The Herzliyan 2020-2021

IDC HERZLIYAN 2021

Sheldon G. Adelson z”l (right) with Dr. Miriam Adelson and Prof. Uriel Reichman, President and Founder of IDC Herzliya, at the inauguration of the Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson School of Entrepreneurship in 2013

CONTENTS

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Prof. Uriel Reichman Leading the Way Academically and Socially

A Vision of Regional Cooperation: The Pafos Innovation Institute

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In Memoriam: Sheldon G. Adelson z”l, 1933-2021

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In Memoriam: Harry L. Radzyner z”l, 1933-2020

IDC HERZLIYAN 2021

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Managing Editors: Anna Menzies Hecht / anna.menzies@idc.ac.il Tamara Mizroch / tamara.mizroch@idc.ac.il Copy Editor: Miriam Bulwar David-Hay / miriambdh@gmail.com Graphic Designer: Guy Tamir / guy@2plustudio.com Writer: Ariel Rodal-Spieler / arielrodal@gmail.com Cover Photographer: Kobi Zholtack Photographers: Amit Geron, Gadi Dagon, Kfir Bolotin, Herschel Gutman, Alon Gilboa, Iya Volkova, Eli Dassa, Tommy Harpaz

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Innovations for a Post-Pandemic World

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Eden Amare Yitbarek awarded Rhodes Scholarship

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Emmanuel Moreno Prayer Room

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American and Israeli Friends of IDC

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Tiomkin School of Economics

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Raphael Recanati International School

Arison School of Business

Harry Radzyner Law School

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82

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68

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Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson School of Entrepreneurship

Lauder School of Government, Diplomacy & Strategy

Sammy Ofer School of Communications

Efi Arazi School of Computer Science

Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology

School of Sustainability

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Global Engagement

Prof. Uriel Reichman, Founder and President of IDC Herzliya We began the 2020-2021 academic year in a world that was in a state of turmoil, and in a reality that we have never before faced. This turmoil has affected the academic world too, altering the student experience. Over the past year, we have celebrated significant achievements: the authorization given to us by Israel’s Council for Higher Education to grant Ph.D.’s in Computer Science and in Psychology, on top of our existing Ph.D. program in Law, entrenched our status as a university and as a first-rate Israeli research institution. We established laboratories for brain research, inaugurated the Innovation Center, a leader in the unique integration of different disciplines, and witnessed an increase in applications for degrees at IDC Herzliya.

We also experienced in this past year the loss of two of our great founding supporters, Harry Radzyner and Sheldon Adelson. Radzyner established the Law School t IDC Herzliya, and Adelson, together with his wife Dr. Miriam Adelson, the School of Entrepreneurship. We will forever be in their debt.

We at IDC Herzliya believe that constant change is the new world order and that it is the role of academia to adapt accordingly.

Therefore, we see the changes taking place around us as a great opportunity, an opportunity to create a new academy, an academy that modifies itself without compromising and without sacrificing its high standards and values. The mission for which IDC was established has not changed. Our mission is to provide students with the tools they need to plan and realize their dreams. Our mission, more than ever, is to produce the future leadership of Israel, leaders who are professionals, who are broad-minded and knowledgeable, and who are imbued with a sense of mission to bring about change, both locally and in the wider world.

We have been preparing intensively over the past few months for the new situation. We set up special steering and planning committees, which included students, and have worked tirelessly towards one goal: giving students the very best that IDC can give.

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LEADING THE WAY ACADEMICALLY AND SOCIALLY

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We at IDC Herzliya believe that constant change is the new world order and that it is the role of academia to adapt accordingly.”

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The result of this hard work is a curriculum that comprises the most innovative academic content along with extracurricular enrichment activities and a diverse and fulfilling social experience. The health and well-being of our students is among our top priorities, and so is their future.

This year, despite the upheaval, and perhaps even because of it, will be a year of growth and empowerment. Students will discover within themselves new abilities, enabling them to go out into the changing world equipped with the finest tools, better prepared to meet its challenges than any of their predecessors.

The entire IDC community has enlisted to fulfill this task: the faculty and the administrative staff, alumni and friends, and the students. These days are indeed difficult.

At this challenging time, we, IDC Herzliya and our students, are standing together to weather the storm.

I have been very pleased with the increase in registrations in both the Israeli and international schools for the 2020-2021 year.

On other fronts, work is continuing, including the great progress that is being made on our third dormitory building, supported by Shari Arison, and the new Drahi Innovation Building supported by the Patrick and Lina Drahi Foundation, together with Joey Low.

After four years of planning and hard work, we opened the Pafos Innovation Institute in Cyprus. The institute was launched in the presence of the President of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades, with addresses by the President of the State of Israel, Reuven Rivlin, and the Minister of Higher Education and Water Resources, Ze’ev Elkin. We hope that the students will form friendships that will ultimately lead them not only to cooperate in their professional roles, but also turn them into a force that promotes regional progress and creates a culture of peace.

On the topic of regional peace, I look forward to welcoming international students from the United Arab Emirates on campus following the Abraham Accords peace agreement between Israel and the UAE and the increased opportunity this agreement will bring to broaden our own horizons.

To cap off the semester, we received the wonderful news that we will soon have our first IDC Herzliya Rhodes Scholar, Eden Amare Yitbarek, a graduate of the Lauder School of Government, Diplomacy & Strategy. This shows that while it has indeed been a year of challenges, academic excellence continues to shine through at IDC Herzliya.

In conclusion, I never would have succeeded in building IDC Herzliya to what it is today if I had given up at the first hurdle. This year has reminded us that many unforeseen hurdles can be placed in front of us, and that this does not necessarily mean the end, but very often the beginning of a new, bright future.

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IN MEMORIAM: SHELDON G. ADELSON Z”L, 1933-2021 8 | The Herzliyan 2021

IDC Herzliya mourns the passing of Sheldon Adelson z”l, a true friend and generous benefactor whose support enabled the establishment of the Adelson School of Entrepreneurship.

The philanthropic giving of Sheldon and his wife Miriam knew no limits.”

– Prof. Uriel Reichman, President and Founder of IDC Herzliya Sheldon Gary Adelson z”l, who passed away on January 11 this year at the age of 87, was one of the most notable entrepreneurs and influential Jewish figures in the world, and a dear friend of Israel and of IDC Herzliya for many years.

“Sheldon Adelson will be remembered as a man who made a historic contribution to the State of Israel,” said Prof. Uriel Reichman, President and Founder of IDC Herzliya. “His influence helped advance the state’s vital interests. His vast contributions to Birthright Israel and the Israeli American Council have had a significant impact on the preservation of Jewish heritage and the connection between the Jewish people. The philanthropic giving of Sheldon and his wife Miriam knew no limits.

They supported healthcare institutions, universities, Yad Vashem, the City of David, organizations helping youth at risk, and more.

It was typical of Sheldon and Miriam to demand that the SpaceIL spacecraft, which they generously provided backing for, bear the inscription ‘Am Yisrael Chai.’ Sheldon was a legendary entrepreneur.

His daringness and creativity yielded unprecedented ventures, which are the fruit of unmatched venturousness and ingenuity.

Sheldon will always be remembered as a unique historical figure and as a man who demonstrated a deep commitment to the Jewish people all his life. As one of his friends, I mourn his passing.”

Oudi Recanati, Chancellor of IDC Herzliya, Sheldon Adelson z”l, and Prof. Uriel Reichman 9

Sheldon will always be remembered as a unique historical figure and as a man who demonstrated a deep commitment to the Jewish people all his life.”

– Prof. Uriel Reichman, president and founder of IDC Herzliya

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Adelson was born in Boston in 1933 into a workingclass family. His father, Arthur, was a Lithuanian Jewish immigrant who worked as a taxi driver, while his mother, Sarah, a British immigrant, ran a knitting shop. Adelson’s entrepreneurial spirit revealed itself early: By the age of 12, he had borrowed $200 from his uncle to buy the rights to sell newspapers on a busy street corner.

Over the years, Adelson created and ran numerous businesses.

His major breakthrough came in the late 1970s in Las Vegas, when he and two childhood friends launched the COMDEX trade show for the computer industry, one of the world’s largest computer trade shows. In 1995, COMDEX was sold to Japan’s SoftBank corporation for more than $800 million.

Sheldon Adelson z”l and Dr. Miriam Adelson

Adelson and his wife, Dr. Miriam Adelson, worked devotedly for the benefit of Israel and made large contributions to numerous Jewish causes. Among the projects supported through their family foundation are Birthright Israel, the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum and Memorial, the B’nai Brith Youth Organization, the Jewish Educational Campus in Las Vegas, Ariel University, SpaceIL, which sent the first Israeli spacecraft to the moon, and the Israeli American Council. The couple also established clinics to treat drug addiction, and funded medical research into cures for lifethreatening diseases.

The Adelsons have been supporters of IDC Herzliya for many years, and in 2013 were responsible for the establishment of the Adelson School of Entrepreneurship, the first school of its kind in Israel and the world. With its mission being to nurture future entrepreneurs in Israel, the school aims to become one of the world’s leading centers for the study and practice of entrepreneurship, strengthen Israel’s brand as the startup nation, and champion Israeli entrepreneurial activity in Israel and around the world.

In 1988, he purchased the Sands Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, and later razed it to build the luxury casino resort The Venetian in its place. His casino interests expanded and his company built a series of major casino resorts after reclaiming a strip of land between two islands in Macau, off the coast of China, emulating the Las Vegas Strip and turning the area into one of the world’s top gambling destinations.

In 2019, Adelson was awarded an honorary doctorate by IDC in appreciation for his philanthropy, his contributions to Israel, and his friendship and support for IDC. The IDC family greatly mourns his loss.

– Ariel Rodal-Spieler

His company also built a casino resort in Marina Bay, Singapore, which, with its three towers connected at the top by a SkyPark in the shape of a ship, has become the unofficial symbol of Singapore.

Adelson also had major interests in the media world. In 2007, he founded the Hebrew daily Israel Hayom, and in 2014 he purchased the Hebrew daily Makor Rishon and the NRG website. A year later, he purchased the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

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IN MEMORIAM: HARRY L. RADZYNER Z”L, 1933-2020 12 | The Herzliyan 2021

Dr. Harry Radzyner’s generosity enabled the establishment of the law school that bears his name, thereby making it possible for IDC Herzliya to open for its first year of studies. His support was a strong expression of faith in IDC’s pioneering academic vision and a milestone in the founding of the first private university in Israel.

The IDC Herzliya family mourns the loss of Harry Radzyner z”l, one of its first benefactors, and a true friend throughout all of its years. Radzyner passed away at the age of 87 on October 11, 2020, in Düsseldorf, Germany.

Radzyner was the first to respond to IDC President and Founder Prof. Uriel Reichman’s challenge to establish the institution.

His decision to found the Harry Radzyner Law School at a time when IDC Herzliya was merely a dream was a tremendous vote of confidence in the daring academic vision. His contribution enabled the initial renovations to begin on the former military base, thereby allowing IDC to open for its first year of studies.

Harry Radzyner was and always will be one of the founders of IDC Herzliya.”

– Prof. Uriel Reichman, President and Founder of IDC Herzliya It is highly doubtful whether IDC Herzliya would have succeeded in launching in those early days without Radzyner’s support.

Jonathan Davis, Vice President of External Relations and Head of the Raphael Recanati International School, Prof. Amnon Rubinstein, Chairman of the IDC Herzliya Board of Directors, Dr. Harry Radzyner z”l,

“Harry Radzyner was and always will be one of the founders of IDC Herzliya,” said Reichman. “I told him about my dream of setting up a private, non-profit university whose first school would be a law school. I told him about the difficulties I expected to face, that I did not have the budget to renovate an abandoned army base, and that I did not have the authorization to award academic degrees.

and Prof. Uriel Reichman, President and Founder of IDC Herzliya

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A Holocaust survivor, with no children, he saw IDC as his child.”

– Prof. Uriel Reichman, President and Founder of IDC Herzliya

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“Harry’s response was incredible - he immediately said, ‘I’ll support you!’ He seemed to like the challenge of something that would benefit the younger generation of Israel. He donated a significant amount that enabled us to admit the first students into the campus. From that point on, for 26 years, Harry was by our side. A Holocaust survivor, with no children, he saw IDC as his child.”

Radzyner was born to a distinguished Jewish family in Lodz, Poland. He spent World War II in the Lodz Ghetto and Auschwitz, Stutthoff, Dresden and Theresienstadt concentration camps. After the war, he immigrated to the United States, where he earned a degree in mechanical engineering at the City University of New York, graduating at the top of his class. He went on to settle in Dusseldorf and build one of the largest jewelry manufacturing and distribution companies in Germany. Together with his wife Micheline, Radzyner was a dedicated Zionist and extremely involved in Jewish affairs in Germany.

Prof. Uriel Reichman, Prof. Amnon Lehavi, Dean of the Radzyner Law School, Dr. Harry Radzyner z”l and his wife, Dr. Micheline Radzyner, and Jonathan Davis, VP External Relations and Head of the RRIS

Harry Radzyner was the first to respond to IDC President and Founder Prof. Uriel Reichman’s challenge to establish the institution.

Photo: Adi Cohen Zedek

In addition to being a founding father of IDC Herzliya, Radzyner continued to contribute to IDC’s progress after its establishment. A member of the board of directors since its inception, he founded the German Friends of IDC Herzliya and established and nurtured the ongoing academic cooperation and student exchange program between IDC Herzliya and Heinrich Heine University of Dusseldorf.

This past July, IDC Herzliya awarded Radzyner an honorary doctorate during a moving ceremony on campus.

“Harry’s initial contribution was the most important donation that we ever received at IDC Herzliya,” Reichman said at the event. “Today I can tell you with pride, Harry, that you did not make a mistake in supporting us. You have all of our deep gratitude. Today we award you an honorary doctorate in the year in which the school that bears your name was given the authorization to grant Ph.D.’s in law. Allow me to thank you personally for being such a dear and close friend of mine and of IDC for 25 years, always willing to help and to advise. I could not ask for a better friend than you.”

Upon accepting the honorary degree, Radzyner said, “The establishment of IDC Herzliya was accompanied by many difficulties and many people did not believe in us, but Prof.

Reichman’s willpower overcame all of the skeptics, and here we are today on this wonderful campus that was once an abandoned military base. We have achieved our goal of becoming the first private university in Israel. I congratulate and praise all of our partners and the faculty.”

Prof. Reichman and the entire IDC Herzliya family are deeply saddened by the loss of Harry Radzyner. “Personally,” said Reichman, “I am mourning the loss of a dear and true friend.”

– Ariel Rodal-Spieler

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REALIZING A VISION OF REGIONAL COOPERATION

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In cooperation with local authorities, IDC Herzliya has launched an exciting new academic institution in Cyprus. The Pafos Innovation Institute will bring together students from around the Eastern Mediterranean for graduate degree programs, with the aim of fostering collaborations and finding solutions to regional challenges.

With the leadership of IDC Herzliya, this institute will become a center of cooperation between scientists, students and startups.”

