April 24, 2025
Collaboration in Higher Education
When classrooms transcend borders – especially when complex geopolitics are at play – students gain key perspectives, understand how challenges are truly global, and create powerful cross-cultural ties.
Earlier this month, more than 60 students from Israel and San Diego came together to study, collaborate, and build lasting friendships. They explored solutions to water issues in our ecologically similar regions, showcased innovative drone prototypes for diverse uses, and examined how individual Israeli citizens shaped their country. Beyond the classroom, students immersed themselves in San Diego’s culture and history, deepening their understanding of the region and its similarities and differences with Israel.
Throughout the week, laughter, joy, and meaningful exchanges reinforced the bonds now shared. These future leaders now carry valuable knowledge and fresh perspectives—equipping them to make a lasting, positive impact on the world.
Issues in Higher Education
Join us to hear from Dr. Nehama Lewis, an Israeli Professor, about the unique challenges facing researchers and educators in Israel since 10/7.
Nehama talk will offer a personal account of her life in Israel during the war, and the ways in which Israeli researchers have persevered in the face of internal and external conflict. She will describe the growing global threat anti-semitism in academia, and how this has affected scholarly organizations in Europe and the U.S. Nehama will also share her experiences teaching at SDSU, where she is an MGSDII Visiting Professor for Spring 2025.
Dr. Lewis is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Haifa. Her research focuses on health communication, persuasion, and the design and evaluation of strategic communication campaigns to promote health-enhancing behaviors, and to reduce the prevalence of risky behaviors. She applies an interdisciplinary and international approach to investigating the effects of information on human behavior through strategic communication campaigns.
This event is exclusively for MGSDII Salon Series Members. If you are not yet a member and would like to learn more, click here.
October 8 Now Streaming Online
The powerful recent documentary October 8 provides a comprehensive look at how the explosion of antisemitism on college campuses and social media was fostered by Hamas starting the day after their terrorist attack on Israel. Click here to watch at home.
Through our Visiting Professors Program and Classroom Collaborations, MGSDII is proud to ensure students have access to the resources that open balanced academic discourse and provide a deeper understanding of modern Israel.
