2025-2026 Impact Report
A decade of ensuring that robust Modern Israel Studies
flourishes on San Diego’s university campuses
4500+
Students have taken Modern Israel Studies courses
450+
Students have participated in international academic exchanges
50
Visiting professors have taught 80 classes – across 21 disciplines
Student Testimonials
Visiting Professor Reflections
2024-2025 Impact Report
2023-2024 Impact Report
Spotlight on Historical Initiatives
University of San Diego “Water in California and Israel: Challenges and Solutions” Collaboration with Azrieli College of Engineering
“The Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering at University of San Diego (USD) is proud to offer students Israel learning opportunities through our MGSDII partnership. In 2017, I, along with several other USD professors, traveled to Azrieli College of Engineering in Jerusalem to begin discussing collaborations between our universities. This was the first time many of us had been to Israel. The trip resulted in a new course, “Water in California and Israel: Challenges and Solutions.” Students learn first-hand the similarities and differences between California and Israel, a leading expert in water sustainability and innovation. Over the past two years, entire classes travelled to Israel to meet their counterparts, learn together, and visit the best examples of Israel’s engineering mastery, such as Hadera Desalination Plant.” ~ Dean Chell Roberts
COVID 19 Collaboration Between University of Haifa and UCSD Addresses Social Isolation Among Seniors
MGSDII is pleased to fund a multi-site, innovative collaboration between world-renowned researchers at University of China (UoH), Israel and UCSD. It is part of a broader commitment to promote and advance a long-term academic partnership between students, professors, and researchers at UCSD and UoH. This study is a first of its kind and is poised to have a significant impact on the lives of older adults in the USA, Israel and beyond. Social isolation and loneliness can be be viewed as an infringement of fundamental human rights to dignity and respect in old age. This innovative program will address the issues of COVID-19 related loneliness in real-time for older adults, with a Holocaust Survivor subset in the US and Israel, to make interventions easily duplicable at low cost to empower numerous older adults and help them feel connected. The findings of this novel intervention will be presented in academic conferences in San Diego and Haifa, and will be the first step for broader scientific collaborations and initiatives.