MIT-Israel Program Annual Report AY 2009-2010

MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (MIT)
MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives (MISTI)
MIT-Israel Program
http://mit.edu/misti/mit-israel/
Annual Report AY 2009-2010
Christine Ortiz
David Dolev
Professor, Materials Science and Engineering
Faculty Director, MISTI MIT-Israel
Dean for Graduate Studies
Email: [email protected]
Center for International Studies
Program Coordinator, MISTI MIT-Israel, MISTI 2.0
Email: [email protected]
MISTI MIT-ISRAEL PERSONELL
Christine Ortiz,
Professor of Materials Science and Engineering,
Faculty Director MISTI MIT-Israel, Dean for Graduate Education
David Dolev, Center for
International Studies, Program
Coordinator, MISTI MIT-Israel,
MISTI 2.0
Nahum Karlinsky, Visiting Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, MISTI MIT-Israel
Instructor
Ehud Eiran, Visiting Lecturer, Department of Political Science, MISTI MIT-Israel Instructor
Patricia Gercik, Center for International Studies, Associate Director of MISTI, Director MIT-Japan
Program
Suzanne Berger, Raphael Dorman and Helen Starbuck Professor of Political Science, Director of MISTI
1
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. OVERVIEW .............................................................................................................................................. 3
II. INTERNSHIPS ......................................................................................................................................... 5
III. STUDENT PROFILES .............................................................................................................................. 7
IV. REFLECTION ....................................................................................................................................... 23
V. ASSESSMENT AND FUTURE PLANS ..................................................................................................... 24
ADDENDUM ............................................................................................................................................ 26
VI. COUNTRY-SPECIFIC PREPARATION .................................................................................................... 27
VII. IN-COUNTRY SEMINAR AND EVENTS ................................................................................................ 29
VIII. MIT-ISRAEL STAFF HIGHLIGHTS ....................................................................................................... 34
IX. HOST COMPANIES AND INSTITUTIONS .............................................................................................. 36
X. ON-CAMPUS EVENTS .......................................................................................................................... 42
XI. DONOR ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS......................................................................................................... 46
XII. FURTHER ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ..................................................................................................... 47
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I. OVERVIEW
As we begin our fourth year of the MIT-Israel Program, we are happy to provide this annual
report about our current and future activities. The flagship of the MIT-Israel Program has been the
placement of MIT students in professional and research internships in industry, governmental and nongovernmental organizations, and universities throughout Israel for extended periods of time (10- 12
weeks or more). This past year a diverse and outstanding cohort of 37 MIT students from 12 academic
departments participated in the MIT-Israel Program (described in detail in Sections II and III). These
students originated from all over the United States and the world, represented a broad range of
Departments across the Institute, and possessed a variety of educational levels. Additionally, The MITIsrael Program took part in organizing 14 Israel-related events (e.g. seminars, short courses, etc.) on
campus and 4 MIT-related events in Israel (described in detail in Section X).
The MIT-Israel program is part of the MISTI organization (MIT International Science and
Technology Initiatives, http://web.mit.edu/misti/index.html) which includes nine other countries (China,
Japan, India, Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Mexico, Brazil). The MISTI organization is 26 years old and
has sent almost 3500 MIT students abroad. MISTI programs follow in
the rich and historical MIT tradition of "Mens et Manus” ("Mind and
Hand"); that is real-world engagement through the pairing of ideas,
innovation, and research with action, practical applications, and
testing. In order to fulfill the mission of the Institute and address the
greatest problems of the 21st century, this concept needs to be
applied and expanded globally; "Mens et Manus et Mundus.”1 MISTI
employs a unique programmatic infrastructure to accomplish this
ambitious objective including;
● Proactive recruitment
● A comprehensive preparatory "tool-kit" (e.g. culture, language, politics, etc.)
● Personalized internship matching
● Hands-on experiential learning→ Education linked to Research
- Generation of new knowledge across national and cultural boundaries
- A deeper understanding of new knowledge
- A broader skillset to act on this new knowledge2
● Reflection
● Assessment and Improvement
●On-campus activities related to the country of interest open to the broader student population
● Re-entry, Continued Interaction (e.g. MISTI 2.0, seminars, etc.)
3
The goal of MISTI is to internationalize MIT
education and research by preparing students for leadership
in careers that go beyond national boundaries and,
furthermore, to serve as a national benchmark for
international education through its unique programmatic
structure. More specifically, MISTI aims to educate the next
generation of “globally-cognizant” engineers and scientists.
During MISTI internships, students gain an appreciation of
their discipline in a broader cultural and socio-economic
context without sacrificing academic rigor. A broad crosssection of MIT students are able to build a meaningful
understanding of different regions of the world and
construct deep local relationships which constitute a basis
for lifelong interaction. A “cultural toolkit” is provided which facilitates intercultural awareness and
team building across national borders. Hands-on experiential learning, problem-solving, exposure to
different pedagogies, curricula, styles of research, educational systems, etc. are crucial features of the
MISTI experience. In addition, MISTI programs initiate and strengthen international collaborations and
connect MIT with international centers of innovation, by employing students as global intellectual and
cultural bridges. Here, students may be provided with opportunities to aid in the development of
technologies that address the most important problems facing the world: e.g. “Big Science,” “Grand
Challenges for Engineering in the 21st century,” such as energy, health, clean water, infrastructure, etc.
MISTI also provides con-current activities on the MIT campus related to the country of interest to enable
exposure to the broader student population and to further develop a local community in the country of
interest. One of the key recommendations of the 2009 The MIT Global Council1 was to expand the
MISTI model at MIT.
The goal of MISTI is to
internationalize MIT
education and research by
preparing students for
leadership in careers that go
beyond national boundaries .
Why Israel? Israel is a global leader and center of
innovation and entrepreneurship. Israel spends more on
civilian research and development than any other
country3 and also has one of the most educated
populations in the world (including the highest density of
engineers and scientists),4 despite limited local resources
and a very challenging political environment. Israel also
has the greatest number of patents per capita in the
world,5 has the highest concentration of high-tech
startups, after Silicon Valley6 and is ranked 2nd for the
most companies on NASDAQ, after U.S. (~63)7. Israel's
Universities are ranked among the top in the world and
provide MIT students with technical experiences on par with that available on campus. Israel is unique in
that it also can provide students with a rich and deep cultural experience through its long history. MIT
has many connections to Israel via the several hundred MIT alumni in Israel,8 over one hundred Israeli
graduate students on campus and the many research collaborations between MIT and Israeli scientists.
4
II. INTERNSHIPS
In AY 2009-2010, 37 MIT students participated in the MIT-Israel Program.. MIT-Israel students were
selected from 12 academic departments (i.e. Architecture, Biological Engineering, Brain and Cognitive
Science, Chemical Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary
Sciences, Economics, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Management, Materials Science,
Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering) and possessed a variety of academic levels (2 PhD Candidates, 2
M.S graduates, 1 M.S. Candidate, 4 M.B.A Candidates, 1 recent B.S., 2 B.S. graduates, 10 juniors, 7
sophomores, and 8 freshmen). 9 of our students carried out internships related to energy and the
environment. Student profiles and projects are provided in detail in Section III.
MISTI MIT-Israel Class of 2010 (July, 2010), Baha’i Gardens, Haifa, during 5 Day Israel Seminar
5
MIT student Rafael Oliveira, Amdocs
MIT student, Fatima Hussain, Tel Aviv University
MIT student Lorna Ogolla
at the Technion
MIT student Richard Yoon at Sede Boqer, BenGurion National Solar Energy Center Ben Gurion
University
Building on her MIT-Israel internship in the summer of 2009, Andrea Brennen, M.A Graduate,
Architecture, will have an article published the winter issue of the “Volume Magazine”. She spent her
internship with Prof. Isaac Meir and Prof. David Pearlmutter, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert
Research, Ben Gurion University, working on energy efficient structural forms. Her article, partially