– Reuven Rivlin, President of Israel After four years of planning and hard work, IDC Herzliya has launched an exciting new academic institution in Cyprus, aimed at fostering regional cooperation between students from around the Eastern Mediterranean. First envisioned by Prof. Uriel Reichman, President and Founder of IDC Herzliya, the Pafos Innovation Institute was established in cooperation with the Municipality of Pafos (also spelled Paphos), headed by Mayor Phedonas Phedonos, and with the blessings of the President of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, and Israeli Higher Education Minister Ze’ev Elkin.

“The Pafos Innovation Institute is a catalyst for the groundbreaking exchange of knowledge between peoples who have never previously met, but who together, given the right opportunity, will be able to advance and implement ideas that can change the current reality,” said Reichman. “Our ambition is to attract talented individuals from all over the region and give them the tools to become leading entrepreneurs who will contribute to their communities and to the region as a whole.”

President Nicos Anastasiades, Prof. Uriel Reichman, and Phedonas Phedonos

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True peace, which leads to prosperity and development, is peace based on relationships between people, on true cooperation and interaction.”

– Prof. Uriel Reichman, President and Founder of IDC Herzliya

The institute will bring together graduate students of all religions and nationalities to study for master’s degrees and doctorates. While doing so, they will engage in research and develop collaborations to respond to challenges facing the Eastern Mediterranean in fields such as water, food security, energy, digital production, and innovative management.

The Pafos Innovation Institute, housed on a new, innovative campus purpose-built by the municipality, has been recognized as an official academic institution by the authority responsible for higher education in Cyprus, the Cyprus Agency of Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Higher Education. It will grant graduate degrees recognized in Europe and will be managed by IDC Herzliya, in collaboration with international institutions and researchers.

A ceremony launching the institute took place on site in October, attended by Anastasiades, Reichman, and Cypriot government representatives, academics, and diplomats.

However, the opening of the study program was delayed because of the pandemic, and is planned for the 2021-2022 academic year.

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At the ceremony, Anastasiades, who visited IDC Herzliya in 2019 and was awarded an honorary doctorate, said, “I am proud to launch this institute, a place that will provide the finest academic education in technology, innovation and entrepreneurship, and will further boost the economic development and growth of Pafos and of Cyprus in general.”

Rivlin delivered a video address, thanking those assembled for turning the vision into a reality.

“With the leadership of IDC Herzliya, this institute will become a center of cooperation between scientists, students and startups, and will bring together students from Israel, Cyprus, and the entire Middle East,” he said.

Elkin also spoke in a video address, saying the opening of historical Mediterranean trade routes had generated prosperity, and emphasizing the importance of regional cooperation. “Think of the speed at which the realities of many nations in the region could change thanks to the collaborations, knowledge, and technology that exist today,” he said. “And think about the fact that today we are announcing the establishment of a meeting place in the heart of the Mediterranean.

If we work together, we can return the Mediterranean to its historic role in the development and advancement of human culture. I think that there is no one better suited to lead this project than Prof. Reichman.”

Speaking at the event, Reichman said, “Winds of peace are blowing in the Middle East, but peace is a fragile thing when it relies only on declarations of states and official agreements. True peace, which leads to prosperity and development, is peace based on relationships between people, on true cooperation and interaction. Therefore, it is up to us, the citizens of the countries in the region, to initiate and advance common interests. I personally believe in creating relationships and friendships through education and research. This is exactly the purpose for which the Pafos Innovation Institute was established, and there is no better place to further this goal than Cyprus, a neutral and welcoming island located in the heart of the region that is the cradle of human culture. We hope that the students will form friendships that will ultimately lead them not only to cooperate in their professional roles, but also turn them into a force that promotes regional progress and creates a culture of peace.”

I am proud to launch this institute, a place that will provide the finest academic education in technology, innovation and entrepreneurship.”

– Nicos Anastasiades, President of Cyprus

– Ariel Rodal Spieler 19

INNOVATIONS FOR A POST-PANDEMIC WORLD

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Patrick Drahi

At IDC Herzliya’s new Innovation Center, numerous labs will collaborate to advance cutting-edge multidisciplinary research.

IDC Herzliya has unveiled plans for a unique, world-class institute for innovation on campus. The new IDC Innovation Center, to be housed in the Drahi Innovation Building, is slated for completion in 2022. With an unprecedented commitment to the application of science and technology for empirical multidisciplinary research, IDCIC will be the first center of its kind in Israel.

Joey Low

“The revolution taking place in science and technology requires up-to-date and innovative academic frameworks to prepare IDC students to face the new and ever-changing reality we live in,” says Prof. Uriel Reichman, IDC’s Founder and President. “IDC Herzliya introduced the interdisciplinary approach, which integrates various disciplines within the social sciences, to Israeli academia. In recent years, IDC has been promoting the ‘new interdisciplinarity’ – research and learning that integrates the fields of technology, computer science, neuroscience and biology into the social sciences. With the new Innovation Center, IDC is implementing a structural change that we foresee as enriching the entire university with new and innovative ways of dealing with the changing realities of our lives.”

As part of this new approach, IDCIC will bring prominent researchers and experts from diverse fields of knowledge together under one roof, into one learning and research space, creating fertile ground for unique creativity.

IDC aims to be the first campus in the world to adopt XR technologies on a large scale.”

– Prof. Noam Lemelshtrich Latar, head of IDCIC

The center will engage in cutting-edge areas of research, including human-computer interaction, computerized decision making, data science, brain research, synthetic biology, sustainability, healthcare, business, government, law and regulation, and national security.

Among the existing IDC institutes and labs that will be housed in the center are the Artificial Intelligence Lab, the Data Science Institute, the Media Innovation Lab, the Augmented and Virtual Reality Lab, the Computational Biology Lab, the Brain Imaging Lab, and the Cryptographic Theory and Applications Lab. In the framework of IDCIC, students will work on applied research projects together with industry partners.

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We are welcoming partners from industry to join us in this exciting venture.”

– Dr. Jonathan Giron, IDCIC Chief Operating Officer Prof. Niron Hashai, head of the MBA programs at the Arison School of Business, teaches students using VR

Prof. Noam Lemelshtrich Latar, head of IDCIC, says the center’s goal is “to initiate integrated research in response to social and economic challenges. We will work in collaboration with other academic, industry, government and public sector partners in Israel, as well as global institutions, on applied projects.”

IDCIC’s Chief Operating Officer, Dr. Jonathan Giron, says, “Our vision includes establishing an incubator for IDC startups specializing in human-computer interaction, artificial intelligence, and big data innovations, and applications in areas including Fintech, disaster management, counterterrorism, autonomous vehicles, and machine learning.

We would also like to establish mentorship programs and internships for students. We are welcoming partners from industry and other areas to join us in this exciting venture.”

Even before IDCIC is completed, a number of projects have already been taking place under its auspices, and have taken on particular significance during the COVID-19 crisis.

Among the most prominent are:

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XR@IDC XR, or augmented, virtual and mixed reality, offers participants simulated reality experiences. The XR@IDC project aims to develop novel content, applications and tools for a wide range of activities across the IDC campus.

“IDC aims to be the first campus in the world to adopt XR technologies on a large scale for cognitive research and the development of new education platforms,” says Lemelshtrich Latar. “Immersive VR technology enables participants to experience and apply complex concepts in a whole new way while creating a personalized learning journey.”

IDC students have already been using virtual reality technology to study Business, Law, Psychology and Sustainability. Business students, for example, were able to see the economic effects of the pandemic on a business by using virtual reality goggles to study a Tel Aviv bar.

“The transition from analog teaching practices to digital ones is going to affect the world of teaching and what teaching looks like,” says Yifat Kedar, Director of the XR@ IDC Immersive Studio. “The role of a lecturer will change from one of content delivery to one of meaningful content facilitation. Lectures will be focused on creating conditions for exploring, rather than providing readymade knowledge.”

SynBio Institute

Innovative Diplomacy

Synthetic biology is an expanding area of research that already has applications in medicine, and that could help tackle other global challenges in areas such as defense, energy, and water.

The Abba Eban Institute for International Diplomacy, headed by former Israel Ambassador to the U.K. and U.N. Amb. Ron Prosor, has launched the “Diplomacy 2030 Program,” which works to develop a new vision for Israel’s foreign policy and identify diplomatic opportunities in an ever-changing world.

In collaboration with Voigt Synthetic Biology Lab at MIT, IDCIC is creating Israel’s first national synthetic biology center, the SynBio Institute, which will catapult Israel onto the global stage in the field. Dr. Yuval Dorfan has been appointed the institute’s Director after leading a synthetic biology project at MIT.

Prosor says foreign policy and diplomacy will need to adapt to help support countries as the fallout from the pandemic emerges, and must work to bolster connectivity and digitalization.

The Diplomacy 2030 program aims to promote innovative diplomacy, identify best practices for tackling current challenges, and advance significant reform of the Israeli foreign service.

– Ariel Rodal-Spieler

The center will engage in cutting-edge areas of research, including human-computer interaction, computerized decision making, data science, brain research, synthetic biology, sustainability, healthcare, business, government, and national security.

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IDC HERZLIYA’S FIRST RHODES SCHOLAR

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IDC Herzliya congratulates Raphael Recanati International School student, Lauder School of Government, Diplomacy & Strategy graduate, and Argov Fellows Program graduate Eden Amare Yitbarek on being awarded a Rhodes Scholarship.

Eden Amare Yitbarek has become IDC Herzliya’s first student to be awarded a prestigious Rhodes Scholarship to study at Oxford University in the U.K. She plans to study International Development there.

Yitbarek graduated from the Lauder School of Government, Diplomacy & Strategy in 2020. With her focus on studying the relationship between the United States and Israel, she worked as a research assistant in the school’s American Public Opinion Toward Israel lab.

While at IDC, Yitbarek was twice named to the Dean’s List for outstanding students and also received an Israel at Heart Scholarship. The Israel at Heart Program, supported by Joey Low, the Broward Jewish Federation, Dorit and Benjamin Genet, and other generous and kind donors around the world, awards scholarships to outstanding young Israelis of Ethiopian origin.

I know I am the first IDC student to be awarded the Rhodes Scholarship, but I want to make sure I am not the last.”

– Eden Amare Yitbarek

A native Amharic speaker, Yitbarek worked as an interpreter for Ethiopian refugees at the Canadian Embassy in Israel. She also did an IDC internship at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington. Eden’s passion is teaching others and this is something she hopes to continue beyond her time at Oxford. Since graduating, she has been employed as a grant consultant in the Tel Aviv office of international consulting firm Eagle Point Funding, which connects companies and academic institutions to funding opportunities.

“I know I am the first IDC student to be awarded the Rhodes Scholarship, but I want to make sure I am not the last,” says Eden. “I hope to inspire others, who are systematically disadvantaged because of factors beyond their control, I urge them to never give up and to always reach for their dreams even if they seem impossible and unattainable.”

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EMMANUEL MORENO PRAYER ROOM

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NAMED FOR IDC ALUMNUS WHO FELL IN ACTION DEFENDING ISRAEL Lt. Col. Emmanuel Yehuda Moreno z”l was serving in one of the Israel Defense Forces’ most elite units, Sayeret Matkal, when he was killed in combat in the Baalbek region of southern Lebanon in 2006, at the end of the Second Lebanon War. Moreno was widely admired and respected by his soldiers and officers, and was described by those who knew him as a man of truth and modesty, of many deeds and few words, a true friend, and a man of faith tied to the people of Israel and the Torah. Those who knew him well agree that his most outstanding features were his humility and his Zionism.

A French immigrant who graduated from the Eli religious pre-military academy, Moreno was drafted into Sayeret Matkal in 1990 and rose through the ranks to become a lieutenant-colonel. IDF Military Intelligence Commander Herzl Halevi once said of him, “If the IDF is the best military in the world, and Sayeret Matkal is the best unit in the IDF, and Emmanuel is the best soldier in the unit, then he is the best soldier in the world.”

In 2008, the head of the IDF Intelligence Division awarded Moreno posthumously with the Head of Regional Command Citation “for his numerous years of dedication to the security of the State of Israel and his participation in several IDF operations throughout the Second Lebanon War.” Moreno is the only fallen IDF soldier whose image is still prohibited from being published even today.

He left behind his wife, Maya Ohana Moreno, and three children, his parents Shlomo Ilan and Sylvia, and four brothers, all of whom served as combat soldiers in the IDF.

Moreno was a graduate of IDC’s Harry Radzyner Law School.

For several years a fun run was held for IDC students in his memory and the International Institute for CounterTerrorism continues to host the Moreno family and friends in a session in his memory at their annual world summit.

“Emmanuel Moreno represents what I am most proud of about IDC. Emmanuel took risks based on his patriotic duty in defense of the State of Israel and we are honored to have him recognized as one of our illustrious alumni,” said Prof.

Uriel Reichman, President and Founder of IDC Herzliya.

The Emmanuel Moreno prayer room, generously gifted by an anonymous donor, opened in early 2020. It is located in the IDC dormitory building Michael Tower (named in memory of Michael Recanati z”l).

“It is an honor to open the Emmanuel Moreno Prayer Room on campus and heart warming to see the beautiful embroidered parochet hanging on the Aron Kodesh,” said Jonathan Davis, Head of External Relations at IDC and Vice President of the Raphael Recanati International School. “It feels right knowing that Emmanuel Moreno’s memory lives on at IDC Herzliya in this meaningful way.

What a hero he was.”

It feels right knowing that Emmanuel Moreno’s memory lives on at IDC Herzliya in this meaningful way. What a hero he was.”

– Jonathan Davis, Head of External Relations at IDC and Vice President of the Raphael Recanati International School

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AMERICAN FRIENDS OF IDC IDC HERZLIYA ALUMNI GO ON TO DO GREAT THINGS

Oren and Riki Franco pitch their company Prime 6 on the TV show “Shark Tank.”

GRILLING HER WAY TO SUCCESS SUSTAINABLY Born and raised in Israel, Riki Franco always combined an interest in entrepreneurship with a sense of adventure. After graduating from IDC Herzliya with a B.A. in Finance in 2006, she took up a job as chief financial officer for the jewelry retailer Diamonds International in Cozumel, Mexico. While there, she met Oron Franco, who became her husband, business partner, and father of their two children. After several years in Mexico, the couple relocated to New York, where Franco has launched several business ventures, including Alpha Cats, a networking organization for women focused on their careers that has grown to over 400 members.

But it was while on a vacation in Vietnam in 2018 that the Francos stumbled across an idea that has become the focus of their business interest: sustainable charcoal. “We reached out to a factory and worked with them to make it 100 percent sustainable. After trial and error, a few months later, we had a prototype, and at that point we knew this was revolutionary,” Franco said.

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The Francos called their product Prime 6. Made from waste sawdust turned into charcoal briquettes, it is promoted as a chemical-free, premium sustainable charcoal for barbecues.

