University and TAU Honorary Doctor Prof. Qiu Yong; Co-founder of Morningside, Chairman of Hang Lung Properties and TAU Honorary Doctor Mr. Ronnie C. Chan; and TAU President Joseph Klafter.  

CIIF is a platform for influential individuals from academia, government, and industry from China and Israel to explore the latest in technological developments and university-driven innovations.

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