based on her internship, discusses the uses and limitations of energy modeling tools in the architectural
design process.
6
III. STUDENT PROFILES
MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives
Sandra Abago
Sophomore
Chemical Biological
Engineering
“MISTI allows for the
ultimate exploration
of opportunities
abroad: an
experience that
every student should
have access to”
Prof. David Zitoun
Chemistry Department
Bar Ilan University
Project: synthesis of Al
doped ZnO nanocrystals,
formulation as an ink and
electrical testing of the
resulting coatings
“An exciting experience and a great added
value for the other members of the team”
Prof Zitoun
mit.edu/misti
MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives
Noah Arbesfeld
Freshman
Mathematics
Prof. Maria Gorelik
Weizmann Institute
Rehovot
“MISTI MIT-Israel has been one of the
highlights of my time at MIT. Not only
did I have the chance to do extremely
interesting work, but I got to connect
academically and socially with another
culture. I look forward to continuing this
connection in the future”
7
Project: representation theory of
Lie algebras and Lie superalgebras
MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives
Yotam Aron
Junior
Mathematics and Electical
Engineering and Computer
Science
NDS
Jerusalem
“The MISTI Israel experience is one of the
most fulfilling of my life. Doing an internship in
Israel truly allowed me to learn how to adapt
Project: to research and find
applications of distributed systems to a new way of living. As a result, I not only
am more skilled in my technical field but am
and parallel processing
also more confident to conduct global
research”
Rachel Bandler
Freshman
Chemical Engineering
Professor Mike Fainzilber
Department of Biological Chemistry
Weizmann Institute of Science
Rehovot, Israel
Project: CCM2 Leads to RTKDependent Cell Death
8
MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives
Lily Berger
Junior
Mechanical Engineering
Dr. Yaakov R. Tischler
Chemistry Department
Molecular Photonics Laboratory
Nanotechnology Center
Bar Ilan University
`
“I wish Lily could have stayed. She’s a great
ambassador for MIT, and she was excellent
in seemingly everything” Dr. Tischler
Project: organic
optoelectronics - solar cells,
switches, and OLEDs
MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives
“Matt fit in perfectly. He
was prepared to the
point that in the first
week, he was making
contributions to our
research and teaching
my students important
skills that will help them
in their own work and
future careers”
Matthew Bieniosek,
MENG
Prof. Yosef Bernstein
Course VI
Prof. Yosef Bernstein
Electrical Engineering
Bar Ilan University
Tel Aviv
Project: simulation and reliability
evaluation of FPGA technology
9
MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives
“Why MISTI
MIT- Israel?”
Israel is currently
a hotbed of
technological
innovation and
advancement, and
traveling there this
summer offers a
wealth of both
intellectual and
cultural opportunities.
What’s better than
a summer on the
Mediterranean,
filled with friends
new and old,
robots, traveling
and hummus?
Project: design
and onstruction
of a flexible
robot, and
motion planning
of a medical
robot
Erika Bildsten, Sophomore
Mechanical Engineering/Electrical Engineering and
Computer Science
Dr. Alon Wolf
Mechanical Engineering
Technion
MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives
Olivia Bishop
Junior
Computer Science
Intel
Jerusalem
Project: adapting an
RDP-RFB proxy
10
MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives
Natasha Blitvic
“I got to spend the
summer working with
the leaders in my
research field. At the
same time, I got to
know a fascinating
culture, a beautiful
country, and one
truly captivating city”
Ph.D. Candidate
Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Prof. Gil Kalai
Institute of Mathematics
Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Givat Ram
Project:
Problems in
enumerative
combinatorics,
geometry, and
probability.
MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives
Sara Comis
Freshman
Materials Science and
Engineering
Host: Professor Doron Aurbach
Bar Ilan University
Project: testing the Feasibility of
cathode materials based on
activated carbon containing
deposited nanoparticles of
transition metals for the purpose
of more energy efficient dye
sensitized solar cells
“My Hebrew language comprehension skills have
improved dramatically while living here.
Whenever I think of Israel in the future, I will
remember how friendly people are and people
on the street asked me if I needed help before I
could ask them for help”
11
MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives
Matt Connors PhD 13’
Materials Science &
Engineering
Prof. Ron Shahar
Laboratory of Biomechanics,
Koret School of Veterinary
Medicine
Hebrew University
Rehovot
Project: biomechanical research
of mollusk systems using a
combination µCT and advanced
mechanical testing instruments.
MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives
Sara Dahan
Sophomore
Brain and Cognitive Sciences
Professor Gil Diesendruck
Psychology and Gonda Brain
Research Center
Bar Ilan University
Ramat Gan, Israel
Project: investigating the development
of social categories in infants and
language processing in the brain
“I was exposed to almost every step of the research process through various
projects, including the first phase of coming up with and investigating an idea,
implementing that idea through more research and set-up, adjusting and finalizing
the original proposal, testing and gathering data, and analysis of data. There is
even a chance I can see the final stage of writing up the study’s findings”
12
MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives
Jason Wm. Doll
Freshman
Economics
Professor Victor Lavy
Hebrew University
Project: analyzing data taken from
the Israeli school system to
determine “best practices” in
educational methods.
MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives
“Why MISTI MITIsrael?”
Project: implementing and examining a new Hash table
and Hash function
Israel is not just a
collection of stunning
antiquities but it’s a
vibrant modern
country that offers
fine education,
coveted work
opportunities and
numerous possibilities
exploring the
country’s assets.
Patrick Gichuiri, Freshman
Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Professor Shlomi Dolev
Ben-Gurion University
Department of Computer Science
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MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives
“ MISTI MIT- Israel is both a
great educational
opportunity to learn
through your internship or
research project, but most
importantly is an
opportunity to learn to
take charge of your career
and to do so in a crosscultural setting”
Melissa Gymrek
Junior
Project: systematic
characterization of global
dynamics of yeast protein
localization
Computer Science/Math
Prof. Maya Schuldiner
Weizmann Institute
Rehovot, Israel
MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives
Why Israel?
“The Middle East is a part of
the world that we hear a lot
about in the news, but it is not
an area that people I know
tend to visit. I wanted to get a
first hand cultural experience
that I can bring back to share
with my friends and family”
Tracey Hayse, Junior
Environmental Engineering Public Policy
Turbulence Structure Laboratory, School of
Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering
Tel Aviv University
14
Project: study of
resuspension of particulate
material into turbulent flows
MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives
Fatima Aysha Hussain
Junior
Environmental Engineering
Professor Amram Eshel
Department of Plant Sciences
Tel-Aviv University
Analyzing biomass
production by desert
halophytes with the aim of
identifying new sources of
energy crops
MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives
Janice Jang
BS
Mathematics
Professor Joseph Kost
Department of Chemical
Engineering
Ben-Gurion University,
Beer Sheva
Project: Effects of ultrasound
technology and chemical
penetration enhancers on the
permeability of the
chorioamniotic membrane
“ I was able to gain new perspectives, develop
teamwork skills, and learn to cooperate
effectively with people who come from very
different backgrounds/cultures”
15
MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives
Nathan Prevender and Priyanka Kapoor
MS/MS Candidate
Architecture
Prof. Tali Hatuka
Geography and Human Environment/ Laboratory for
Contemporary Urban Design, Tel Aviv University
Project: urban regeneration
“My experiences in Israel greatly exceeded any and all of my expectations. Not only did I participate in
rewarding work that will have profound impact on myself and those in my lab, but I believe it helped lay the
ground work for the LCUD to have a far reaching impact on the course of Urban Design in Israeli’s future.
I gained and created relationships that will continue far past my internship. I fully believe that no
experience available to me in the States would have been half as rewarding compared to my time in
Israel” Nathan Prevendar
“The exchange of ideas and skills was a crucial factor to the conceptualization of the project. Nathan
and Priyanka, helped us to see things a new way that made the project successful”
Prof. Hatuka
Alan Katz
Weisen Li
MBA Candidates
Naiot Venture Accelerator, Israel
PHOTO
Created product development and goto-market strategy for a cloud data
security startup. Performed market
research and wrote business plan for a
medical software startup.
16
MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives
Jayson Lynch
Sophomore
Physics
Prof. Eitan Bachmat
Department of Computer Science
Ben Gurion University
Beersheba
Project: design and
development of educational
game based on general
relativity and Causal Sets
MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives
Ariana Mann
Freshman
Physics
Prof. Ruth Sterling
Department of Biology/Genetics
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Project: function and
structure of the
spliceosome, the natural
pre-mRNA processing
machine
“MISTI MIT-Israel gave me the opportunity for a
complete, well rounded summer of learning: from
working in the lab where I learned new skills for
my career to exploring Israel where I learned more
about who I am, what I believe in, and what I want
