2012

The School of Sustainability - Social and Business Responsibility

Sustainability is one of the world’s fastest growing fields, and as such it has a profound effect on the public and business sectors. The school, founded by Israel Corp., ICL & ORL, offers the first interdisciplinary curriculum of its kind, for double-major undergraduate degrees in either sustainability and government or sustainability and economics.

The curriculum was modeled after similar programs in some of the leading universities in the United States, while incorporating the local aspects unique to Israel. The program aims to train future decision-makers in government and economics to deal with the environmental and sustainability issues Israel and the world must heed in the 21st century.

The program, headed by Dean Prof. Yoav Yair, affords graduates a professional advantage in a variety of fields. Graduates joining the public sector can contribute to the shaping of a comprehensive policy that balances environmental, social and economic interests with those pertaining to national security and the international arena. Graduates who join the business sector can develop new environmental initiatives as alternatives meant to ensure sustainability.

Public Diplomacy Headquarters - Contributing to Israel’s Public Diplomacy Efforts

When Operation Pillar of Defense was launched in November 2012, IDC Herzliya’s Student Union formed public diplomacy headquarters in collaboration with the Public Diplomacy and Diaspora Affairs Ministry.

The students used social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, the blogosphere and various websites in their countries of origin, to advocate Israel’s diplomacy efforts and message in 29 different languages, reaching some 20 million people worldwide via digital media.

Their access to broad distribution networks in foreign languages and countries, as well as to graduates of the International School, contributed greatly to Israel’s fight for public opinion worldwide and in social media, which has become one of the most boisterous arenas for anti-Israeli sentiments.

This activity is just one example of the Student Union’s work and its robust involvement in campus life, which aims, among other things, to promote social initiatives on both a local and national level.