The product sparked interest from retailers and is now sold in over 1,000 stores in the United States, with plans to expand further. The couple even took the product to the U.S. TV show “Shark Tank,” where they won a $200,000 investment, in return for a 25 percent stake, from the show’s “Mr. Wonderful,” Kevin O’Leary.

“After appearing on ‘Shark Tank,’ there are truly no limits to where we could take Prime 6. There are so many opportunities on the table,” Franco said.

The coronavirus pandemic did create “a tricky situation,” she said. “Our restaurant clients all shut down, and that was devastating to them and us, it was so sudden and unexpected. On the other hand, as people stayed at home, they discovered their love for grilling and cooking outdoors.”

About IDC, Franco said simply, “IDC is my home, my friends, my hometown. Relationships that I have now came out of IDC. I am proud to be an alumna and to promote IDC here in the U.S.”

AFIDC ANNOUNCES ESTABLISHMENT OF ENDOWMENT FUND Despite the pandemic causing great uncertainty around the world, the American Friends of IDC Herzliya stepped up to show their unwavering support for the institution. Previously, all funds raised by AFIDC were directed to immediate needs, including developing buildings, funding academic chairs, and providing scholarships for needy students.

However, in the wake of the crisis, the AFIDC Board of Directors decided to establish the first endowment fund in the United States for IDC Herzliya, designed to ensure that the institution will not only have funds for its immediate needs, but also a nest egg for future needs. Each year, a portion of the endowment will be paid out to support current needs, while the remainder will be retained in the endowment to grow and support future generations.

According to Leslie Skyba, Executive Director of AFIDC, “We are extremely proud of this achievement and excited to grow and build the endowment during the year ahead.”

Leslie Skyba

29

From left: Boaz Katz, Eran Ben Shushan, and Alon Alroy

BIZZABO CONTINUES TO BUZZ

The second decision was to reinvent ourselves and make sure we were still relevant for our customers.

We decided at the beginning of March that we could transform our platform to be applicable for virtual events.”

Longstanding business partners and friends Alon Alroy, Boaz Katz and Eran Ben Shushan first met when they were each students in the Zell Entrepreneurship Program at IDC Herzliya more than a decade ago. “We knew about each other because we had all served in the Israeli Air Force as officers. We clicked in the first week and decided to be partners on our first venture,” said Alroy. The trio began working together, and, in 2011, founded Bizzabo, a successful events platform that by early 2020 had grown to employ 150 people in Israel, the United States and Ukraine.

The Bizzabo team quickly launched the company’s new and improved platform for hosting virtual events, and the response in the marketplace was positive. Alroy said a significant motivator for the company’s remaining salespeople was their desire “to bring back their friends,” and as business grew, Bizzabo was able to reinstate the employees who had been let go. The new product proved so successful that Bizzabo even hired additional staff, and now has over 190 employees. “It’s rewarding to know that we were able to bring back all those individuals. We feel very proud and excited about the future,” said Alroy.

And then came the coronavirus pandemic, and the three co-founders and partners realized that they were dealing with what was probably going to be the biggest challenge ever to face their company.

Towards the end of 2020, Bizzabo closed a large round of fundraising, an investment of $138 million from Insight Partners, one of the world’s most prominent technology investors.

“It started with customers’ emails coming in saying that they were canceling all their events. It was a storm of cancellations. People were saying that they weren’t allowed to run events, how could they use software for events,” said Alroy. “Within a week, we had to make two very strategic decisions. First we had to do the responsible thing for our shareholders (among them our employees), and reduce the workforce in the most humane way possible.

“This will be a real game changer for the event industry and for Bizzabo, which will allow us to scale up to the next level in a competitive market,” Alroy said. “At the beginning of the year, people buried Bizzabo and thought we would never survive this, that the industry was done. We have an amazing team with the right spirit, who have already gone through so much, and we will keep investing in our innovative team as we have over the past 10 years.”

30 | The Herzliyan 2021

ISRAEL FRIENDS OF IDC ISRAEL FRIENDS KEEP IN TOUCH DESPITE THE PANDEMIC Israel Friends of IDC Herzliya has been hosting Zoom meetings at least once a month during the pandemic, presenting a rich and varied program that features IDC’s topquality lecturers and researchers alongside guest lecturers.

The first presentation focused on the new Innovation Center under construction on campus. Prof. Noam Lemelshtrich Latar, head of the new center and founding Dean of the Sammy Ofer School of Communications, gave a presentation on the use of augmented reality and other new technologies in Israeli research (led by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem).

Talks were also given by other faculty members of the new center including Dr. Jonathan Giron, Chief Operations Officer of the Innovation Center, who discussed the use of fluorescent bacteria to locate minefields; Prof. Anat Brunstein-Klomek, head of the master’s degree program in Clinical Psychology at the Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, who showed a film depicting a family dealing with their daughter’s eating disorder, which highlighted by using a 360 degree camera, their different experiences and perspectives.

She stressed the positive impact new technologies are having on conventional psychological therapies; Prof. Niron Hashai, head of MBA graduate programs at the Arison School of Business demonstrated how new technologies (such as virtual reality) have replaced traditional teaching methods (such as case studies) and in turn are bringing students much closer to the reality of running a business.

In January Prof. Varda Liberman, head of the MBA in Healthcare Innovation Program gave a speech on the topic: “Failures and Biases in the Health World”, and next month the Israeli friends club will host Dr. Adi Aron-Gilat, Director of Strategy in X, the Moonshot Factory in Google. Dr. AronGilat will share with us how transformative technologies can solve the world’s biggest problems.

Gili Dinstein, Executive Director of Israel Friends of IDC and External Relations Israel, said that until personal meetings become possible again, IDC will continue to make special efforts to meet the Israel Friends on any platform, in small groups or larger ones. Dinstein also urged the Israel Friends to assist IDC students with scholarships and to help find jobs for IDC alumni and students during this difficult time.

“The coronavirus pandemic, as we all know, has severely damaged the job market for many populations, including the junior and senior student and graduate populations, and has resulted in the loss of livelihoods and a significant reduction in the number of jobs being offered,” she said.

“This is even more serious when it comes to students or new graduates with no experience.”

Israel Friends also hosted in December Roni Gilat-Baharaff, Managing Director of Christie’s Israel and International Senior Director of Christie’s auction house, who spoke about 52 years of contemporary Israeli art.

Roni Gilat-Baharaff and Gili Dinstein discuss 52 years of contemporary Israeli art 31

1

THE RAPHAEL RECANATI INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL Every student has a unique story

32 | The Herzliyan 2021

In spite of the COVID challenges, we have discovered a lot of new opportunities. As a result of the fact that we are ‘Zooming’ all over the world, we’re able to be in contact with many more people this year. The RRIS has seen demand for full degree programs even higher than usual, with a 20 percent increase in registration.”

– Jonathan Davis, Head of the RRIS and IDC Vice President for External Relations

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RRIS CAMPUS LIFE BRINGS STUDENTS TOGETHER The Barry Tigay Orientation Week was adapted and expanded in the wake of the pandemic so as to include activities throughout the school year.

One such activity was that instead of the traditional Orientation Trip, RRIS Campus Life held an Online Clubs and Organizations Fair, with over 500 Raphael Recanati International School students and 30 clubs and organizations taking part in a Zoom call on the wide range of activities and resources on offer to RRIS students.

Campus Life, together with the StandWithUs Israel advocacy organization, held Zoom seminars for students. StandWithUs director of international student programs Charlotte Korchak led the Ambassadors Club’s opening session, which discussed geopolitical realities in the Middle East and why these continue to be relevant for college students.

34 | The Herzliyan 2021

The second session featured StandWithUs TV producer Noa Raman on What is Israel’s Story?, which discussed concepts and misconceptions surrounding Israel, Zionism and the Jewish people.

Thanks to Jewish life On Campus supporters Mark and Erica Gerson, RRIS students have been delivering welcome and Shabbat packages to students quarantining in the dormitories after returning from abroad. More than 400 packages were delivered in the first semester, with over 150 meals delivered for Rosh Hashanah and Sukkot.

During Hannukah, Prof. Uriel Reichman, Founder and President of IDC Herzliya, and Jonathan Davis, head of the RRIS and Vice President for International Relations, led a socially distanced RRIS Presidential Candle Lighting Ceremony, while student volunteers delivered 200 Hanukkah in a Box packages to students, which contained a hanukkiah and a box of candles, the blessings to be said, chocolate money, two doughnuts, and a recipe for latkes.

From left: Students Nathalia Ben Attar of Brazil (Computer Science), Sophie Grobman of Peru (Communications) and Sara Saban of Italy (Business Administration), Jonathan Davis, Prof. Uriel Reichman, and students David Myara of Morocco (Business and Entrepreneurship), Noah Marks of South Africa (Business and Entrepreneurship) and Jonny Tal of Israel (Government and Sustainability) at the RRIS Hannukah candle-lighting ceremony

Third-year RRIS Government and Sustainability student Jônatas Santana won IDC’s 2020 Annual Mimi Charnoff Award for Jewish Unity. Santana, who comes from Brazil, was recognized for his outstanding efforts to help others in coordinating the work of all the student volunteers, supporting students in need, and assisting the RRIS staff.

Jônatas Santana, winner of the 2020 Annual Mimi Charnoff Award for Jewish Unity, RRIS students deliver packages for students

prepares Shabbat packages for quarantining students

in quarantine in the dormitories 35

Students preparing care packages for Holocaust survivors

JEWISH LIFE KEEPS FLOURISHING ON CAMPUS Rabbi Josh and Margot Botwinick, the Mizrachi and Orthodox Union’s Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus directors, worked with student leaders to ensure that Jewish life continued to thrive at IDC Herzliya despite the year’s unique challenges.

Students gather outdoors for socially distanced prayers each day, as well as for morning and evening Torah classes, which feature a series of guest speakers. Every Shabbat, more than 100 students gather in the IDC parking lot for a socially distanced but spirited Kabbalat Shabbat.

In addition, special and regular events included a comedy night, a women’s Seudah Shlishit, daily learning sessions, an open Beit Midrash, a week of learning in memory of the late British Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, Shabbat meals with the Botwinicks for first-year students, weekly volunteer work with the Chessed Committee, a blood drive with Magen David Adom, work with students with special needs, a clothing drive for victims of domestic violence, and the preparation of more than 800 care packages for Holocaust survivors.

The Botwinicks also hosted the wedding of two RRIS alumni, Julia Gamarski from Brazil and Yossef Spivek from Ecuador, in their garden, with care taken to abide by social distancing regulations.

The Botwinicks have also continued to offer students religious guidance, conversations, coffee dates, counseling, and general support.

During the first semester, Jewish Life created a student-led Quarantine Committee to arrange Shabbat needs for students in quarantine on campus, as well as a Hospitality Committee to arrange Shabbat hosts for other students.

Rabbi Josh and Margot Botwinick with their children 36 | The Herzliyan 2021

STUDENTS FROM THE EMIRATES ARE APPLYING TO THE RAPHAEL RECANATI INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL STUDY IN ISRAEL, IN ENGLISH, AT IDC HERZLIYA Perfect environment for studying in the Middle East

‫ز‬ ‫ باللغة‬، ‫ائيل‬ ‫أدرس � إرس‬ ‫االنچل�ية‬ ‫ي‬ ‫ف يمرحبا بكم �ف‬ IDC HERZLIYA

Raphael Recanati International School

‫ي‬

An international, highly motivated, and active student body

ً

18 full english undergraduate and graduate degrees

WHAT WILL YOU DISCOVER?

WHAT WILL YOU GET?

and befriend, future leaders of the Middle East • Israel's first private, non-profit university • The most international university in Israel • Surrounded by Israel’s “Startup Nation“ and high-tech region • Multicultural and pluralistic campus • Excellent housing possibilities • Students from 90 countries who will become your friends for life • A beautiful campus in the center of Israel with the finest state-of-the-art facilities

movers and shakers of the Middle East and the world • Fully certified undergraduate or graduate degrees • Focus on innovation and entrpreneurship • 120 exchange programs worldwide • Superb networking and social/cultural activities • Top professors from the finest universities in the world • Internships at top companies • Receive personal attention from the faculty and staff

• Opportunity for UAE students to study with

B.A.

M.A.

MBA M.Sc.

• Opportunity for UAE students to become future

Business Administration Business & Economics (double major) Communications Computer Science (B.Sc.) Entrepreneurship & Business (double major) Entrepreneurship (B.A.) & Computer Science (B.Sc., double major) Government Sustainability & Government (double major) Psychology Behavioral Economics Counter-Terrorism & Homeland Security Studies Diplomacy & Conflict Studies Financial Economics Human-Technology Interaction (HCI) Organizational Behavior & Development (OBD) One-Year MBA MBA Healthcare Innovation Machine Learning & Data Science GLOBAL MBA Innovation & Entrepreneurship Strategy & Business Development For more info: Jonathan Davis, RRIS Head, VP External Relations: jonathand@idc.ac.il

Understand Israel and the Region

www.rris.idc.ac.il Think and Engage with Future Leaders

Make a Difference!

RRIS SOCIAL AND CULTURAL OUTREACH The Raphael Recanati International School at IDC Herzliya continued to deliver its trademark care to international students during the pandemic. “IDC turned the challenges of the coronavirus into opportunities,” said Jonathan Davis, head of the RRIS and Vice President for External Relations at IDC. “We had a responsibility to bring 800 people here to campus, and we were also responsible for them quarantining. Many went to dormitories, but some went to apartments off campus.

We had to check those apartments to make sure that everything was according to the rules and regulations.”

Equally important was maintaining constant contact with hundreds of concerned parents around the world.

Multiple Zoom information sessions were held for new students, which drew parents too. “Part of our success is that we were able to reach so many people at once,” Davis said. “And at the same time we showed them that we care about the students and provide them with TLC so that no one will be left unassisted.”

The steps taken by the RRIS to manage the situation for international students even featured in an article in The Jerusalem Post.

Despite the crisis, there was a 5 percent increase in registrations for the 2020-2021 year. “There was also an increase in the number of those requesting financial help, so we endeavored to help them as much as we could. The RRIS’s success in managing the crisis is due to the efforts of my very dedicated team, who worked day and night to make sure that things were running smoothly,” Davis said.

38 | The Herzliyan 2021

IDC Herzliya has continued to provide its students with a unique learning experience, developing new academic arrangements and extracurricular and social activities throughout the school year, scheduled to take place remotely and, when possible, on campus.

All extracurricular and social activities and those run by the IDC Student Union, including the many student clubs, workshops, personal mentoring, and social and community involvement, have been adapted to meet the pandemic guidelines.

IDC continues to emphasize dedication and contribution to the community, with thousands of students continuing to engage in social and volunteer initiatives.

Jonathan Davis blesses the happy couple under the canopy

The RRIS was proud to learn that Eden Amare Yitbarek, a graduate of the Lauder School of Government, Diplomacy & Strategy, member of the Argov Fellows Program and participant in Israel at Heart, was named the first IDC Herzliya student to be awarded a prestigious Rhodes Scholarship to study at Oxford University in the U.K. With some 300 former “lone soldiers” studying at RRIS every year, and as a proudly Zionist institution, IDC has continued to embrace its lone soldiers, those who chose to move to Israel and serve in the military without having their parents in the country.