to do with the rest of my life”
17
MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives
Katherine McCusker
BS
Earth , Atmosperic, and
Planetary Sciences
Prof. Nadav Shashar
Ben Gurion University
Eilat
Project: studying aspects of marine
animal vision and of artificial coral
reefs.
MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives
“Why MISTI?”
MISTI provided a great
connection and
opportunity in the country
I love and Industry I want
to go into.
Why Israel?
I have a strong connection
to Israel: professional,
cultural, and spiritual.
Slava Menn
MIT Sloan
Marketing / Business
Development
MBA Candidate
Zenith Solar
Kiryat Gat
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MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives
Lorna Ogolla
Junior
Civil and Environmental
Engineering
Prof. Rafi Linker
Civil and Environmental
Engineering
Technion, Haifa
Project: 1. Develop new technique
to measure isotopic nitrogen. 2.
Develop new method to
automatically observe the geotechnical transformations that
result in sink-hole formation
“MISTI is a wonderful way to get
technical and scientific experience
while developing consciousness of
different issues affecting the rest of
the world”
Rafael Oliveira/Mehmet
Cetinkaya
Juniors
Computer Science and Electrical
Engineering
Amdocs, Raanana
Project: software development
“I really want to experience another MISTI internship, since this one
shaped me in such a deep way, as I was really introduced to a new world
this summer.” Rafael Oliveria
19
MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives
Steven Pennybaker
Sophomore
Biological Engineering
Prof. Robert Marks
Biotechnology Engineering
Ben Gurion University
Project: screening of a large panel
of environmental bacteria for
detection of antibiotic activity, and
creation of new genetically modified
bacteria
MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives
Nick Sisler
Junior
Mechanical Engineering
Prof. David Greenblatt
Mechanical Engineering
Technion, Haifa
Project: vertical axis wind turbine
experiments
“It is truly the best way to spend a summer while at MIT…this
incredible experience is unlike anything you would be able to have
at another point in your life”
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MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives
“I wanted work
experience that gave me
more than just practical
knowledge for my field”
“I choose Israel because
I knew little to nothing
about it and I wanted to
further understand this
important area”
Project: research into
the typology of British
Mandate homes in the
new city
Sarah Southerland
Sophomore, Architecture
Israel Antiquities Authority
Akko, Israel
MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives
Tammy Tasoff
BS
Brain and Cognitive Science
Prof. Alon Friedman
Ben Gurion University
“Why MISTI?”
MISTI offers a great opportunity to both
learn about a new culture, and gain
valuable experience in my field.
Why Israel?
There I can learn much about my own
culture in a technologically booming
country.
21
Project: MRI studies in
neocortical eplilepsy
MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives
“My life in Israel required me to
manage myself in a different
culture with new people and
challenging tasks. The
experience gave me new
insights and confidence to
handle difficult cultural
problems in other business
settings”
Daisuke Tominaga
Project: built business plan for
a Li-ion battery startup.
MBA Candidate
ETV Motors Ltd
Herzliya
MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives
Richard Yoon
To experience
different
culture and
custom, and
to be able to
study in a
surrounding
filled with
innovation
and creativity.
Freshman
Mechanical Engineering
Professor David Faiman
Ben-Gurion University
Sede Boqer
Project: testing efficiency of solar panels depending on
the panel’s design and material as well as field testing
and writing computer algorithms to make simulations of
the panel.
MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives
Why Israel?
“I wanted to get a chance to
experience a different culture and to
meet people who live in a country
shaped by different societal values .
Israel is a great place to do all of this
because it is so rich in culture and
history”
Ajoke Williams
Sophomore
Kivunim, The Shop of Meaning
Akko, Israel
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IV. REFLECTION
Round table discussions were organized after the students returned from Israel in order to
facilitate self-reflection, articulation and a deeper understanding of what they had experienced.
Universally, the students found the international experience life-changing in the way they viewed
themselves, Israel, MIT, the Unites States, and the world. The cultural differences they encountered
provided insights into their own upbringings, local communities, and educational experiences. The
students became more sensitive to communication styles and learned how to more effectively
communicate in multinational teams by adjusting their own communication style to accommodate
others. Numerous students reported increased self-confidence and that they learned how to be more
assertive in the workplace in order to overcome cultural and language barriers. They gained an
appreciation for diversity and how it relates to academic excellence, creativity, and innovation. They
realized the importance of networking, the fact that it was more challenging in a multinational
environment, and that new strategies needed to be developed for its most efficient use. The students
were highly satisfied with the technical level and quality of the research projects arranged for them.
Regarding the research process, the students were exposed to different academic, pedagogical, and
scientific styles (e.g. one-on-one apprenticeship, hierarchical teams, etc.), interdisciplinary research, and
varied organizational structures. Lastly, they felt (as well as their supervisors) that they had made
significant scientific contributions and had an impact on the groups they were placed in.
23
V. ASSESSMENT AND FUTURE PLANS
The goals of the MIT-Israel Program for the upcoming year (pending fund-raising) include;
increasing the number of students in the program, strengthening the depth of the students in-country
experience, exploring a dedicated MIT-Israel seed fund to enable collaborations between MIT and Israeli
scientists built on the MISTI Global Seed Funds model, emphasized recruitment of students from the
Sloan School of Management and the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science,
initiating numerous Israel-related programs on-campus, continued support of the Hebrew study
program, and strengthening collaboration with on-campus groups and MIT alumni in Israel.
A detailed annual assessment of the MIT-Israel Program was carried out involving meetings with
students and supervisors, reports received from students and supervisors, an online student survey,
and a post-internship meeting. Overall, both students and supervisors had very positive and beneficial
personal and professional experiences. The following improvements will be explored based on
feedback from the assessment.
(1) Preparation: all of the students are required to take the on-campus Israel class, training sessions
and 8 hour Hebrew training (for those with no Hebrew knowledge) (organized by Hillel with MITIsrael support). We will continue with all of these components but fine tune them to better match
the needs of our diverse group of students- graduate/undergraduate, more/less Israel background.
While a wide spectrum of topics are covered in the training, it would have helped some students to
have stronger location-specific preparation. In order to help support this, we aim to start an MITIsrael sibling/mentorship program which will engage MIT-Israel alumni, as mentors, with upcoming
interns.
(2) In-Country Practical Challenges:
- Some of the students are interested in staying in in-city lodging (instead of dorms), this was a
significant challenge. For the coming year we have come to arrangements with agents in Israel to
help find appropriate accommodation for students interested in renting in the city.
- Engaging with Israelis: as many of the Israeli students on campus in Israel are either on summer
break or older than the MIT students, we took steps this year to encourage the students to engage
with MIT alumni on their campus/company and in Israel. Each student did a final project in which
he had to meet two MIT alumni. This enabled them to network and learn about their field in a
wider Israeli context. While this was helpful, it did not enable them to engage with their peers. One
direction we will explore (depending on funding) is to invite some students from Israeli universities
to join us for part of our 5 day seminar and try connecting MIT students to younger MIT graduates
in Israel.
(3) Internships:
-The majority of the MIT Israel interns were in University settings (26). We have found that it is very
helpful to set up an opportunity for students and Professor (or supervisor on other settings) to
speak prior to the internship to review the research project, this happened with almost all the
students. One issue that arose was that students would not always know who their direct
supervisor was until they arrived and at times the nominated supervisor had a different angle on
the proposed project. Going forward, therefore, we will try to ensure that every student in addition
to the opportunity to speak with their senior faculty advisor will also speak to their direct
supervisor and understand the specific expectations prior to their internship.
24
(4) Seminar in Israel:
- Eighty percent of the Seminar activities were rated highly by the participants with close to 90% of
the students stating that they will “probably or definitely visit Israel again” within the next several
years (comments below). Based on the success this year, we will continue with the 5 day seminar in
the same general format. In order to help students get a deeper understanding about Israel earlier
in their stay, we will explore doing the seminar a week earlier than we have done in past years. We
will also explore inviting Israeli students to join part of the seminar and also meet an MIT alumni to
share their story “coming from MIT to Israel”.




