Israeli govt has implemented Hi-Tech Visa that allows companies to hire int'l students: Public Diplomacy Head

Orly Goldschmidt, Head of Public Diplomacy, Embassy of Israel in India is responsible for education and students exchange. Speaking to Shiksha she talks about various higher education opportunities in Israel and how Israeli government is working on attracting international students

Q. What kind of internship and placement opportunities are available in Israel for international students?

A. Israel’s higher education institutions and other organizations offer international students a range of programs with internship opportunities with exposure to the Israeli hi-tech scene, business, consulting, governmental sector, the non-profit sector, and more. These internship programs are a great opportunity for students to embark on their chosen career path while studying in the Start-Up Nation. Undertaking an internship gives students the chance to hone their skills and CV and to make contacts within the industry that in turn help launch their career.

The Israeli government has also implemented the Hi-Tech Visa that allows companies in Israel to hire international students and recent graduates from Israeli universities as hi-tech professionals in domains including Communication Systems Engineering, Computers, Computer Science, Data Science, Exact Sciences, Electrical Engineering, Electronics, Information Systems, Mathematics, Medicine, Optical/Electro-Optics Engineering, Physics, Software Engineering and Statistics.

Q. How are the Israeli government and universities looking to attract Indian students?

A. Israel ranks amongst the highest in the world in R&D expenditure as a percentage of GDP and in citations per academic publication. Today, Israel is the epicentre of high-end technology with the greatest concentration of technology companies outside of the Silicon Valley.

The Israeli Government has partnerships with many countries and institutions around the world which offer funding opportunities for international collaboration in research. The start-up nation welcomes international students and researchers for PhD or Post-Doctoral research while supporting education, skill enhancement, and R&D in multiple formats. The higher-education system here is driven by this culture of continuous innovation. We provide students an opportunity to study in the start-up ecosystem with over 6000 active start-ups supported by profitable business opportunities, and high investment returns.

Higher education universities in Israel offer world-class education in programs that are relevant not only for today’s generation but also for generations to come – while setting the perfect tone for sustainability and sustainable practices. International students in Israel are offered the opportunity to practice and learn alongside globally renowned researchers, professors, and scientists in disciplines such as Science & Engineering, Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Agriculture & Sustainability, and Social Sciences among others. These programs are highly research-intensive and are taught in English amidst a world-class infrastructure of well-equipped laboratories and research centres.

Alongside a global education ecosystem, Israel also offers international students a great culture to live in, a vibrant social environment, and an exciting student life with immense opportunities to travel, explore and learn while engaging in excellence.

Q. Israeli universities are known for technological advances, how do you look at those Institutions partnering with Indian counterparts?

A. Israeli universities have partnered with prominent Indian institutions as well as corporates in areas including research collaborations, student exchange programs, skill enhancement, scholarship funding, Research & Development, and faculty exchange. The Israeli government looks forward to collaborating with Indian institutes further in areas including agricultural research, sustainability & environmental studies, cyber security, social sciences, and STEM education among others.

Q. Government of India is looking to attract foreign universities to come and set up a campus in India. How do you look at options for Israeli universities in this regard?

A. Over the last 30-years of diplomatic relations, India and Israel have developed multiple strategic and technological alliances such as the comprehensive cooperation agreement for the agriculture sector, multi-level collaborations between Israeli universities and Indian Institutes of Eminence (IoEs), the set-up of Thapar-Tel Aviv University Centre of Excellence in Advanced Manufacturing, the Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement, and the $40m India-Israel Industrial R&D and Innovation Fund (i4F). Between 2020 and 2021, the bilateral trade between the two countries stood at $4.14bn – showcasing the positive growth impact that Indo-Israel bilateral relations have had on both countries.

We believe in strengthening these ties even further while working closely with the collaborative initiatives launched by the Indian government. The NEP 2022, outlines the policy outlook of India which I am sure will strengthen education, higher education and skill development in the country. I am optimistic that Israeli universities will consider this while planning their internalisation strategies.

Q. Kindly share the details of scholarships the Israeli government is offering to Indian students?

A. The Council for Higher Education (CHE) in Israel offers various scholarship programs for outstanding international students of all disciplines to apply and study in a research-intensive start-up ecosystem with leading scientists and scholars. These scholarship programs signify Israel’s commitment to the promotion of international scientific collaborations and the advancement of world-class research. The programs include:

• Ministry of Foreign Affairs Scholarships: Offered by the Government of Israel, these scholarships are available to Indian students applying for M.A., Ph.D. Post Doctorate or research studies.

• Excellence Fellowship Program for International Postdoctoral Researchers: Offered by the CHE in Israel and the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, this scholarship program is open for outstanding international postdoctoral researchers in Sciences, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM), the Humanities, and the Social Sciences.

• Ph.D. Sandwich Fellowship Program: Funded by The Planning and Budgeting Committee (PBC), this one-year doctoral program allows international Ph.D. students of all fields to do research in one of Israel’s top universities as part of their doctoral studies while receiving a generous scholarship.