Several Zoom meetings were held with students from countries including South Africa, Australia and Switzerland, as a way of enabling students to connect and get to know one another, as well as to share their experiences with the RRIS staff.

And in a special event, conducted in accordance with Health Ministry guidelines, RRIS alumni Julia Gamarski from Brazil and Yossef Spivek from Ecuador were married on campus by Rabbi Josh Botwinick.

Despite the challenging circumstances, RRIS has continued to play its part in upholding the special spirit that marks IDC Herzliya in all it does.

39

2

DR. MIRIAM AND SHELDON G. ADELSON SCHOOL OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP Building a new generation of entrepreneurs

Prof. Yair Tauman,

Sheldon G. Adelson z”l and

Dean

Dr. Miriam Adelson

desp pand take the c virtu supp onlin

– Prof. Y Dean, 40 | The Herzliyan 2021

Zell Entrepreneurship Program IDC Beyond CO-OP Start Up Experience Course UpStart Venture Creation Program Leading Innovation EXTRA-ACADEMIC PROGRAMS • IDC Entrepreneurship Club • Princeton Start Up Immersion Program Israel • Global Masters in Finance • National University of Singapore Entrepreneurship • Israel Summer Business Academy • Israel-Canada exchange programs at McGill and Laurier Universities

Determined to provide an extraordinary experience pite the difficulties caused by the demic, The Adelson School has en special measures to deal with changing circumstances including ual hackathons, motivational and port meetings with students and ne extra-curricular activities.”

Yair Tauman, , Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson School of Entrepreneurship 41

ADELSON SCHOOL STARTS YEAR WITH A BANG DESPITE THE CHALLENGES The Adelson School of Entrepreneurship opened the academic year with an enrollment of more than 1,000 students, 400 of them in their first year.

Determined to provide an extraordinary experience despite the difficulties caused by the pandemic, the school enabled the first-year students to participate in their first hackathons during Orientation Week, as well as offering them a host of other extracurricular activities.

In the Israeli track, 46 teams of first-year students took part in the school’s first virtual hackathon.

Based on the theme of “Mutual Responsibility,” the hackathon focused on solving significant challenges during the coronavirus crisis.

The first challenge, a community-social challenge, required students to find community models for dealing with the difficulties caused by isolation.

The second challenge, an economic challenge, required students to locate victims whose livelihoods had been harmed, and find financial aid for them, as well as guide them in returning to the job market.

42 | The Herzliyan 2021

The third and last challenge was a business challenge, in which students were required to come up with ideas to assist Herzliya’s food businesses with deliveries during the lockdown.

The hackathon was organized with The Israel Solidarity Fund (“Arvoot Hadadit”), the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation, LeumiTech, and the Herzliya Municipality.

Mentors came from companies including the Pearl Cohen Zedek Latzer Baratz law firm, Adama Agricultural Solutions, Pitango Venture Capital, SAP Software Solutions, and the Perrigo pharmaceutical company. The mentors assisted students with tips and advice to help sharpen their ideas and initiatives.

The Adelson School’s international track also held its own mini-hackathon during Orientation Week.

Students were presented with the challenge of developing a venture to improve the learning experience for themselves and their lecturers during the “Zoomester,” with all courses being conducted online.

Both hackathons were significant opening events for the new students, who realized that even in their first year, they had the power to influence events.

The Adelson School also took special measures to deal with the changing circumstances during the pandemic.

The 10 speakers in the first semester in the Adelson School Master Class Series

Some of the speakers scheduled for discussion in the TEDgether sessions

Faculty members received student reviews of their e-learning experiences and discussed ways to improve online learning. Faculty and staff meetings were also held to discuss recommendations and actions for better learning experiences.

The heads of all the B.A. tracks held Zoom meetings with student cohorts to provide them with new information and to offer them support and motivation. Such “class meetings” continue to be held every three weeks, offering students a forum to discuss issues beyond the academic with faculty.

The school also adapted and initiated a number of extracurricular activities for students in Hebrew and in English, including:

The Adelson School Master Class Series Initiated and hosted by Dr. Yossi Maaravi, Vice Dean of the Adelson School, these unique meetings feature prominent Israeli and international figures speaking informally on subjects including career choices and opportunities, overcoming challenges, and their lives in general. The audiences for each master class are made up of several hundred IDC students, alumni, staff, lecturers, friends, donors, mentors, and entrepreneurs. Ten virtual meetings were scheduled for the first semester.

TEDgether Faculty and students watch a TED session together, and discuss what they have seen. Nine meetings were scheduled for the first semester.

43

Networking

IDC Hub

Students and graduates from all years and tracks have the opportunity to meet, build connections, and discuss issues and solutions, with two such meetings scheduled for the first semester.

The Adelson School’s platform for extracurricular activities offers online workshops, lectures, meetings, activities, and mentoring to assist students with their ventures. The school has expanded these online activities to larger groups of students, with 14 lectures and 18 mentoring sessions scheduled for the first semester.

Med & Net Students from all tracks can learn and practice meditation techniques, as well as make connections with like-minded students, led by lecturer Ofer Shani. Two meetings a week were scheduled throughout the first semester.

Open classes Special guest lecturers offered students the opportunity to expand their knowledge on a variety of topics throughout the semester. Among the lecturers so far were: Ofer Shoshan, entrepreneur and tech investor, Duddy Rokach, Managing Partner at SOSA HLS Tech Innovation Hub, and Frederic Belhassen, digital and innovation strategist.

CapsuLearn Given that most of the first-year students did not have the chance to meet each other in person, the Adelson School decided to help create study capsules for interested students, and sent a questionnaire to all students, asking them whether they were willing to host others or visit others’ homes. The project aims to bring the students together and benefit them both academically and socially, giving them the chance to meet and study in small groups, in their homes, in their own time.

Company visits Originally only for first-year students, this program of physical visits to startup companies has been expanded to all Adelson School students. The program offers an opportunity to come face to face with burgeoning companies and the people behind them, and exposes students to the Israeli entrepreneurial scene. Twenty company visits were scheduled for the first semester.

Some of the entrepreneurs and companies the students visited as part of the company visits program

44 | The Herzliyan 2021

The Zell 20 class

Sam Zell

STILL ZELLERATING DESPITE PANDEMIC The Zell Entrepreneurship Program has completed renovations of the new Zellerator space in the Adelson School of Entrepreneurship building. A wall was removed to create a larger space and allow in more light. The upgraded space is enabling student teams to meet and work on their ventures with the enhanced ability to co-create.

At the close of the 2019-2020 academic year, the 19th Zell class presented their ventures to Sam Zell, founder of the Zell Entrepreneurship Program, along with key members of his company, Equity Group Investments.

Zell wished all the participants the best of luck in their continuing ventures or in pursuing different paths.

Two of the ventures presented – Balena and Virtual Labs – were subsequently awarded investments from the ZEP Fund, which uses funds generously donated by Sam Zell to invest in companies founded by Zell alumni.

Ten percent of the revenues from the new ventures will be donated to IDC Herzliya for scholarships, while the remainder will be reinvested in the fund. This was the sixth batch of investments made through the fund, with $1.5 million invested so far.

The ZEP Fund invests five $50,000 investments annually in ventures that continue after the program and in other alumni-founded companies. It met for an online investment committee and venture pitch session and made its sixth round of investments in October. This year, the program welcomed Aaron Zell on the investment committee. In addition to the two Zell 19 ventures, the recipients were: productivity tool Magical, founded by Tommy Barav (Zell 13), AI-based financial advice system Vyzers, founded by Tomer Salvi and Litan Yahav (both Zell 10), and Zoog, founded by Matan Guttman (Zell 10), a communication tool for grandparents and grandchildren. These investments were part of larger rounds by external investors, with the investment in Zoog led by Remagine Ventures, a fund founded by Eze Vidra and Kevin Baxpehler (both Zell 3).

After an arduous six-month selection process that culminated in the Summer Induction Program, 17 IDC students from a variety of faculties were chosen to join the 20th Zell Entrepreneurship Program. The students opened the academic year with a combination of online studies and small team meetings on campus. The program includes online pitch events and virtual meetings with industry experts and investors, as well as smaller meetings with mentors.

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3

LAUDER SCHOOL OF GOVERNMENT, DIPLOMACY & STRATEGY Preparing students for leadership positions in a complex world

Prof. Assaf Moghadam, Dean

46 | The Herzliyan 2021

Amb. Ronald S. Lauder

We began a new academic year that was filled with uncertainty. One of the greatest challenges for us is the lack of regular, in-person interactions between our academic and administrative staff and the students, in the classroom and outside it.

With the crisis showing few signs of disappearing any time soon, IDC Herzliya in general and the Lauder School in particular are doing everything in our power to provide the best student experience possible under the current circumstances.”

– Prof. Assaf Moghadam, Dean, Lauder School of Government, Diplomacy & Strategy 47

WORKING TO STRENGTHEN STAFF AND STUDENT TIES The Lauder School of Government, Diplomacy & Strategy has announced two senior appointments in the school.

Dr. Lesley Terris, previously head of the international B.A. program in Government, has been appointed Deputy Dean, replacing Prof. Liza Saban, who provided more than seven years of tremendous service to the school. Dr. Daphné Richemond-Barak, a senior lecturer at the Lauder School, has been appointed head of the international B.A. program in Government, replacing Terris.

With learning moved online as a result of the pandemic, the Lauder School has been working through the crisis with one overarching goal in mind: to strengthen the ties between faculty and students to the greatest extent possible.

“We began a new academic year that was filled with challenges and uncertainty,” said Lauder School Dean Prof. Assaf Moghadam. “One of the greatest challenges for us is the lack of regular, in-person interactions between our academic and administrative staff and the students, in the classroom and outside it. The close bonds between the staff and students of IDC Herzliya have always been a source of pride for us. With the crisis showing few signs of disappearing any time soon, IDC Herzliya in general and the Lauder School in particular are doing everything in our power to provide the best student experience possible under the current circumstances.”

To that end, the school held discussions with students and staff, resulting in the formulation of a number of initiatives, among them: • Lauder Hour, a series of meetings between lecturers and students held every two weeks, either in person on campus when health guidelines permit, or online via Zoom.

• Talking Lauder Podcast Series, conducted in cooperation with IDC Radio. The podcasts feature Lauder School faculty, students and alumni, as well as external instructors, who showcase achievements in research, innovative ideas, and other areas. In the pilot episode, Dr. Ronen Hoffman, a lecturer and research fellow at the Lauder School, discussed regimes and regime transitions.

48 | The Herzliyan 2021

TEDX event organizers Yitzi Zobin (left) and Shimon Packer

• Lauder Forum, a series of conference events, mostly in the form of webinars, scheduled to take place roughly once a month on topics connected to research or current events.

The opening event focused on the 2020 U.S. elections, and featured Dr. Amnon Cavari, a senior lecturer at the Lauder School and head of the M.A. program in Public Policy and Political Marketing, leading a talk with Prof. Ken Goldstein, a politics professor at the University of San Francisco and a senior consultant to the ABC News elections unit.

• Mini-Oxford, mentoring for first-year students provided

by Lauder School faculty in accordance with an IDC-wide program. The students are divided into groups of no more than 15 for each mentor, with most sessions held online. The program enables students to interact with Lauder School faculty outside of courses, as well to meet and build ties with other students. Participating faculty include Prof. Boaz Ganor, former Dean of the Lauder School and Director of the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism, Prof. Liav Orgad, a senior lecturer in the Lauder School, Dr. Amichai Magen, a senior lecturer and head of the M.A. program in Diplomacy and Conflict Studies, Dr. Shavit Matias, a senior lecturer and head of the B.A. program in Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution , and Dr. Dana Wolf, a lecturer and head of the B.A. program in Law and Security.

• Lauder School Flagship Events, the first of which was a unique TEDxIDC Herzliya event held in accordance with the guidelines of the TED organization. Headlined “The New Millennium,” the event was initiated by B.A. in Government graduates Yitzi Zobin and Shimon Packer, was organized by students and alumni, and was hosted by the Lauder School. A second event is planned for this coming March: Democracy Day, with the theme of “Land of Tribes and Camps.”With Lauder School lecturer Dr. Chaim B. Weizmann as academic advisor, and led by second-year Government student Michal Gal, the event will feature speakers from politics, the media, and relevant professions.

• Internships. The Lauder School’s longstanding internship program offers students an opportunity to gain practical experience in governmental bodies, organizations and companies. Internships are organized in the framework of a course offered by former Interior Minister Ophir Pines-Paz and directed by Dr. Michal Shavit, Academic Advisor for B.A. studies at the Lauder School. Given the coronavirus crisis and the urgent needs of many students to obtain jobs, the Lauder School has invested resources in widening the pool of internship opportunities for students, especially those in an online format. Students carry out the internships during the academic year, and in past years, many student interns have gone on to be offered permanent positions.

• Ongoing programs. The Lauder School has continued to host existing extracurricular programs, with some adjustments. These include the “Lishma” program, which provides academic training for Orthodox women, and “Forum Ofek,” led by Dr. Eitan Azani, Director of Research, the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism, which brings together students serving in the military and security services. The “Shadow Government” program, led by Prof.

Boaz Ganor, is also continuing, providing students with deeper understandings of government and public sector work.

Prof. Karine Nahon teaches a class via Zoom for the Mini-Oxford program

The first Lauder event with the participation of Prof. Ken Goldstein

49

ANNUAL MEMORIAL CEREMONY FOR VICTIMS OF 9/11 AND TERRORISM GOES VIRTUAL Amid the pandemic, the International Institute for CounterTerrorism held its annual Memorial Ceremony for the Victims of 9/11 and Terrorism Worldwide virtually for the first time.

Moderated by Jonathan Davis, Vice President for External Relations at IDC Herzliya and Head of the Raphael Recanati International School, the ceremony featured keynote addresses by: Robert O’Brien, U.S. National Security Advisor; Vladimir Voronkov, Undersecretary of the United Nations’ Counter-Terrorism Office; Brig. Gen. Charles Brown, U.S. Defense Attaché to Israel; Lt. Col. Todd Hamel, U.S. Army War College Fellow at ICT; Shabtai Shavit, Chairman of ICT’s Board of Directors and a former Mossad director; and Prof. Boaz Ganor, Founder and Executive Director of ICT. Special greetings were issued

by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The poster for the annual Memorial Ceremony for the Victims of 9/11 and Terrorism Worldwide

ICT’S SPECIAL ONLINE PROJECT: LEBANON – WHERE DOES IT GO FROM HERE?

Prof. Boaz Ganor speaks at the 9/11 memorial ceremony

50 | The Herzliyan 2021

Over the summer, ICT conducted a unique four-month virtual simulation that examined the deteriorating situation in Lebanon, Israel’s northern neighbour, and the possible ramifications for Lebanon, the region, and Israel in particular. The simulation, which ended just before the explosion at the Beirut port in August, took into account the large number of coronavirus infections in the country as well as the acute and worsening economic crisis, with its accompanying high unemployment, political instability, and violent mass protests. Three potential scenarios were examined, each of which posed different challenges.