Dr. Rachel Korazim’s talk was amazing and the session with Mr. David Dolev was useful at
helping me think of ways/why to focus on my internship and how to get the most out of my time
here.
I really enjoyed the lecture at Given Imaging. The quality of the presentation surpassed my
expectations, and I learned about another career option available to engineers.
The Druze hospitality center was educational, cultural and tasty.
I loved visiting the startups, like Better Place and Given Imaging. I also love how we got to see so
much variety of Israel in such a short time. I feel like we really got to explore.
25
ADDENDUM
26
VI. COUNTRY-SPECIFIC PREPARATION
Hebrew. Based on the strong interest of our prior classes of interns and other MIT community
members to learn Hebrew, MIT-Hillel, in collaboration with MISTI, set up an Ulpan (Hebrew Language
Class) with 4 different levels of study and an opportunity to practice speaking Hebrew (see below). It
had close to 60 participants. The program is taught by volunteer MIT students, Hillel staff and
community members and will continue this coming year. Classes were taught during IAP as two day
courses and from September- December and February to May, 1.5 hours each week. MIT-Israel student
were required to do the Ulpan.
● Kita Aleph I/ Level 1 Beginning Hebrew
● Kita Aleph 2/Level 1 Beginning Hebrew with emphasis on dikduk/grammar
● Kita Bet/Level 2 For students who already know the Hebrew Aleph Bet, the course teaches basic
grammar, spoken Hebrew and practice of reading
● Kita Gimel/Level 3 Advanced Hebrew with a native Hebrew speaker. This class is for students who
have basic conversational skills (or at least understand some Hebrew) and know how to read
● Shulchan Ivrit/Intermediate: For all levels, practicing spoken Hebrew in a fun, casual environment.
News, articles from the Israeli press, Israeli literature, other Hebrew sources are the basis of discussion
and conversation].
“Israel – History, Culture and Identity” Course. Fifty students took this for-credit MIT course with
Professor Nahum Karlinsky and Mr. Ehud Eiran (12 credits during the spring semester/ 9 credits during
winter IAP). As with all MISTI programs, students need to acquire country-based knowledge in order to
prepare themselves for their internship abroad. In addition to MISTI students, additional MIT students
also enrolled. Professor Nahum Karlinsky received his Ph.D. (summa cum laude) from the Hebrew
University of Jerusalem in 1996. He then began his affiliation with the Ben-Gurion Research Institute in
Sede Boker. Nahum Karlinsky teaches Modern Jewish History and Israel Studies at Ben-Gurion University
of the Negev, Israel. Among his books are Counter History: The Hasidic Epistles from Eretz-Israel – Text
and Context (1998) and California Dreaming: Ideology, Society and Technology in the Citrus Industry of
Palestine 1890-1939 (2005). His current research focus on Jewish Philanthropy and the Jewish Credit
Cooperatives in Eastern Europe between the Two World Wars; and on The Palestinian-Arab Citrus
Industry - Economic, Social and Cultural Considerations, a research project conducted jointly with Dr.
Mustafa Kabha from the Open University of Israel. Ehud (Udi) Eiran is an Associate at the Belfer Center’s
International Security Program. He holds a B.A (Magna Cum Laude) and an LL.B from Tel Aviv University,
an M. Phil (High Pass) from Cambridge University, and a Ph.D in Politics from Brandeis University. Eiran
was a legal clerk for two Israeli Attorney Generals and Assistant to Prime Minister Ehud Barak's Foreign
Policy Advisor. Eiran was a 1997 recipient of the British Chevening Award and the 2002 winner of the
Morris Abrams Award. Eiran’s op-eds have been published in numerous papers in the United States,
Israel, and India, including Newsweek, the New-York Times on-line, and the Christian Science Monitor.
He has been a guest on a number of television and radio programs including Charlie Rose, The
NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, and On Point with Tom Ashbrook.
The purpose of this course is to give a basic understanding of modern Israel to MIT-Israel students and
the general MIT student body through lectures, discussions and projects. The course provides insight
into modern Israeli politics, culture and identity. Among the topics explored are: the geography of Israel;
Israeli political regime, society and economy; the Arab-Israeli conflict; the Holocaust and its impact on
27
Israel, its history and identity; Jewish ethnic relations in Israel; the Palestinian-Arab minority in Israel; is
there a unique Israeli culture?; Israel's settlement projects; the struggle for Israel's identity.
Training Sessions. MIT- Israel ran 4 training sessions and a full day Sunday retreat to prepare the
students for their trip to Israel. Here, we explored: personal goals and visions for the internship; how
to prepare for your internship; how to take note of and overcome cultural differences differences
between U.S and Israeli culture: places to see in Israel; travel in the region: safety and security; current
events in Israel and the region. We were honored to have the following participants take part in the
training sessions: Carol Savietz, Center for International Studies; Peter Krause, Center for International
Studies/past MISTI MIT-Israel intern; Jonathan Goldberg and Orit Shamir the MIT Israeli Association;
Eliad Shmuel of MIT Hillel; Rony Yedidia of the Israel Consulate in Boston.
Alumni of the MISTI MIT-Israel program share
insights with MIT-Israel 2010 interns
Rony Yedidia, Israeli Consul to
New England speaks about Israeli culture, current
events, and security issues to MIT-Israel students
Jonathan Goldberg and Orit Shamir, the MIT Israeli
Student Association, present on Israeli culture
Dr. Carol Savietz, Center for International Studies,
presenting on the ‘Hot Topics in the Middle East”
Prof. Christine Ortiz, MIT-Israel Faculty Director,
presenting on “How to Prepare for and Make
the Most of Your Internship”
Peter Krause, Center for International Studies/past
MISTI MIT-Israel intern talking on “ How to Travel
Safely in the Middle East”
28
VII. IN-COUNTRY SEMINAR AND EVENTS
During the students stay in Israel they took part in several organized activities aimed at deepening their
understanding of Israeli society and widening their network: an event in July with Israeli MIT alumni
(organized by the MIT Club of Israel and MISTI MIT-Israel)- “Kidnapping Politics and the Case of Gilad
Shalit” with Prof. Prof. Richard J. Samuels Ford International Professor of Political Science and Director
of the Center for International Studies, Founding Director of the MIT Japan Program ; a five day
educational seminar run by Shdemot – The Center for Leadership at Oranim Academic College of
Education. The aim of the seminar was to introduce students to Israeli politics, society and technology
and their impact on Israel and Israeli behavior and give students the understanding of the context and
culture of a society and how it impacts the workplace in order to support them in their future global
careers. The highlights were: meeting with Michael Granoff, Head of Oil Independence Policies at Better
Place; meeting with Booky Oren, Past CEO of Mekorot, Israel’s water company: Yad Vashem and
processing how the Holocaust impacted Israeli society and behaviour; session with David Dolev- each
student wrote an essay on an experience where he/she was culturally surprised and analyzed this based
on the training and course; meeting with members of the Israeli-Palestinian Parents Circle Families
Forum; meeting: visiting companies and tourist sites. The detailed itinerary is provided below.
29
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
MISTI MIT– ISRAEL: Technology in Israel Seminar
Dates: July 8-12, 2010
(The itinerary is the property of the Department for Jewish Peoplehood-Oren. It may not be used without express written permission.)
Group Leader: David Dolev
Oranim College Staff: Lori Abramson
Primary goals:
a) To introduce students to Israeli politics, society and technology and their impact on Israel and
Israeli behavior
b) To give students the understanding of the context and culture of a society and how it impacts
the workplace in order to support them in their future global careers.
Sub-goals: These will be woven in to the program within the context of the primary goals above




