The Glocal program at the Hebrew University is now entering its fourth academic year. As the  first international development studies program in Israel, we have been steadily developing and  expanding upon our unique approach to the blending of theory to practice, literally bringing the  classroom to the field, and vice versa!

The 'Skills for Development' course exposes students every year to different aspects of  development as it is practiced by a range of organizations in Israel. This year we introduced a new  component to the class, a practicum- providing students with the chance to learn from, and work  alongside, such organizations as the ARDC, Unitaf, Siftech, and Shatil. As part of the course, the  students also arranged a field trip to Israel's south (the Bedouin city of Rahat) under the theme  of Insider/Outsider views of development.

Industrial as ever, our students also reached beyond the field of classic development, organizing  a intimate talk with leading Israeli genocide expert Yehudah Bauer connecting holocaust memorial  day with the broader theme of genocide prevention. Bauer's talk provided an eclectic mix with  the regularly scheduled speakers in Glocal's seminar series. This year these talks included: a  return visit from the Canadian Ambassador the Right Honorable Paul Hunt, who spoke about  bilateral funding, alongside talks by a local Israeli representative of Fair Planet- a start up seed  company, and a critical theoretical talk on the legitimacy of international advocacy given by a  representative of CARE in the West Bank.

Glocal switched gears in early spring as we began to ready ourselves for our gala event, the  second annual End of Year Conference. This year the event included the unveiling of a photo  exhibit composed of shots that students took in the field, alongside an academic student poster  fair outlining the work they engaged in on their internships, and for the first time ever, a series  of student-led panels on various development themes. The event was a huge success, with over 150 attendees from more than 15 countries, many of whom were exposed to Glocal and our growing base of students for the first time.

As we ready ourselves to welcome our fourth cohort of students, including for the first time  a group of students from developing countries, we are excited about the future. This year's  newsletter is the sole initiative of our students, and we invite you to learn about the program  through their eyes. Join Liat as she takes you on a virtual tour of our End of Year Conference;  listen to Inbar as she tells you more about the growth of the field of social entrepreneurship and  of her own entrepreneurial initiative here in Israel; and accompany Sabita, Adar, Amy and Ben,  four of our newest alumni as they share their internship experiences with you. 

We are happy to have you with us as we review another great year of Glocal! Sincerely,

The Glocal Staff

Glocal Staff