INSTITUTE FOR POLICY AND STRATEGY IDENTIFIES REGIONAL CHALLENGES Led by Maj. Gen. (res.) Amos Gilead, IDC Herzliya’s Institute for Policy and Strategy continues to offer far-ranging analyses of security issues in and around the Middle East.

IPS held a successful online conference titled “Israel in an Era of Crisis – Where Do We Go From Here?” Prominent speakers included retired U.S. Marine Corps Gen. John R. Allen, President of the Brookings Institution and former Commander of the NATO International Security Assistance Force and U.S. Forces in Afghanistan, and Dr. Jawad Anani, former Deputy Prime Minister and former Foreign Minister of Jordan.

The conference included a conversation between Gilead and former IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. (res.) Gadi Eisenkot about the security issues facing Israel, including from the pandemic.

“The coronavirus is a real game changer in terms of global and regional policy and strategy,” said Gilead, IPS’s Executive Director. “It is an invisible enemy and it impacts individuals, societies and countries. It affects everything from the ability to move between countries to economies. It will continue to dominate our lives in the near future.”

Eisenkot said that Israel was already facing large challenges before the pandemic, from Iran, Hezbollah, Syria, and the Palestinians, and these had only intensified during the crisis. “The main challenge [now] is the combined health-socio economic challenge,” he said, adding that the most important qualities needed at this time are “trust, solidarity and statesmanship.”

Gilead also held a conversation with prominent businessman Haim Saban, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Saban Capital Group, in which they discussed the peace treaty between Israel and the United Arab Emirates.

“It is extremely significant for Israel. To have a peace treaty with another Arab country is a big step, namely one which faces the same challenges as we do – Iran, the Muslim Brotherhood, and so on,” Gilead said.

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Former IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen (res.) Gadi Eisenkot and Maj. Gen. (res.) Amos Gilead

Saban said the normalization agreement “has opened a way for others to join and made their lives easier. Everything that is done under the radar will have a tremendous advantage for Israel and the region if it is done in the open.”

IPS is planning several online conferences for 2021 that will focus on global strategic dimensions and Israel, as well as the strategies of Israel, Russia and the Palestinians.

IPS also continues to release written analyses in its online newsletter, including on the implications of the U.S. elections for Israel.

Dr. Alisa Rubin

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ARGOV FELLOWS GAIN UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE ON STUDY TOUR Students in the Argov Fellows Program in Leadership and Diplomacy were fortunate to go on the program’s annual two-week international study tour to Europe and the United States just before the pandemic closed down world travel.

During the study tour, the students met up with government officials, academics, business people, Jewish community leaders, and program alumni.

Gideon Argov, the program’s founding donor, hosted the fellows and friends at a reception at The Vilna Shul, Boston’s Center for Jewish Culture.

The students traveled first to Brussels, where they visited the European Parliament, before heading for the U.S., where they spent time in Washington, Boston, and New York.

Among the landmark sites they visited in the U.S. were Israel’s Mission to the United Nations, Capitol Hill, and Harvard University. The highlight of the tour was attending the massive AIPAC Policy Conference in Washington, the first time Argov students have attended on a study tour since 2012.

The tour gave the students a unique perspective on American and global events at a precarious time.

Immediately upon their return, they went into 14 days of isolation. “We were extremely lucky to have had this opportunity to go on this study tour just before the world went into lockdown,” said Dr. Alisa Rubin, the founding Academic Director of the Argov Fellows Program. And Argov Program Manager Keren Azaria said, “While the annual Argov study tour is always the highlight of the year, this is certainly one we will never forget.”

The Argov class of 2021 on campus

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ICT LAUNCHES ONLINE COURSE ON TERRORISM ACTORS, STRATEGIES AND TACTICS With proven excellence in the field, ICT has launched its state-of-the-art online international course on Terrorism Actors, Strategies and Tactics. While over the past decade hundreds of students and professionals have traveled to Israel to take part in ICT’s world-leading courses and programs, the online course enables participants to gain unique knowledge from the comfort of their homes.

The course has gathered together world experts on terrorism and counter-terrorism, combining the latest academic research with local and international practical experience. Topics include: terrorism and social media, right-wing terrorism, the art of counter-terrorism, targeted killings, and international counter-terrorism policies.

In addition, the course discusses the potential use of bioterrorism during the pandemic.

ABBA EBAN INSTITUTE CONTINUES TO FORGE NEW PATHS IN DIPLOMACY The Abba Eban Institute for International Diplomacy quickly recalibrated in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, seeing the challenges as an opportunity and adjusting its operations to continue forging new paths in diplomacy in Israel and internationally.

Among the institute’s major initiatives was the launch of DiploMarket, the first global diplomatic social network for actors in the diplomatic and foreign affairs arenas.

DiploMarket is a unique platform that harnesses the institute’s years of research, experience, connections 54 | The Herzliyan 2021

A poster advertising the online course

and methodologies to enable users to connect with experts and practitioners, catch up on developments and innovations, and learn about emerging practices and trends in diplomacy.

The institute also initiated a fruitful collaboration between its Asia Policy Program and its magazine, The Arena: Diplomacy and Foreign Relations, to bring insights from Asia to Israeli readers. The project focused on what Israel could learn from Asian countries, the first to be hit by the pandemic, as they worked to recover and to restore normality.

In addition, the institute launched a new program, the U.S.-Israel Relations Program, a policy-oriented “do-tank” for training and educating decision-makers in both countries in the field of bilateral relations. The institute also launched The Arena magazine’s special U.S. elections project, which covered the 2020 elections for the Israeli public. Special guest commentators and institute staff provided insights into the issues and into the implications for U.S.-Israel relations.

Together with IDC Herzliya’s International Institute for CounterTerrorism, the Abba Eban Institute launched the second phase of the Janus Initiative, an enhanced international coalition that works to promote the worldwide designation of Hezbollah as a terrorist organization. Now spanning four continents and conducted in five languages, the initiative has already led to Hezbollah being designated a terrorist organization in Germany.

The institute also launched the Asia Policy Program Fellowship, a special project that aims to identify future shapers of Asia’s policies and foreign relations from prestigious universities around the world, and to offer them unique training that will guide them in Asia-Israel relations, for the benefit of bilateral relations.

The institute also launched its Diplomatic Toolbox Workshop, a one-of-a-kind training program to equip those involved in diplomacy with skills to better represent Israel. As part of this initiative, the institute launched the Rimon Program, a special collaboration with the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit that provides senior officers with diplomatic tools to aid them in representing Israel internationally and when facing the media.

With learning moved online, the institute offered its B.A. and M.A. academic courses and special seminars and webinars online to hundreds of students in Israel and around the world. Dozens more students joined the institute as part of its internship programs.

Amb. Ron Prosor, Head of the Abba Eban Institute, said the institute and IDC Herzliya in general could take pride in all they had accomplished during a difficult year.

“While our journey for 2020 started with a different destination and path in mind, the new direction we took led us on an exciting new route that will redefine diplomacy in the near future and the long term, not only in Israel but around the world. We are here to pave the way,” he said.

Amb. Ron Prosor

Amb. Ron Prosor, Head of the Abba Eban Institute, lectures to officers in the Rimon Program

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ARISON SCHOOL OF BUSINESS Equipping students in an era of digital transformation

Prof. Dov Pekelman, Dean

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Ted Arison z”l

This academic year, we reviewed every course and lecture and improved on the last semester’s online learning.

We listened to students as well as learned from other academic institutions around the world.

We also developed mini-Oxford style of learning - by reducing class sizes and having an open channel with our students.”

– Prof. Dov Pekelman, Dean of the Arison School of Business

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MBA IN HEALTHCARE INNOVATION SHOWS HEALTHY GROWTH IDC Herzliya’s unique MBA in Healthcare Innovation program, conducted jointly with the Sheba Medical Center, opened its third cohort via a Zoom event attended by program founder and head Prof. Varda Liberman, IDC Founder and President Prof. Uriel Reichman, Sheba General Manager Prof. Yitshak Kreiss, and the incoming students.

Despite the restrictions caused by the pandemic, the program once again attracted top-notch professionals from across the healthcare ecosystem. Fifty outstanding candidates were chosen to take part in the program, among them practicing physicians, surgeons, senior managers from major Israeli hospitals, entrepreneurs and managers in the field of medical devices, engineers, lawyers, investors, and pharmaceutical and data industry people.

Greeting the incoming class, Reichman said the range of students created an interdisciplinary variety that would lead to innovation. “There is a very close connection between entrepreneurship and innovation,” he said.

“Our approach at IDC has always been that it is not possible to become an expert in only one field, you need to do so in different fields at the same time.”

Kreiss told the students: “All the institutions in the world understand that the way the leadership of the medical world has been built to this day is no longer relevant.

Anyone who wants to lead a medical institution towards the future must understand that the world is more global than ever. The coronavirus has led to the understanding that the worlds of healthcare and medicine are relevant also to other systems, such as education and security.”

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Liberman said: “Our vision in opening this program was to bring key players from the healthcare ecosystem together and teach them to speak to each other, learn from each other, and collaborate. With COVID-19, our vision earned its ‘proof of concept,’ when urgent needs from the healthcare system were addressed by the best technological people from the military, engineers, and entrepreneurs, together with medical centers and physicians.”

She said students come from around the world as well as from Israel, and they “tell us how they leave the program with a real understanding of the worlds of innovation and healthcare and how to integrate the two.”

Graduates spoke highly of the program, among them Ariel Zylbersztejn from Mexico, founder of Ana and cofounder and Chairman of Paz-Mental. “This year has been unforgettable,” he said. “Coming all the way from Mexico to study the Healthcare Innovation program has been immensely valuable for my life, my family and my company.

I took time to learn and reflect. I have met great people and rebuilt the vision of my company.” Zylbersztejn is a serial entrepreneur, and angel investor who was recognized as Social Entrepreneur of the Year by the World Economic Forum and as Most Innovative Entrepreneur in Mexico by Michael Dell.

Prof. Varda Liberman

Dr. Moshe Ashkenazi, Deputy Director at Edmond and Lily Safra’s Children’s hospital, Sheba medical center at Tel Hashomer said, “The MBA program for me lit the way and opened doors. The well-structured courses introduced us to the world of innovation and healthcare and took us many steps forward by enabling us to meet leaders from Israel and abroad. The combination of an excellent program and the ongoing world pandemic put the emphasis and the focus on the importance of healthcare innovation and provided us with excellent tools.”

And Tammy Galili, CEO at Ilex Medical LTD said, “The program has provided me with a strong and clear understanding of the future dilemmas that today’s health systems are facing here in Israel and across the world. In addition, I’ve gained the ability to build a network of leaders in this field.”

BUSINESS STUDENTS TO GET DOUBLE BENEFIT IN NEW JOINT M.A. PROGRAM Business students will benefit from the best of two worlds when the Arison School of Business launches an innovative joint master’s degree program together with Germany’s Mannheim Business School in the 20212022 academic year. The two schools developed the one-year, full-time program with three objectives in mind: to train future business leaders in all important aspects of digitization, to connect business cultures, and to further strengthen German-Israeli relations.

The joint M.A. in Management Analytics will prepare young executives for the challenges ahead by combining the essentials of entrepreneurship and innovation, AI, big data, and analytics in Israel, with the challenges of growing and running a large corporation that utilizes data analytics to create and sustain competitive advantages in Mannheim.

Faculty members of both institutions are considered by their peers to be among the leaders in their fields in research and practice, nationally and internationally.

The M.A. will leverage close collaboration with companies of different sizes and in various sectors, at all levels of teaching and research, in Israel and Germany, as well as worldwide.

The Mannheim Business School, which has more than than 100 years’ experience in educating specialists and executives, is consistently ranked as Germany’s top business school and is considered one of Europe’s leading academic institutions for management education.

With its innovative program portfolio tailored to the needs of young professionals, experienced specialists and executives, and its interdisciplinary approach, the school offers a coherent, strategic framework for lifelong management education.

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JULIS-RABINOWITZ ACADEMIC CHAIR IN DATA SCIENCE As well as continuing projects improving COVID-19 prognosis with Chaim Sheba Medical Center and detecting influence pathways over social networks, Dr. Shai Fine, the Julis-Rabinowitz Academic Chair in Data Science in collaboration with Prof. Anat Klum from the Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, has launched a clinical study at Schneider Children’s Medical Center aimed at detecting behavioral patterns to help assess suicide risk among youths who suffer from depression.

Also with Sheba Medical Center, Fine and his team plan to launch a clinical study into chronic pain, designed to evaluate and assess the correlation between digital markers and measures of quality of life in chronic pain sufferers. As with the suicide risk detection study, mobile phone data will be harnessed and collected via a designated app.

Fine will also this year lead efforts to become a center of competence in processing and understanding Semitic languages in computerized systems, with particular emphasis on the spoken language. The initial focus will be on the transition and conversion between literary language and spoken language, with advanced methods from the field of deep learning, models for automatic translation, and transfer learning algorithms to be used.

Dr. Shai Fine

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Prof. Asaf Manela

FINE-TUNING FINTECH AT ARISON SCHOOL This academic year, the Arison School of Business has opened a unique undergraduate course in Fintech which is proving to be a success. Taught by Prof. Asaf Manela, who joined IDC Herzliya after serving as an Associate Professor of Finance at Washington University in St. Louis, the course provides both theoretical knowledge and practical applications in financial technology, covering topics such as data-driven credit modeling, cryptocurrency, block chains, robo-advising, high-frequency trading, crowd funding, peer-to-peer lending, and regulatory aspects. The course is being offered to undergraduates and is taught in both Hebrew and English.

MBA TO OPEN AT PAFOS INNOVATION INSTITUTE A one-year MBA in Innovation and Entrepreneurship run by IDC Herzliya’s Arison School of Business will open at the Pafos Innovation Institute in Cyprus in 2021. Prof. Niron Hashai, head of the MBA programs, said that as well as offering a top-quality program in its own right, a greater goal is to work towards addressing problems in the Middle East and promoting peace. The degree is certified by the European Union Council of Higher Education.

Dr. Talia Rymon, the Academic Director of the MBA at the Pafos Innovation Institute, said, “We envision a platform for students from the Middle East and Mediterranean to not just study but also collaborate on projects that address the special challenges of the region. We believe that this intimate interaction is important for a sustainable cooperation between the nations in the region. I’m very excited to be a part of this unique initiative and look forward to receiving the first cohort of students.”

Pafos Innovation Institute The program aims to attract a high caliber of candidates from Mediterranean countries such as Cyprus, Greece and Bulgaria, and importantly also candidates from Middle Eastern countries such as Egypt, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates. Hashai said it is hoped that Cyprus can serve as a neutral place for diverse students to come together, study, and foster innovation and entrepreneurship. “It is important to note that many people in the Middle East are educated but have not found gainful employment. We aim to give them the skills to further their education and teach them how to go about establishing a startup or gaining employment in a company,” said Prof. Niron Hashai.