To tour important sites in Israel
To encourage relationships/interactions with Israelis
To learn from high-level, exceptional Israeli leaders
To learn about the Israeli Cleantech sector
Day
Program
Thursday
"The Ancient World & Modern Israel"
July 8
Transfers from various locations to a central meeting place









Tour of Better Place Visitors Center and meeting with Michael
Granoff, Head of Oil Independence Policies
Lunch (Tel Aviv and Akko students with David)
Travel to Jerusalem
Meet with Professor Professor Ehud Gazit, Vice President for
R&D, Tel Aviv University
Caesarea: Visit the ancient port and the Roman Amphitheater
Check in at hotel
Time to rest and refresh, relax on the beach
Dinner (Technion and Weizmann students with David)
Kobi Aflalo in Concert at Beraleh Music Club, Kibbutz Lahavot
Haviva
Overnight Caesarea
30
Friday
“Connecting with the Past to Look to the Future”
July 9






Breakfast (Sloan students with David)
Yad VaShem: Visit Israel's National Holocaust Museum
Lunch (Amdocs/Intel/NDS students with David)
Time to prepare for Shabbat
Kabbalat Shabbat or Discussion/tour with tour guide Ilan Berkovitz at
the Kotel
Shabbat Dinner
Overnight Jerusalem
Shabbat
“Turning Off Technology"
July 10
 Breakfast
 Free time/visits to local synagogues for Shabbat morning services
 Lunch
 Tour of the Old City by foot
 Session with David Dolev
 Session with Dr. Rachel Korazim on the topic, “The Impact of the
Holocaust on Israel and Israelis
 Evening + Dinner on your own on Ben Yehuda Street
Overnight Jerusalem
Sunday
“Understanding Israeli Society:
July 11
How Do We Move Ahead?"


Breakfast(Ben-Gurion students with David)
Israeli and Palestinian Bereaved Families Forum
Leave for Tel Aviv


Lunch in Tel Aviv (Bar Ilan students with David)
Speaker: Mr. Booky Oren, President and CEO of Miya, an Arison
Group Company, on the topic of “Water & Energy Nexus in Israel –
An Integrated Approach Facing Growing Demands of the Future”
Travel North to Oranim Academic College


Mifgash (session) with Israeli Students from Green Course at Oranim
College – a Green Campus
Session with Mohammad Darawshe of The Abraham Fund on the
31

Monday
July 12
topic, “Jews and Arabs in Israel: Challenges and Opportunities”
Druze Hospitality and Dinner
Overnight Haifa
“ Sustainable Development”





Breakfast (Hebrew University students with David)
View of Haifa from the Louis Promenade
Tour of Baha’i Gardens
Tour of German Colony
Hi-Tech in the Medical Industry: Visit Given Imaging in Yoqneam
Drive to the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee)



Swim in the Kinneret and Picnic Lunch
Hike at Kinneret
Closing activity
Good Bye - Lehitra'ot!
The Department for Jewish Peoplehood- Oren, Shdemot 2010©
32
MIT-Israel Students at Better Place, discussion with Michael Granoff, Head of Oil Dependence Policies
and driving electric cars
MIT-Israel students with Prof. Ehud Gazit, VP of Research
and Development, Tel Aviv University
MIT-Israel students at Caesaria
MIT-Israel students in Jerusalem
33
VIII. MIT-Israel Staff Highlights
Christine Ortiz is appointed dean for graduate education
The DMSE professor says she is honored to be chosen to work with and on behalf of MIT’s
graduate students.
Morgan Bettex, MIT News Office
Christine Ortiz, professor of materials science and engineering, has been appointed the Institute’s next dean for graduate
education, effective Aug. 1, Chancellor Phillip L. Clay announced Monday.
“Professor Ortiz brings considerable experience to graduate student issues,” Clay said in a letter to graduate students,
faculty and staff. “Her development and leadership of major projects at MIT and leadership in her profession have been
recognized by her peers and in numerous awards.”
Ortiz, whose research in MIT’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering (DMSE) focuses on the structure and
mechanics of biological materials, will replace Steven R. Lerman, who announced in March that he would become provost
and executive vice president for academic affairs at George Washington University. He had been dean for graduate
education since 2007.
In her new role, Ortiz will collaborate with students, faculty and staff across the Institute on issues related to graduate
education and research and will focus on increasing graduate-student opportunities for academic, professional and personal
development. She will also facilitate the advancement and information exchange of graduate curricula, formulate new ways
to grow the graduate-student community and strive to provide a better understanding and enhancement of the climate and
level of diversity in the graduate student population.
“I am deeply grateful for the honor and opportunity to work on behalf of and as an advocate for MIT’s extraordinary graduate
student population,” said Ortiz, adding that she hopes to build on the “outstanding achievements” of Lerman and his staff. “I
am, to this day, continually awed by the intellectual depth, creativity, work ethic and unbridled enthusiasm of MIT graduate
students. They are truly at the core of what makes MIT such a remarkable institution.”
A member of the MIT faculty since 1999, Ortiz has served as a member or chair on several department, school and institute
committees, including those that focus on undergraduate and graduate education, mentoring, international strategy and
diversity. She is a member of MIT’s Initiative on Faculty Race and Diversity and is often invited to speak at panels and
34
workshops geared to improving the experiences of underrepresented minority students and faculty members. In 2009, she
received a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership Award for recognition of service that reflects the late civil rights leader's
ideals and vision.
As chair of the DMSE Departmental Committee on Graduate Students since 2008, Ortiz helped lead an extensive review
and revision of the department’s graduate curriculum. She is also the founding and current faculty director of the MIT
International Science and Technology Initiatives (MISTI)-Israel international exchange program.
“Professor Ortiz will bring creative energy to her work with graduate students and faculty,” Clay said. “In selecting her, we
were impressed with the thoughtfulness that characterizes how she deals with students and faculty.”
Ortiz, described by Clay as “a prolific researcher,” received her BS from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and both her MS
and PhD from Cornell University, all in the field of materials science and engineering.
As leader of MIT’s Ortiz Bionanomechanics Laboratory, which currently has 16 students and postdoctoral associates, Ortiz
studies how the nanoscale properties of high-strength, lightweight biological materials could be transferred to synthetic
materials.
Her leadership achievements at MIT and in her profession have been recognized by her peers and in awards, including the
National Science Foundation Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, which was presented to her by
former President George W. Bush. In 2008, she won the National Security Science and Engineering Faculty Fellow Award
from the Department of Defense.
Ulric Ferner, president of the Graduate Student Council, welcomed the news of Ortiz’s appointment. “She has an impressive
background of both professional and service work at MIT, and this puts her in an ideal position to be dean. This includes
extensive curriculum development, the MIT Students for Israel program and countless community building initiatives,” Ferner
said. “She brings a host of creative ideas and strong leadership to this office, and we look forward to working with her over
the coming years.”
Daniel Hastings, dean for undergraduate education, is also “delighted” that Ortiz is joining the chancellor’s team as the dean
for graduate education. “I know she is committed to the welfare of our students, and I look forward to continuing to work with
her,” he said.
The search advisory committee was chaired by Steven C. Graves and in addition to Ferner, members included Professors
Martin L. Culpepper, John A. Ochsendorf and Maria Zuber and Associate Deans Karen K. Gleason and Kai von Fintel.
David Dolev Honored by Israeli Consulate of New England
David Dolev, the coordinator for MIT- Israel, was honored at the annual Israeli Consulate Israel Independence Day
th
celebration, April 19 , 2010, for “his remarkable work in supporting strong collaboration between Israel and New
England.” The award was given on behalf of the State of Israel and presented by the Consulate General of Israel to
New England.
35
IX. HOST COMPANIES AND INSTITUTIONS
Our list of participating companies and institutions and willing to host MIT student is continually growing
and currently includes:

Bar Ilan University

Ben Gurion University of the Negev

Haifa University

Hebrew University

Tel Aviv University

Technion- Israel Institute of Technology

Weizmann Institute of Science
36
The students that interned at NDS and Intel are part of a relationship we have developed with the
Jerusalem College of Engineering in which MIT students are doing internships at companies that have a
strong relationship with the College and students from the college were matched up with MIT students
to engage socially.
Students that will intern at netvizio are part of a relationship we have developed with Afeka ,Tel-Aviv
College of Engineering in which MIT students will work on a joint project with Afeka College students at
Netvizio developing modules for advanced Augmented Interactive online video system.

Amdocs: Customer care, billing and order management systems for telecommunications carriers
and Internet services providers.
● Arava Power
The Arava Power Company (APC), formed in 2006, is Israel's leading solar developer, seeks to supply
10% of Israel's electricity needs.

AVX via Jerusalem College of Engineering
Leading Worldwide Manufacturer and Supplier of Electronic Components

BrightSource Energy
BrightSource Energy’s mission is to make solar energy cost competitive with fossil fuels by developing,
building, owning and operating the world’s most cost-effective and reliable large-scale solar energy
projects.

Center for Jewish Arab Economic Development
37

Covertix: provides organizations with the power to control and protect their Information Assets track, monitor and control documents and files anytime
 ecamp
Israeli technology summer camp in Israel for children and teens, ages 8-18.
 ETV Motors
Founded in 2008, research, development and commercialization of critical EV components and their
integration into turbine-powered Range-Extended Electric Vehicles (REEVs).
 Galilee Foundation for Value Education
The Galilee Foundation for Value Education - engaging in education for intergroup understanding since
1992: Jewish - Arab, Jewish - Jewish (primarily orthodox/non-orthodox), and Israel - Diaspora.
 Given Imaging
Given Imaging is a world leader in developing and marketing patient-friendly solutions for visualizing
and detecting disorders of the GI tract.

Google
Google's mission: to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful. In
Israel the company is committed to focus on Israeli Web surfers, advertisers and Web site operators in
addition to development for worldwide operations.
38

Greenstein*Har-Gil Landscape Architecture and Design
The firm of Greenstein, Har-Gil offers a variety of design and planning services in the area of landscape
architecture, urban and regional planning, environmental design and architecture.

IMI Tami: IMI's primary goal is to expand the business of the Israel Chemicals Group by improving
existing chemical production processes for "me-too" products and developing new, proprietary
chemical compounds having a commercial advantage

Intel Jerusalem via Jerusalem College of Engineering
Intel is developing small, fast, and energy-efficient technologies to help create the next revolutionary
step in mobile, desktop, and data center computing—as well as technologies that power the engine of
change for our entire industry.
 Israel Antiquities Society/International Conservation Center- Acre
The International Conservation Center is a joint project of the Israel Antiquities Authority and the Old
Acre Development Company and the Acre Municipality. The Center aims to: provide training in
conservation professions; serve as a place of study for researchers and students; develop new public
and community programs that target all tangible and intangible heritage values of the city.

Kivunim- Shop for Meaning: promoting youth with special needs.
 Leviathan Energy
Leviathan Energy was formed in 2006 in order to supply innovative, state-of-the-art technologies that
will change the fundamentals of the renewable energy market on a global scale.
39
 Mansfeld-Kahat Architecture Firm
The firm’s work ranges from architectural design of individual buildings to master planning and design of
large-scale urban complexes. Among it’s best-known work are The Israel Museum and Haifa University.