The MBA in Innovation and Entrepreneurship will encompass core business courses as well as training in idea generation and implementation, building and designing a startup, marketing, and intellectual property issues.

Prof. Niron Hashai

Ten out of the 60 credits in the course will go towards the practicum, in which lecturers will work closely with the students in establishing a startup. Hashai said the ideas for startups will address current issues in the Middle East, such as scarcities of water, food or education.

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SAMMY OFER SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATIONS A training hub for content marketing, media and journalism

Dr. Amit Lavie-Dinur, Dean

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Sammy Ofer z”l

Dr. Amit Lavie-Dinur, former Vice Dean of the Sammy Ofer School of Communications, has been appointed Dean, succeeding founding Dean Prof. Noam Lemelshtrich Latar, who has been named the head of IDC Herzliya’s new Innovation Center. Lavie-Dinur, who joined IDC in 2006, holds an M.A. in Mass Communication from New York University and a Ph.D. in Communications from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and researches the representation of societal values in the Israeli media and the nature of personal exposure on social networks.

Prof. Uriel Reichman, Founder and President of IDC Herzliya, congratulated Lavie-Dinur and thanked Lemelshtrich Latar for his dedication over the years.

“I want to express my sincere thanks to Prof. Lemelstrich Latar for his establishment and management of the school, his great dedication to it, and for his resolute friendship over the years. Prof. Lemelshtrich Latar revolutionized the study of communications by emphasizing technology and expanding into the interactions between humans and machines,” Reichman said. “I wish Dr. Amit Lavie-Dinur great success in the role she has taken on. I have no doubt that the Sammy Ofer School of Communications will continue to be a leader and entrench its public and academic status in Israel and around the world.”

NoCamels (Asper Institute for New Media Diplomacy) Daniel Pearl International Journalism Institute miLAB Marketing Lab The Content Hub Research Center for Internet Psychology Radio Station 106.2 FM Museum of Communications Awareness Communication Center Virtual Reality Lab for Conflict Research

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MARKETING LAB WORKS TO HELP ZIKARON BASALON Zikaron Basalon (“Memory in the Living Room”), an annual event in which Holocaust survivors speak to audiences in intimate settings for Holocaust Remembrance Day, is well known in Israel, but less recognized abroad.

Developing a video advertising campaign to raise the NGO’s profile became the central project of the year-long practical workshop for third-year students in the Social Video Marketing course in the Sammy Ofer School’s Marketing Lab. After receiving a brief from the NGO, the students worked in small teams to come up with original concepts and develop video advertisements. This proved especially challenging during the pandemic. With some students stuck abroad and others in quarantine in Israel, producing and shooting a video was complicated. A series of advertisements was created by Kelly Eden, Noam Raz and Maya Segal, under the guidance of Hillel Abt, based on the story of a relative of one of the students. In one advertisement, the hands of an elderly woman are shown holding an old ID card, while her voice describes the story behind it. The question “Want to know more?” then appears on the screen, followed

by Zikaron Basalon’s logo and website.

GROUNDBREAKING RESEARCH ON ONLINE PSYCHOTHERAPY BECOMES REALITY Back in 2014, Prof. Yair Amichai-Hamburger, Director of the Sammy Ofer School’s Research Center for Internet Psychology, together with Dr. Anat BrunsteinKlomek, Prof. Doron Friedman, Dr. Oren Zuckerman and Tal Shani-Sherman, published a groundbreaking article titled “The Future of Online Therapy,” which explored the benefits of “e-therapy,” online clinical 64 | The Herzliyan 2021

Want to know more?

zikaronbasalon.org

therapy, then used by very few psychotherapists. Now, in the year of the pandemic, most have been having their therapy sessions online.

“Because of the coronavirus pandemic, many of the recommendations from this paper have now been adopted,” Amichai-Hamburger said. “We hope that even more of our suggestions will be adopted in the future, such as using information documented by smartphones to help monitor and diagnose patients. The smartphone can help to detect the behavioral, emotional and cognitive state of the patient through the use of sensors that can log physiological or neurological data, for example, monitoring a patient’s pulse to see when his anxiety level rises, thereby identifying potential stressors.”

Amichai-Hamburger, an expert on the interface between personality types and technology, is also researching the psychological aspects of autonomous vehicles. His research suggests that in order to achieve market success, driverless vehicles need to be designed around the personalities of potential users.

“Studies show that most of the public is worried about autonomous vehicles, which is understandable,” he said. “We can limit this fear if we design the experience based on the personality of the passenger. There are people who need a lot of information in advance in order to feel comfortable, for example, knowing that there is a bumpy road coming up. But then there are those who feel overwhelmed by so much information.

The idea is that if people know that they are getting a car designed around them, they will have a higher level of trust in the car, and the car will answer their psychological needs.”

SNAP CREATIVE CHALLENGE REIMAGINES THE FUTURE OF STORYTELLING WITH AUGMENTED REALITY

“We were interested in the interaction between physical objects, virtual objects, and users,” Wald said in an article on the Calcalist website. “We searched for a way to communicate a complex system through the use of a story, some type of character that could facilitate control of it. Smart house systems, for example, often create a feeling of detachment because things that happen are disconnected from the user. But when a system tells you about itself, and its connections are clear, it strengthens the sense of control and the general user experience.”

FIRST YEAR OF M.A. IN HUMAN-COMPUTER INTERACTION PROVES A SUCCESS To celebrate the completion of the first year of IDC’s M.A. in Human-Computer Interaction, students were invited to an online gathering to present their work.

The students demonstrated projects in the fields of user experience, robotics, neuroscience, virtual reality, and speculative design, to an audience that included international HCI experts from both academia and industry. The presentations were followed by discussions of the work with the students.

U.S. company Snap Inc., which developed technological products such as Snapchat and Bitmoji, collaborated with Microsoft Labs and BBC Research and Development to host a virtual creative challenge in which 11 university teams from eight countries participated.

IDC Herzliya joined the challenge with a team led by Sammy Ofer School faculty members Dr. Jonathan Giron and Iddo Wald, along with Prof. Doron Friedman from the Advanced Reality lab and Dr. Oren Zuckerman from miLAB. They presented a virtual reality character named Cottage that controls physically connected objects in a smart house. The character was developed by the M.A. students at miLAB.

Perach, Human Plant Interaction

by Eden Offer, Final Project in MA in HCI, 2020

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From left: Jonathan Davis, Vice President for External Relations and Head of the Raphael Recanati International School, Babs Asper z"l, co-founder of The Asper Foundation and IDC Herzliya Honorary Fellow 2011, Prof. Uriel Reichman, President and Founder of IDC Herzliya, daughter Gail Asper, and Moe Levy, Executive Director of The Asper Foundation, at the ceremony presenting Babs Asper with her Honorary Fellowship in May 2011.

NOCAMELS BRINGS ISRAELI INNOVATIONS TO GLOBAL AUDIENCE The Asper Foundation dedicated the Asper Institute for New Media Diplomacy at the Sammy Ofer School in 2007. The institute is headed by Prof. Noam Lemelshtrich, founding Dean of the Sammy Ofer School of Communications, and journalist and lecturer Anouk Lorie, who together co-founded NoCamels. com in 2011. Based at the Asper Institute, NoCamels. com is also supported by the Patrick and Lina Drahi Foundation.

As a leading news website covering Israeli technological innovations for a global audience, NoCamels quickly adapted to the pandemic by shifting its workflow and internship programs entirely online. NoCamels was the first news site in Israel to launch a dedicated coronavirus section, expanding its coverage and highlighting Israeli developments and solutions to the crisis. Traffic to the site doubled at the height of the pandemic.

Since 2011, NoCamels has published thousands of articles and has recorded more than 12 million visits to its website.

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Headed by Editor-in-Chief Ricky Ben-David and Contributing Editor Simona Shemer, NoCamels brings talented IDC Herzliya students together with peers from partner universities around the world for an immersive journalism experience.

Over the past year, NoCamels has published hundreds of articles, highlighting medical solutions, economic consequences and social aspects of the crisis, and even injecting a little humor, with one of the most widely read articles being on coronavirus-themed Israeli humor. For Israel’s 72nd Independence Day in April, NoCamels published a comprehensive roundup of 72 innovative technologies working to combat the virus. There was also an article on a local jeweler who designed probably the world’s most expensive face mask, a diamond-encrusted one worth $1.5 million. NoCamels has also covered Israel’s vaccine efforts closely, publishing widely read articles on the awarding of a U.S. patent to one Israeli scientist’s coronavirus vaccine design, the work by an Israeli team to adapt an existing poultry vaccine for humans, and the approval for Phase II clinical trials of a local vaccine developed by the Israel Institute for Biological Research.

In news unrelated to the coronavirus, NoCamels published articles profiling a designer whose tongue-in-cheek creations aim to solve everyday problems in Israel, covered the acquisition of the journey planning application Moovit by the giant Intel Corporation, and reported on breakthrough cancer research by two prominent Israeli scientists.

IDC STUDENT TURNS HIS ACCIDENT AND REHABILITATION INTO TV SERIES While studying Communications at IDC, Nimrod Rosenberg was working as a skydiving photographer when he accidentally crashed into the ground upon landing. He was severely injured and spent three weeks in hospital before being transferred to the Beit Loewenstein Rehabilitation Center. There he met “special people who made me forget from time to time that I wanted to die and even made me smile,” he said. “One of the things that helped me deal with the situation was humor. We laughed about everything there. Beit Loewenstein is a crazy, wild world with rules and a language of its own.

My experience there was full of absurd and powerful moments that gave me perspective on life.”

And thus was born the TV series “Broken,” a 10-episode dramedy series that focuses on the unique world of a rehabilitation hospital as seen through the eyes of the fictional lead character Amir, a young paratrooper who finds himself there, trapped in his own body, following a serious accident. The series was developed and directed

by Rosenberg and a group of students who were, like him, finishing their final year of studies, as part of the visual specialization Content Hub at the Sammy Ofer School.

“Along the way, there were ups and downs. We learned what teamwork is all about. We had to face challenges and find solutions to strange situations that filming during a pandemic brought about,” said Chen Danos, another student who co-wrote the project.

“Our primary location was supposed to be a hospital, featuring older actors,” said producer Dor Schultz. “So our challenge was to film within the health guidelines while maintaining a real hospital atmosphere. We decided to film at IDC and created a ‘lookalike’ of the original location.”

In November, students presented the series and other projects at a professional pitching event attended by dozens of media industry representatives.

Nimrod Rosenberg during his rehabilitation 67

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EFI ARAZI SCHOOL OF COMPUTER SCIENCE Combining deep theoretical studies with up-to-date knowledge

Prof. Arik Shamir, Dean

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Efi Arazi z”l

As a leader in the field of computer sciences, the Efi Arazi School of Computer Science quickly adapted to the challenges of online learning and smoothly moved classes online. Moreover, Efi Arazi School students assisted the IDC Herzliya community in general to move to online studies. Still, despite the successful transition, students and lecturers alike are looking forward to the day they will be able to return to campus and see one another in person.”

– Prof. Arik Shamir, Dean, Efi Arazi School of Computer Science

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EFI ARAZI SCHOOL WINS RIGHT TO AWARD DOCTORATES The Efi Arazi School of Computer Science has been granted approval to award doctorates to eligible research students. A number of students are already working on their Ph.D.’s, focusing their research on subjects including cryptography, network security, and graphics.

“We have been looking forward to opening the Ph.D. program for many years, and we are excited that this is occurring now,” said Prof. Tami Tamir, Head of the Ph.D. program. “We are highly motivated to accompany our Ph.D. students on their challenging path of developing high research skills and independent scientific work.”

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IDC Herzliya believes the Ph.D. program will attract top candidates and will increase the already high level of research done at the Efi Arazi School. The school’s faculty members have a large number of research grants at their disposal, from sources including the European Research Council and the Israel Science Foundation, which will be used for scholarships that cover the tuition fees of Ph.D. candidates and provide them with a subsistence allowance.

WOMEN ON THE RISE IN EFI ARAZI SCHOOL OF COMPUTER SCIENCE IDC Herzliya is proud to note that it has a high and rising percentage of female students studying at the Efi Arazi School of Computer Science. The proportion of female students has risen from an already high 30 percent in the 2019-2020 year to an unprecedented 37 percent in the 2020-2021 year.

Prof. Anat Bremler-Barr, Deputy Dean of the Efi Arazi School, said the rise in the number of women at the school can be attributed to two main factors. Firstly, it reflects a general trend around the world, with increasing numbers of women studying the computer sciences, attracted at least in part by the availability of well-paid jobs in the field. And secondly, it reflects a determined push by the Efi Arazi School and IDC Herzliya in general to encourage more female students to enroll in computer science.

computer science.” However, she said that at IDC, the faculty encourage the students to try new ideas and forge new partnerships, and make them feel part of the community regardless of their gender or their place of origin.

In addition, small class sizes that enable students to receive personal attention, and having faculty members who are recognized as being at the top of their field adds to the pull.

As well as Prof. Bremler-Barr, some of the leading female faculty members are: Prof. Yael Moses, whose research focuses on computer vision and its applications; Prof.

Tami Tamir, the former Dean of the Efi Arazi School, who researches algorithms and algorithmic game theory; Prof.

Elette Boyle, head of the school’s international program, who studies theoretical computer science with a focus on cryptography; and Dr. Reut Levi, who researches sublinear algorithms and local computation algorithms.

“Events are held annually that are targeted towards encouraging women to join the school, and an active recruitment program continues throughout the year,” Bremler-Barr said. “In addition, 30 percent of faculty members are women, a significantly higher percentage than in other universities, which helps attract more female students.”

Ilana Sivan, a second-year Computer Science student originally from Boston, said the innovative and welcoming environment at IDC Herzliya is very encouraging to women. She said students are encouraged to take risks and think out of the box, and the open atmosphere is only enhanced by the wide variety of people from all over the world studying at IDC. “Women are generally not encouraged to pursue STEM subjects at school, and if they find those subjects difficult, they are not encouraged to try harder but rather to change directions altogether,” Sivan said.

“Thus there is more of a risk associated with studying

Ilana Sivan

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FULL STACK PILOT COURSE RUN BY INTUIT AND IDC PROVES TO BE A FULL SUCCESS Thanks to a successful collaboration between the Efi Arazi School of Computer Science and the Intuit global financial platform, students in the Keren Or scholarship program were able to take part in a cutting-edge 12-week pilot course on full stack software development. The pilot program proved to be a tremendous learning experience not only for the students, but also for the staff at both IDC Herzliya and at Intuit.

“We are so proud of this pilot program,” said Keren Or Program Coordinator Michal Kaul. “It had a huge impact on the 11 students involved. The amount of work and commitment the staff at Intuit put into it was amazing and the students were exposed to the very latest in technology. The program was built with Keren Or students in mind and the staff made changes as the program progressed, according to input from the students. At the end of the course, the students, as well as the head of Intuit Israel Gene Golovinsky and donors supporting Keren Or, attended a Zoom presentation where the students presented their projects.”