Naoit: Venture Accelerator that helps entrepreneurs translate innovative ideas into commerciallyviable businesses

NDS: creates innovative technologies that allow pay-TV operators to generate revenues by securely
delivering digital content to TVs, set-top boxes (STBs), digital video recorders (DVRs), PCs, portable
media players (PMPs), removable media, and other mobile devices

Netvizio: new age video communication technology company pioneering the emerging and fast
growing market of unified video communications, interactive digital media, TV widget and Web 2.0
convergence

Neurophage Pharmaceuticals
NeuroPhage’s breakthrough protein disaggregation platform for the treatment of neurodegenerative
diseases and for imaging plaque is based on the pioneering discovery of Professor Beka Solomon from
Tel Aviv University.

Provigent
PROVIGENT is the industry's leading merchant of "Systems on Chip" (SoC) products for the wireless
transmission industry.
40

RAD Biomed: the incubator provides physical infrastructure, seed capital, business development and
a wide range of related services to help entrepreneurs establish companies that will join the
flourishing Israeli biomedical industry

Rambam Health Care Campus: Northern Israel's largest hospital and a tertiary referral center for 11
district hospitals and the North's address for advanced surgical departments in all specialties and
subspecialties

Ramot: mission is to foster, initiate, lead, and manage the transfer of new technologies from the
laboratory to the marketplace and to strengthen the relationship between Tel Aviv University’s
research community and the business community.

Teva Pharmaceuticals via Jerusalem College of Engineering
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. is a global pharmaceutical company specializing in the development,
production and marketing of generic and proprietary branded pharmaceuticals as well as active
pharmaceutical ingredients.

Tsofen
The vision of “Tsofen - High Technology Centers” is to advance equal opportunity and minimize the
inequality faced by Arab citizens of Israel by accelerating their entrance into the hi-tech industry.
 ZenithSolar
ZenithSolar concentrated solar energy generation system is based on a new paradigm in optical design
and high-efficiency solar cells.
41
X. ON-CAMPUS EVENTS
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Concentrator Photovoltaics in Israel and U.S.A Applications
Speaker: Prof David Faiman, Director of Israel's National Solar Energy Center at Ben Gurion University
and Chief Scientist of ZenithSolar, a concentrator PV start-up. He will discussing the case of Israel as a
“mini-laboratory” for examining the USA's energy challenges.
Organized by MIT-Israel, Boston Israel Cleantech Alliance and Combined Jewish Philanthropies
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
How Israeli Universities are Making a Difference in the Peace Process: Haifa University as a Prototype
Speaker: Prof. Sophia Menache, Dean Graduate Studies at Haifa University, well known historian,
publishing pioneering research on communication, propaganda, and stereotypes. For the past five years
she has been in charge of the graduate studies at the University of Haifa.
Organized by MIT-Israel with MIT Israeli Students Club, Security Studies Program, Hillel (MIT), and MIT
Center for International Studies
Monday, October 19, 2009
Israeli Bar Night- Organized by Israeli Students Club with Large Event Fund (LEF), GSC Funding Board,
MIT-Israel, MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives (MISTI), Hillel (MIT)
Friday, October 23, 2009
Arab and Jewish Entrepreneurs Working Together in Israel
with Smadar Nehab and Sami Saadi Founders of Tsofen.Tsofen- High Technology Centers is a young
innovative non-profit organization. Whose goal is to advance the economic and social equality of Arab
citizens of Israel, by accelerating their entry into the Israeli hi-tech industry.
Organized by MIT-Israel with Hillel (MIT), and Combined Jewish Philanthropies
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Obama and the Arab-Israeli Conflict: An Interim Report Card
Speaker: Dr. Khalil Shikaki and Dr. Shai Feldman
Organized by MIT-Israel and MIT Security Studies Program
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
Waltz with Bashir
Animated movie on the Lebanon War of 1982 with introduction to movie by Ehud Eiran, author of The
Essence of Longing: General Erez Gerstein and the War in Lebanon, Yediot Aharonot, 2007.
Organized by MIT-Israel
42
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
Solar Energy Startups - the Israeli Perspective with Dr. Ory Zik
with Dr. Zik, Co-founder and CEO of Heliofocus, an Israel-based startup developing and commercializing
modular highly-efficient solar thermal solutions. Dr. Zik holds B.Sc. (cum laude) in Physics and
Mathematics from Tel Aviv University as well as M.Sc. (cum laude) and Ph.D. in Physics from the
Weizmann Institute of Science, in Israel, where he received the Feinberg physics award and the Amos De
Shalit physics prize
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Networking for Israeli Professionals and Academics (in Hebrew)
Speaker: Udi Meirav- Luminus Devices, Prof. Galit Lahav-Harvard Medical School, Prof. Eran Ben-Joseph
and Assaf Biderman- MIT
Organized by MIT-Israel, The Israeli Consulate of New England, The Israeli House, BioAbroad, ZAG S&W
International Law Firm, New England Israel Business Council
Tuesday, December 01, 2009
An Insider's View of Israeli Cleantech
with Hezi Kugler, Chairman of the Israeli Clean Energy Alliance and the former Director General of
Israel's Ministry of National Infrastructures will share his perspective on Israel's cleantech sector.
Opportunities for cleantech internships in Israel also presented.
Organized by MIT-Israel, Consul General of Boston to New England, Boston-Israel Cleantech Alliance,
Combined Jewish Philanthropies, New England-Israel Business Council, Sloan Israeli Business Club with
MIT Energy Club, MIT Sloan Energy and Environment Club
Thursday, January 28, 2010
The Annual Hummus Taste Off- Organized by MIT Hillel with MIT Students for Israel, MIT - Israeli
Association, Hillel (MIT), MIT-Israel, MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives (MISTI), Large
Event Fund (LEF)
The MIT Hummus Experience began in 2008. Last year, it was the highlight of MIT's IAP (Independence
Activities Period). It might be the health trend or just pure curiosity which brought 150 people to the
Hummus Taste Off, a competition where professors and students had to rank different hummus brands
and student creations by aroma, taste and texture.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Israeli Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz – Organized by Bioabroad, The Israeli Consulate of New England,
The Israeli House and MIT-Israel
Minister Steinitz met with Israeli academics from MIT and the Boston area shared how Israel had
managed to emerge from the global economic crisis and discussed the challenges and opportunities for
those interested in returning.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Kick Off - MIT Ulpan (Hebrew@mit)- Organized by MIT Hillel with MIT-Israel, MIT - Israeli Association,
MIT Students for Israel
43
Monday March 6, 2010
Battery Ventures Israel - a talk with General Partner Scott Tobin – Organized by MIT Sloan Israel
Business Club with MIT-Israel
Informal conversation for Sloan MBA and MISTI MIT-Israel students interested in the
venture capital industry in Israel.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Israeli Cleantech Innovation and Tech Transfer
with Larry Loev, the Director of Business Development (Physical Sciences) at Ramot, the technology
transfer company of Tel Aviv University.
Organized by MIT-Israel, Boston Israel Cleantech Alliance, Combined Jewish Philanthropies with MIT
Energy Club
In Israel
Saturday, December 12th
Engineering Our Future
with Prof. Subra Suresh, MIT's Dean of Engineering
Organized by the MIT Club of Israel and Keter with MIT-Israel
Saturday January 16th, 2010
MIT Energy Initiative
with Prof. Vladimir Bulovid , Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering
Head of the Organic and Nanostructured Electronics Laboratory, MIT Energy Initiative Council Member,
Co-Director of the MIT-ENI Solar Frontiers Center, Co-Head of Energy Education Task Force, Co-Director
of MIT Energy Studies Minor (http://onelab.mit.edu/people.htm)
Organized by the MIT Club of Israel with MIT-Israel
Sunday May 21st, 2010
Annual MIT Alumni Cocktail Reception with Mr. Saul Singer
Co-author of best-selling book Start-Up Nation: The Story of Israel's Economic Miracle
Organized by the MIT Club of Israel, Sloan Israeli Business Club with Herzog Fox Neeman and MIT-Israel
Thursday, July 15th, 2010
Kidnapping Politics and the Case of Gilad Shalit
With Prof. Prof. Richard J. Samuels Ford International Professor of Political Science and Director of the
Center for International Studies, Founding Director of the MIT Japan Program.
Organized by the MIT Club of Israel and MIT-Israel
44
Israeli Finance Minister Dr. Yuval Steinitz, February 2010, MIT
MIT Club of Israel President, Galya Racine, MIT
Sloan Club of Israel President, Prof. Vladimir
Bulovid , Associate Professor of Electrical
Engineering Dan Grotsky, at alumni event in Israel,
February 2010, MIT Club of Israel with MIT-Israel
Prof. Subra Suresh, MIT Dean of Engineering with
Sami Sagol CEO, Keter Group, at alumni event in
Israel, December 2009, MIT Club of Israel and
Keter with MIT-Israel
45
XI. DONOR ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
There have been a large number of organizations and highly dedicated individuals who have provided
critical support and worked collaboratively with us. We would like to express our sincerest gratitude for
your efforts. They have a made a huge difference in the lives of many students.
Larry Broutman '59, SM '61, SCD '63
Arie and Ida Crown Memorial Foundation (Charles Goodman '54)
Lionel C. Kimerling, Thomas Lord Professor, Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Robert and Myra Kraft Family Foundation
The Kogan Family
Rebecca and Laird M. Malamed '89
Edwin Roos
Edward M. 59’ and Harriet Safran
Arlene and Harold Schnitzer 44’
Jake Seid, Lightspeed Venture Partners, co-founder MIT-CETI, Electrical Engineering and Computer
Science- BS '98 and M.Eng '98
Arthur Reidel, Scintera, B.S. Mathematics '73
Janice Rossbach 51’
Arnee R. and Walt A. Winshall '64
46
XII. FURTHER ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We would like to thank all of the student host sponsoring organizations and faculty hosts for their
generous financial and administrative contributions: Acre's International Center for Conservation/Israel
Antiquities Authority, Amdocs, ecamp, ETV Motors, Intel via Jerusalem College of Engineering, Kivunim,
Naiot Venture Accelerator, NDS via Jerusalem College of Engineering, ZenithSolar, Bar Ilan University,
Ben Gurion University, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv University, Technion - Israel Institute of
Technology, and The Weizmann Institute of Science.
Susan Hockfield, President of MIT
Philip Khoury, Ford International Professor of History and Associate Provost at MIT
Phillip Clay, Chancellor, MIT
MIT Hillel and its Director, Rabbi Michelle Fisher, Eliad Shmuel, Program Director, MIT Hillel
The MIT Israeli Association: Itai Turbahn-EECS, Economics, 2011, Jonathan Goldberg, and Orit ShamirEECS Phd Candidate, Presidents
MIT Sloan Israel Business Club: Ronen Kofman, Amit Karp, Co –Presidents, Liron Azrielant, Liron Wand,
Tal Snir, Noam Josephy, Roy Stern
Eran Ben Joseph, Associate Professor, Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning; Chair, PhD program,
MIT
Debbie Berechman, Executive Director, MBA Program, Sloan School of Management
Diane E. Davis: Associate Dean MIT School of Architecture and Planning; Professor and Head,
International Development Group Department of Urban Studies and Planning
Ora Gladstone, Addir Fellows
Daniel Jackson, Professor of Computer Science, MIT
Joseph Jacobson, MIT Associate Professor of Media Arts and Sciences
Richelle Nessralla, Associate Counsel, Office of the General Counsel
Ezra Zuckerman, Sloan School of Management, Nanyang Technological University Assoc Professor
The MIT Club of Israel:
Past President, Haim Alcalay, EECS ’61, President, APA Advanced Technologies
President, Galya Racine, MBA 02’, Strategic Innovator, Innovation Wise
President MIT Sloan Club of Israel, Dan Grotsky, MS EECS/MBA 02’, CEO, Cressca
Heidi Brun, Heidi Brun Associates
Jaime Glottman, BS 59’
47
Dror Sharon, MBA 06’, Gemeni Israel Funds
Boaz Tamir, PhD, '87, Political Science Department, Montefiore Partners Venture Capital fund
Jonathan Shapiro, Boston-Israel Cleantech Alliance
BioAbroad: Rami Lotem, Eytan Abraham, Natalie Artzi, Ronen Eavri
Consulate General of New England: Nadav Tamir, Consul General of Israel to New England, Rony Yedidia,
Deputy Consul General of Israel to New England, Ilana Snapstailer, Einav Laser,Oshrat Hason, Shira
Gareh, and Hilla Hoitash
The Department for Jewish Peoplehood- Oren, Shdemot: Roberta Bell- Kligler, Lori Abramson,
Israel-America Chamber of Commerce: Tamar Guy, Executive Director,
New England-Israel Business Council: Tami Durst, Yuval Malinsky
Gadi Tamari, SAVANT
Eitan Yudleievich, CEO, Bird Foundation
Joel Berkowitz, New England Region Director of the American Technion Society
Ruth Gold, The American Technion Society
Ben Shamir, Past New England Regional Director at American Associates Ben-Gurion University of the
Negev
MIT Israel Enterprise Forum and it’s Director, Ayla Matalon
Shlomo Gradman, Chairman, Israel High-tech CEO Forum
48
REFERENCES
1
"Mens et Manus et Mundus" New Directions for Global Education and Research at MIT, Report of the
MIT Global Council, September 2009.
2
Prof. Patrick Prendergast DoGS, Trinity College, Dublin Ireland. The role of formal graduate education
as a foundation for research. Paper delivered to the Royal Irish Academy on Engineering
Education at the 4th Level, held in the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin Castle June 19th, 2006.
3
Source: Central Bureau of Statistics, Bank of Israel
4
Source: IMD - Institute for Management Development, World Competitiveness Yearbook- 2004/5
5
Source: IMD - Institute for Management Development, World Competitiveness Yearbook- 2004/5
6
The Israel Export and International Cooperation Institute
7
NASDAQ, http://www.nasdaq.com/asp/NonUsOutput, May 2009, Start-up Nation, Dan Senior and Saul
Singer
8
ASSOCIATION of ALUMNI and ALUMNAE of the MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE of TECHNOLOGY
49