Margarita Vald, a Ph.D. graduate in computer science from Tel Aviv University, and a cryptography researcher at Intuit, said, “Intuit supports the community through our We Care and Give Back programs.

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Joining forces with IDC Herzliya and the Keren Or program proved to be remarkably fruitful and clearly had a positive effect on the students as well as our staff. There was something very special about equipping young individuals in need of guidance and professional support with the tools to succeed.”

Many students said the course was one of the most important they had taken during their three-year Computer Science degree. “The full stack course with Intuit really helped me.

I completed the course with honors and it helped me to advance in my profession as a software developer,” said Oshri Garama, who soon after completing the course moved from a quality assurance position to a full stack research and development position at IDC Beyond venture Pick-a-Pier.

“We set out with this course to make a significant positive change in the employment prospects of Keren Or students,” said School of CS faculty member and head of the Keren Or Program Shay Mozes. “The course, and particularly the final projects, targeted some of the most important factors in an employer’s decision to hire a new developer: mastering cutting edge techniques, hands-on experience, and demonstrated technical and creative ability. We see how the course transformed the confidence of students in their code development capabilities, and in their ability to harness the fundamentals they obtained during their academic studies to quickly master new technologies and tools. This will make a crucial difference in the process of finding a paid position in the marketplace. The Intuit team brought their expertise, passion and commitment to this course, which gave the students an example to look up to in the next steps of their professional development.”

Gleb Keselman, Intuit Group Manager R & D

Gene Golovinsky, Head of Intuit Israel

“I am thankful for the opportunity to share what I’ve learned in the industry with the bright minds of tomorrow. Through their curiosity, I have been inspired to challenge myself and seek new ideas, creative approaches and innovative solutions.” Gleb Keselman, Intuit group manager R&D.

Margarita Vald, Intuit Cryptography Researcher

Meet the Intuit Team

Michal Kaul, Keren Or Program Coordinator

Oshri Garama,

Mor Bason

Erez Gilron

Omri Ben Ari

Royee Shemesh

Full Stack Developer at Pick a Pier IDC Computer Science graduate

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7

TIOMKIN SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS Preparing the global financial leaders of tomorrow

Prof. Zvi Eckstein, Dean

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Judy and Avi Tiomkin

Teaching at the Tiomkin School moved smoothly to Zoom and all classes continued as scheduled.

In each class, we discussed topics related to the pandemic and its effects. The Aaron Institute research team dedicated itself to analyzing the economic consequences of the lockdown and advised the government on policies to ease the harsh impact on most Israelis.”

– Prof. Zvi Eckstein, Dean, Tiomkin School of Economics

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TIOMKIN SCHOOL SUMMER INTERNSHIPS SHOW SUCCESS Despite the coronavirus pandemic, the Tiomkin School of Economics successfully implemented its summer internship program. Ten outstanding undergraduate students were given the opportunity to work in government authorities and private companies, including the Chief Economist Division and the Accountant General Division in the Finance Ministry, the Israel Competition Authority, the Economics Department in the Israel Securities Authority, Sela Kolker Financial Advisors, Numerics Economic & Financial Consulting, BDO Israel accounting firm and the Aaron Institute of Finance.

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Graduate students in financial economics were also placed in specializations in bodies such as the Capital Market, Insurance and Savings Authority of Israel, Psagot Investment House, and Deloitte Israel financial services company.

The school also continued to promote its student exchange program, via remote learning. Six Tiomkin School students are currently studying at the University of California, Berkeley, where they are participating in doctoral courses and working as research assistants. Six other Tiomkin School students are studying at universities in Europe, one each at Bocconi University in Milan, the Berlin School of Economics and Law, the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart, the Copenhagen Business School, ISG in Paris, and LUISS in Rome.

AARON INSTITUTE BRAINSTORMS ECONOMIC EFFECTS OF PANDEMIC Since the outbreak of the pandemic, the Aaron Institute for Economic Policy has published several papers on the economic responses to the crisis, including “Macroeconomic Policy Outline for Recovering the Economy to Emerge From the Crisis,” by Tiomkin School of Economics Dean and Head of the Aaron Institute Prof. Zvi Eckstein with Aaron Institute Senior Researchers Dr. Avihai Lifschitz and Dr. Tali Larom.

Top-notch speakers at the events included: Prof.

Avi Simhon, Chairman of the National Economic Council; Prof. Karnit Flug, former Bank of Israel Governor and current Vice President of Research at the Israel Democracy Institute; Shira Greenberg, Chief Economist in Israel’s Finance Ministry; Shaul Meridor, former Budget Department head in the Finance Ministry; Andrew Abir, Deputy Governor of the Bank of Israel; Prof. Martin Eichenbaum, economics professor from Northwestern University; Anath Levin, CEO of BlackRock Israel; Israela Mani, Deputy Director of Economics and Tax in the Israeli Chamber of Commerce, and senior IDC Herzliya faculty, including the Aaron Institute’s Prof. Omer Moav and Dr. Marian Tehawkho, IDC Provost Prof.

Rafi Melnick.

The institute also held three roundtable conferences attended by leading business and public sector figures, on the topics: “Macroeconomic Policy for Dealing with the Crisis,” “The Employment Crisis in Arab Society,” and “Budget 2021 - When, How Much and Why?.”

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8

HARRY RADZYNER LAW SCHOOL At the forefront of legal education, academic research and service to society

Prof. Amnon Lehavi, Dean

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Dr. Harry L. Radzyner z”l

This pandemic is a civilian crisis of unprecedented dimensions, and it has some interesting legal implications that we aim to research, teach and debate.”

– Prof. Amnon Lehavi, Dean of the Harry Radzyner Law School

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Dr. Harry Radzyner z”l (second from left) and his wife, Dr. Micheline Radzyner, with Prof. Uriel Reichman, IDC Herzliya Founder and President (far left) and Prof. Amnon Lehavi, Dean of Radzyner Law School, at the school in 2019

HARRY RADZYNER LAW SCHOOL WORKS TO CONTINUE BENEFACTOR’S LEGACY

The event was the first in a series designed to explore critical issues in emerging technologies, data policy and governance strategies, with a focus on AI, blockchain, privacy, disruptive technology and tech innovation and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. It will bring scholars, practitioners and industry leaders from Israel, Canada, and other countries together.

The Harry Radzyner Law School mourns the loss of the school’s founding benefactor and longtime friend, Dr. Harry Radzyner z”l, who passed away in October 2020. A child Holocaust survivor from Poland, Radzyner spent much of his adult life working to build academic, cultural and commercial ties between Germany and Israel, including crafting the relationship between the Harry Radzyner Law School at IDC Herzliya and the Law Faculty at Heinrich Heine University in Düsseldorf.

GAZIT-GLOBE REAL ESTATE INSTITUTE PONDERS FUTURE OF SHOPPING CENTERS

The pandemic led to significant growth in online events throughout the year, and the Harry Radzyner Law School joined Toronto’s Osgoode Hall Law School in collaboration with Microsoft Canada to host ”Bracing for Impact Webinar Series – COVID-19 Contact Tracing: Legal and Ethical Challenges.”

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The Gazit-Globe Real Estate Institute held various online events, including a Zoom series on incomeproducing real estate that included a conversation about the U.S. real estate market with Wall Street Journal real estate editor Peter Grant and Kushner Companies President Laurent Morali, as well as a session with Gazit-Globe founder and CEO Chaim Katzman on the future of shopping centers.

Joey Folkman Lisa and Roger Gladstone with Jonathan Davis (far left), head of the RRIS and Vice President for External Relations, at IDC in early 2020, where they donated a pool table for the enjoyment of IDC students in memory of Roger Gladstone’s father, William B. Gladstone.

The couple also donated a piano dedicated to Lisa Gladstone’s parents, Gloria and Leo Chizner

THE FOLKMAN GLADSTONE LEGAL CLINIC FOR START UPS HELPS UNDERSERVED ENTREPRENEURS Despite the difficulties posed by the pandemic, the IDC Legal Clinic for Startups launched its seventh cycle of providing entrepreneurs with free legal services and ensured that they continued to receive the best possible service. The year began with four intensive training days, held via Zoom, to prepare the students for their work with clients. Hosted by the clinic’s partners, law firms Pearl Cohen Zedek Latzer Baratz and Meitar Liquornik Geva Leshem Tal, the students received professional and practical advice from leading lawyers in fields including contracts, corporations, intellectual property, labor, taxes, terms of use and privacy policies.

The number of applicants from underrepresented communities seeking assistance from the clinic has grown significantly, and the clinic has created new collaborations with accelerators, venture capital funds, and other entrepreneurial organizations.

ZVI MEITAR INSTITUTE OFFERS NEW PERSPECTIVE ON THE PANDEMIC Zvi Meitar Institute for Legal Implications of Emerging Technologies Director Prof. Dov Greenbaum continued to have significant articles published on the Calcalist website, including “40 years on, we can thank the Bayh Dole Act for enabling COVID-19 vaccines”; “Morality on Mars: What’s to stop future spacefarers from ruining other planets?” and “Yom Kippur marks the Jewish holiday of free speech.”

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9

BARUCH IVCHER SCHOOL OF PSYCHOLOGY Changing the world through science

Prof. Daniel A. Levy, Dean

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Baruch Ivcher

At the Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, our students not only made the transition to online learning, but began to offer online support to older adults confined to their homes, and online psychological treatment to children and adults.

We also didn’t neglect our scientific aspirations, and converted many of our lab experiments to online versions.”

– Prof. Daniel A. Levy, Dean of the Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology

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NEW PH.D. IN PSYCHOLOGY GETS UNDERWAY The new Ph.D. program at the Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology has begun, enabling 16 outstanding participants to engage in cutting-edge research in clinical, social and cognitive psychology and neuroscience, under the supervision of IDC Herzliya’s world-class senior researchers.

The Ph.D. candidates are exploring a wide range of topics, including the online treatment of post-partum depression, perceptions of emotion in speech, the effects on sexual desire of compliments or criticisms, cyberbullying and emotional regulation, and the effectiveness of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in psychotherapy.

All the participants are studying core courses on advanced statistical methods, brain research methods, the writing of review articles and meta-analyses, and contemporary issues in psychology, as well as enrichment courses in their fields of interest.

“The studies being conducted by these doctoral candidates will strengthen IDC Herzliya’s strong and rising status as an international center of research excellence in psychology,” said Prof. Daniel A. Levy, Dean of the Baruch Ivcher School.

Prof. Ruth Feldman at the 2019 inauguration of the Center for Developmental Social Neuroscience

PROF. RUTH FELDMAN NAMED 2020 EMET PRIZE LAUREATE IN SOCIAL SCIENCES Prof. Ruth Feldman, Director of the Center for Developmental Social Neuroscience and Simms-Mann Professor of Developmental Social Neuroscience at the Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, has been named the 2020 EMET Prize Laureate in Social Sciences for her work in the field of psychology. The prestigious EMET Prizes are awarded annually for excellence in five categories: exact sciences, life sciences, social sciences, humanities, and culture and the arts.

“Prof. Feldman excels in innovative theoretical development and research of the highest quality as well as in finding many applications for the benefit of the general public and the strengthening of the resilience of Israeli society,” the EMET Award Committee said in a statement.

The Center for Developmental Social Neuroscience combines psychological and biological research on topics including hormones, genetics, epigenetics (environmental influence on genetics), the human digestive system, and the immune system. The center includes the Loralee West Laboratory for Brain Research and Human Development.

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PREVENTION OF YOUNG SUICIDE IN THE SPOTLIGHT

M.A. IN ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR LAUNCHES MENTORSHIPS Recognizing the challenges that remote learning posed to students during the pandemic, Dr. Dana Pereg, head of the M.A. in Organizational Behavior and Development, together with Dr. Yael Ben-David, head of the Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology’s mentorship program, revised the M.A. program to enhance student engagement with the course. Throughout the first semester, first-year students were mentored bi-weekly by final-year students or recent alumni in a step aimed at increasing their sense of belonging both academically and personally. The move proved so successful that it is expected to continue through the second semester.

Preventing adolescent suicide – the second-leading cause of death among young Israelis even before the coronavirus pandemic – has been the focus of the work of Prof. Anat Brunstein-Klomek of the Baruch Ivcher School for many years. As an advisor to the Israeli Education Ministry’s national suicide prevention program, Brunstein-Klomek has spent recent months advancing the training of online therapists in suicide prevention, and working to address the critical need for rapid intervention for children and adolescents at risk of suicide. Together with the Depression Clinic at the Schneider Children’s Medical Center, the Baruch Ivcher School has developed an ultra-brief, evidence-based, acute crisis intervention for various psychopathologies among different age groups, based on Interpersonal Psychotherapy.

“Many clinicians and mental health providers have been trained in programs that did not include specific components of suicide prevention. During the first two COVID-19 waves, we completed trainings in two hospitals and are now planning to continue to several more,” said Brunstein-Klomek.

“Students felt that they needed a space for sharing, reflecting on academic challenges and how we adjust to remote learning. It was important to us that students could initiate connections and feel they had a place to turn when feeling isolated,” Pereg said.

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Center for Developmental Social Neuroscience Pioneers research into the neurobiology of human social bonds and how the nervous system contributes to mental health from infancy onwards. Includes the Loralee West Laboratory for Brain Research and Human Development, which performs specific, groundbreaking analysis using state-of-the-art facilities and equipment in highly sensitive, managed conditions.

Directed by Prof. Ruth Feldman, Simms-Mann Chair in Developmental Neuroscience

Sagol Center for Brain and Mind A neuroscience research institute translating research findings in the field of neuroscience into a common language accessible to non-scientists and in implementing these findings in educational and therapeutic settings. Includes the Muda Institute for Mindfulness, Science and Society, which integrates scientific knowledge in the field of neuroscience and psychology with expertise in cognitive training in mindfulness with a focus on interpersonal interactions, brain resilience and methods of brain training.

Founded and directed by Dr. Nava Levit Binnun

Maytiv Center for Positive Psychology Promotes optimal human functioning by identifying factors that moderate emotional distress and increase mental well-being, positive emotions, positive relationships, meaning, achievement and self-realization.

Co-founded by Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar, Dr. Ariel Kor and Prof. Mario Mikulincer CEO Eran Davidi, Academic Director Prof. Anat Shoshani

BARUCH IVCHER SCHOOL OF PSYCHOLOGY

Communication, Aging, and Neuropsychology Lab (CANlab) Improve the quality of life for older adults through targeted communication, with a focus on improving cognitive processing by improving the quality of sensory input.

Directed by Prof. Boaz M. Ben-David

Cognitive Neuroscience Lab Dedicated to researching the core processes and brain systems that comprise human memory, learning and attention using human electrophysiology, noninvasive brain stimulation, neuropsychology, and neurofeedback. Home to evidence-based training programs to improve remembering and executive mental functions for older adults.

Directed by Prof. Daniel Levy

Sexuality and Close Relationships Lab Focuses on the role played by sexuality in close relationships and works to construct assessment tools for studying individual differences in sexual behavioral systems.

Directed by Prof. Gurit E. Birnbaum

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The Unit for Social-Emotional Learning In partnership with the Schneider Children’s Medical Center, the unit aims to change the developmental paths of children and adolescents with learning disabilities and attention disorders, from being at risk for emotional and social problems to successful, productive, contributing members of society.

Directed by Dr. Daphne Kopelman-Rubin

Ziama Arkin Infancy Institute Focus on the therapeutic environment in the first year of life to long-term development with the aim of deepening clinical and developmental knowledge in the field. Includes a treatment unit, research unit, and training program.

Founded by Doris Arikin.

Headed by Yael Segal, and Unit Director Dr. Tahli Frenkel

Power and Social Change Lab

Teaching meaningful science conducive to human growth, community health and social change

Advances psychological understandings of issues related to discrimination and inequality between groups.

Directed by Prof. Tamar Saguy

Relationship Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Research Unit Specializes in the research and treatment of obsessive-compulsive symptoms and cognitions relating to intimate relationships.

Directed by Prof. Guy Doron and Dr. Danny Derby

Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology Clinic Open to private individuals and workers in public organizations and their families. The aim of the clinic is to integrate various therapeutic methods based on cutting-edge theories and evidence-based research, while being attentive to the client’s personal situation and cultural background.

Clinic Manager Dr. Ety Berant

Social Cognition and Psychophysiology Lab Studies relations to better understand the emotions, cognitions and behaviors that underlie conflict between individuals and groups.

Directed by Prof. Gilad Hirschberger 87

10

SCHOOL OF SUSTAINABILITY Preparing students to tackle global climate challenges

Prof. Yoav Yair, Dean

IDC is well known to be agile and quick to respond to changes, and as a higher-education flagship for sustainability, this is our commitment to educate our students and prepare them for the emerging reality.”

– Prof. Yoav Yair, Dean of the School of Sustainability

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STAYING AHEAD IN SUSTAINABILITY While the coronavirus pandemic has swept the headlines and has profoundly affected nations and individuals in every field, climate change continues to present a looming crisis that necessitates new thinking. IDC Herzliya has incorporated the latest developments in economics, politics and international relations into all its courses in the Sustainability-Government double major.

“IDC is well known to be agile and quick to respond to changes, and as a higher-education flagship for sustainability, this is our commitment to educate our students and prepare them for the emerging reality,” said Prof. Yoav Yair, Dean of the School of Sustainability. The updated degree program has introduced new courses on: the food-water-energy nexus; circular economies; smart cities and advanced urban analytics; smart transportation, and the geopolitics of oil and gas.

The school is also holding weekly seminars under the title Advanced Topics in Sustainability, which bring in sustainability practitioners, experts and entrepreneurs from NGOs, industries, startup companies, and municipalities. As well as educating on the issues, these seminars enable the students to receive clear examples of potential directions to pursue after graduating.

In addition, the school has added several workshops to the existing program as elective studies for selected students. The first workshop was “Impact Investment,” a series of six meetings for Business and Sustainability students, to be followed by “Innovation in International Aid” and “Green Building.” Additionally, several outstanding students will be presented with internship opportunities in international energy companies (through a collaboration with the SAP software company) and at the French cosmetics firm L’Oréal. The workshops are coordinated and managed by the school’s Vice Dean, Dr. Yael Parag.

As part of the first-year course “Introduction to Earth Systems Science,” students embarked on a unique experiment, designed by Yair, to grow wheat in soil engineered to Mars-like conditions, and to compare germination rates and growth to those in normal terrestrial soil. The experiment reflects the need to solve food production issues as plans to colonize Mars grow more tangible. This project presents the students with an opportunity to discuss sustainability issues in space and come up with their own ideas. At the request of several students, Yair organized a visit to the astronomical observatory in Givatayim. “Watching the planets through the telescope for the first time in my life was a ‘whoa’ moment for me,” said student Yuval Harpaz. “It was amazing.”

In addition, a joint conference is planned by the School of Sustainability with the Radzyner Law School’s Zvi Meitar Institute for Legal Implications of Emerging Technologies, at which experts will discuss technological, political and ethical issues related to the privatization of space and the plans to colonize Mars.

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STARTING UP SUSTAINABILITY TOGETHER Best friends and business partners Alexandra Cohen, from Chicago in the U.S., and Duna Ecija Cousens, from Madrid, Spain, met in Israel as students at IDC Herzliya’s School of Sustainability. Each was already passionate about sustainability, and each had come to Israel feeling that the country, with its chronic water shortages and consequently innovative solutions, was the best place to study and to gain experience in the field. “Necessity breeds solutions, as the saying goes,” says Cohen. “Israel became a leader in innovation in sustainability out of necessity, and the success achieved now puts Israel in the unique position to be able to export this knowledge around the world at this crucial time when climate is changing. I believed that studying sustainability in Israel at IDC Herzliya would enable me to be in the same unique position as a professional.”

She says the Sustainability and Government track offered her the perfect combination, with its focus on both theory and practical tools. In addition, she was drawn to the chance to study under top-level lecturers such as Shimon Tal, the former Water Commissioner of Israel, who has decades of hands-on experience in water resources management and water supply.

Cohen and Ecija Cousens joined together for their final project in the third year of their undergraduate degree, presenting a project that focused on the severe water challenges in the U.S. state of Florida and proposed innovative technological solutions. As a result, the state invited them to present their findings and solutions at a conference, although this was ultimately postponed in light of this year’s pandemic.

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Alexandra Cohen

After graduating in 2020, the women decided to continue with their partnership and established the water consultancy and distribution company Hydria Water Innovations. Their focus is on brokering sustainable and cost-effective solutions to companies and the public sector. They are also heading the sustainability branch of the Spanish law firm ECIJA, awarded the title of most innovative firm in Spain. Cohen says that while laying down sustainability infrastructure can be an initial expense, the savings in water and energy outweigh the costs over time, as well as benefit the planet.

“The solutions of sustainability and cost savings go hand in hand,” she says.

For Cohen, the entrepreneurial spirit at IDC was a gamechanger and helped motivate her to found her own company.

In addition, the international aspect of IDC was a major benefit. Through the Raphael Recanati International School, she was able to meet and network with students from over 90 countries, including, of course, her friend and business partner. “Entrepreneurship within IDC’s Sustainability School is a big focus, and this is something I would not have gotten at any other university,” she says.

“I believed that studying sustainability in Israel at IDC Herzliya would enable me to be in the same unique position as a professional.”

– Alexandra Cohen

Prof. Yoav Yair, Dean of the School of Sustainability, says the program only continues to grow in relevance. “Around the globe, governments, the private sector and the general public are already rethinking the required paths of economic development,” he says. “Because of climate change and the necessary reduction needed in greenhouse gas emissions, a new balance in the energy-food-water nexus is coming.

We need to reshape and transform our economy into a long-lasting and sustainable one that uses natural resources prudently and responsibly, and allows present and future generations to prosper. There is a growing demand for sustainability experts, managers, inventors and advisors to design and implement sustainable planning and innovative development policies. The vision of our school is to educate the next generation of these crucial professionals.”

Duna Ecija Cousens

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GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT NEW HEAD OF GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT APPOINTED The Provost’s Office has appointed Christian Jowers to head Global Engagement at IDC Herzliya. With an M.A. (Honors) in Chinese from the University of Edinburgh, Jowers has been involved in the internationalization of higher education for the past 12 years, and has codeveloped and assisted in numerous projects around the world. The son of a British father and a French mother, Jowers has lived in several countries through his life, spending 12 years in Scotland before moving to Israel in 2016 and joining the IDC family. Jowers says he is passionate about developing long-lasting, positive, and meaningful relationships across cultures. He is married and a father of two.

“I firmly believe in providing our students with opportunities that will ignite their imagination and enrich their lives.

Global Engagement can do that. That is what drives me,” he says.

VIRTUAL EVENTS During this time of global shutdowns, IDC Herzliya has taken part in and contributed to numerous virtual events, including: • The Virtual Exchange as a Tool to Promote Internationalization conference, hosted by the Council for Higher Education in Israel.

• The Times Higher Education World Academic Summit 2020.

• A seminar for the promotion of Italy-Israel academic cooperation, hosted by the Council for Higher Education in Israel.

• A seminar for the promotion of U.K.-Israel academic cooperation, hosted by the Council for Higher Education in Israel.

• Internationalization in Higher Education for Society Virtual Conference, hosted by the Global Impact Institute.

PARTNERSHIP ACTIVITIES IDC Herzliya has continued to develop its activities and programs with respected institutions in Israel and internationally, including: • Joint degree programs with top institutions in the fields of government and sustainability.

• Joint short-term virtual programs with partners in Europe and North America.

• New agreements with highly ranked universities in North America.

• Engagement with academia in the United Arab Emirates.

• New agreements for joint Ph.D. co-supervision with top-ranking institutions.

• Partnership with Fulbright Israel.

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GLOBAL VIGNETTES EUROPE Academic Partners

67

We have 67 active agreements with partner universities across 18 countries in Europe

+Erasmus

We currently have 27 Erasmus+ agreements for student, faculty and staff mobility

Deep Collaboration

The Czech Government funds the Masaryk Chair, allowing Czech scholars to conduct research at IDC

During Coronavirus Crisis

We participate in virtual regional seminars with potential academic partners and contributed to the Times Higher Education World Academic Summit 2020

Consortia

We are a member of the Alliance of Leading European Universities in the Economic and Social Sciences

26%

Students

90

Exchange

42

EU-Funded Research

27

$500k

European students make up 26% of our international student body

Conditions permitting, we will welcome 90 international exchange students on campus in spring 2021

At present, our faculty is involved in 42 projects funded by the European Union (H2020, FP7 and Erasmus+)

Capacity Building

IDC successfully coordinate an EU-funded capacity building project with European and Israeli academic partners

Wider Engagement

We also work with local government and industry across Europe

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AGREEMENTS AND EXCHANGES Despite the global uncertainty, IDC Herzliya has signed new agreements for student and faculty exchanges with several top institutions. These have been taking place virtually and will resume in person when circumstances allow. Partner institutions include: • Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University, Stuttgart, Germany • Corvinus University of Budapest, Hungary • ESSCA School of Management in Paris, France • ICHEC Brussels Management School, Belgium • Konkuk University, Seoul, South Korea • St. Petersburg State University, Russia • Stockholm University, Sweden • Stuttgart Media University, Germany • University of Desarrollo, Concepción, Chile • University of Connecticut, United States

RANKINGS IDC Herzliya continues to rise in international university rankings.

According to the Shanghai Rankings 2020: • IDC’s political sciences program, run by the Lauder School of Government, Diplomacy & Strategy, ranks in the 101-150 category, up from 151-200 the previous year.

• IDC’s communications program, run by the Sammy Ofer School of Communications, ranks at 201-300, the same as the previous year.

• IDC’s psychology program, run by the Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, ranks at 201-300, up from 301400 the previous year.

According to the Times Higher Education Rankings: • IDC Herzliya ranks at 601-800 in the World University Rankings.

• University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany

• It ranks at 151-200 in the Young University Rankings (universities less than 50 years old).

• University of Nottingham, Ningbo, China

• It ranks at 152 in the Asia University Rankings.

• Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Galápagos Science Center, Ecuador • University of Southern California, United States • Vienna University of Economics and Business, Austria

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GLOBAL VIGNETTES THE AMERICAS Academic Partners

26

We have 26 active agreements with partner universities in North and South America

Alumni

To date, we have over 3,500 alumni living and working in the Americas

Top Destination

We are the #1 destination for students from North America for full undergraduate degree programs in Israel

During Coronavirus Crisis

We are working to develop three-way partnerships with top US universities for virtual exchange in the fields of government and law

Consortia

We are a member of the McDonnell International Scholars Academy at Washington University in St. Louis

43% +3,500

Students

Students from North and South America make up 43% of our international student body

CT

Counter- Terrorism

7

USA-Funded Research

#1

We have long-standing collaborations in the field of counter-terrorism with US national agencies and academia

At present, our faculty is involved in seven projects funded by USA-based agencies

Summer Programs

We offer summer programs in collaboration with Princeton University and Washington University in St. Louis

American Friends of IDC IDC is represented through American Friends of IDC with two offices in the U.S.

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GLOBAL VIGNETTES ASIA & OCEANIA Academic Partners

35

We have 35 active agreements with partner universities across seven countries in Asia and Oceania

Rankings

IDC is ranked in the top 150 according to THE Asia University Rankings 2020

Wider Engagement

We work closely with Israeli embassies and chambers of commerce in China, India, Japan, Myanmar, and Singapore

During Coronavirus Crisis We are exploring opportunities with academia in UAE and with the Chamber of Commerce in Myanmar

Scholarships

Prestigious scholarships are available to IDC students to study at Peking University and Tsinghua University

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27 Top 150

Inbound Delegations

In 2019-2020, we hosted 27 inbound academic delegations from Australia, China, India, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and Vietnam

Chinese Accreditation

IDC is officially recognized by the Chinese Ministry of Education

Deep Collaboration

We hold regular high level roundtable discussions with the Chinese Academy of Governance (in Beijing and in Herzliya)

Key Areas

Key areas where we develop partnerships are government, economics, law, entrepreneurship, communications, business, computer science, and sustainability

Internships

We are one of two universities in Israel offering National University of Singapore students six-month internships in tech companies

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RAPHAEL RECANATI INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

at IDC HERZLIYA

www.rris.idc.ac.il

LIVE IN ISRAEL

STUDY IN ENGLISH Rebekka Mingaleva

Alida Sefada

Chana Katri

BSc Computer Science Turkey

BA Psychology Italy

BA Sustainability & Government Kazakhstan

Elishai Zeharya

Elijah Silverman

BA Business Administration USA

BA Business Administration and Entrepreneurship Canada

Natalie Shem-Tov BA Business Administration and Economics Hong Kong

Niv Gittelman

BA Communications Panama

Noah Marks

BA Business and Entrepreneurship South Africa

Matias Schocron

Rebecca Shteinman

BA Government Argentina

BA Entrepreneurship and BSc Computer Science Australia

UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS • • • • • •

• • •

Business Administration Business & Economics (double major) Communications Computer Science (BSc) Entrepreneurship & Business (double major) Entrepreneurship, BA & Computer Science, BSc (double major) Government Sustainability & Government (double major) Psychology

ONE SEMESTER / ONE YEAR / FULL DEGREE

GRADUATE PROGRAMS MA

• • • • • •

Behavioral Economics Counter-Terrorism & Homeland Security Studies Diplomacy & Conflict Studies Financial Economics Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) Organizational Behavior & Development (OBD)

GLOBAL MBA • Innovation & Entrepreneurship • Strategy & Business Development MBA • One-Year MBA • Healthcare Innovation MSc • Machine Learning & Data Science