International Activities
As part of Tel Aviv University Alumni Organization's global outlook, the organization maintains an ongoing and close partnership with over 20 global Friends of TAU Associations, spread all around the world.
The global Friends of TAU Associations maintain a close relationship with the TAU alumni community in their country, and hold events (in English) tailored to their unique audience, Consisting of Israeli expats and local alumni of TAU's international programs.
The Tel Aviv University Alumni Organization, in collaboration with the heads of the Israeli alumni clubs at the world's leading universities, held a first of its kind event on 16/06/2024 on the topic: The Role of Multinational Companies and the High-Tech Industry in Israel at this time.
The event was a new initiative of the Tel Aviv University Alumni Organization led by Sigalit Ben Hayoun, which connects Tel Aviv University alumni with Israeli alumni from leading universities around the world such as: NYU, Columbia, Penn, Cambridge, Harvard, Oxford, INSEAD and more.
The event took place at Tel Aviv University, in attendance were: Amos Elad, Vice President for Development and Alumni Affairs at Tel Aviv University, Oded Agam, Managing Partner and Founder of the investment fund NextLeap Ventures, President of the NYU Alumni Club in Israel, an Alumnus of the Faculty of the Engineering Faculty at Tel Aviv University, Yifat Oron, Partner and Director of Blackstone Israel, Chairwoman of the Tel Aviv University Friends Association and an Alumna of the Faculty of Management at Tel Aviv University and, guest lecturer Eyal Waldman, recipient of the 2024 Israel Prize for Entrepreneurship, President of the Waldo Holdings Group and Founder and former CEO of Mellanox Technologies. Eyal Waldman was interviewed by Tzally Greenberg - journalist and commentator on capital market, economy and security issues in the Israeli and American media, an Alumnus of the Faculty of Humanities and the Faculty of Social Sciences at Tel Aviv University.
At the event, Dror Bin, CEO of the Innovation Authority, an alumnus of the Faculty of Management at Tel Aviv University, gave an overview of the Israeli high-tech these days, and there were 2 panels on the subject of insights from the field and the achievements and challenges in industry and high-tech in Israel in the current era. The first panel was attended by: Karin Mayer Rubinstein, CEO and President of Israel Advanced Technology Industries Association, an Alumna of the Faculty of Social Sciences, the Faculty of Management and the Faculty of Law at Tel Aviv University, Lior Konitzki - Vice Director General, Israel Export Institute, YaelRavia-Zadok - Deputy Director General, Head of Economic Affairs Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Panel moderator: Dr. Eyal Benjamin - Director of the Coller Institute for Entrepreneurship at the Faculty of Management at Tel Aviv University, an Alumnus of the Faculty of Engineering at Tel Aviv University.
The second panel was attended by: Omri Geller, Co-foFnder and CEO of Run:AI, an Alumnus of the Faculty of Engineering at Tel Aviv University, Eran Gorev, Partner and President of the Israeli representation of the American investment fund Francisco Partners, an Alumnus of the Faculty of Law and Faculty of Management at Tel Aviv University and Arik Faingold, President and CEO of Commit and the Founder of the cyber company Pentera, an Alumnus of the Faculty of Management at Tel Aviv University.
The panel was moderated by Dana Yarkechy - reporter of the economic field, Kan 11, an Alumna of the Faculty of Social Sciences and the Faculty of Humanities at Tel Aviv University.
The event concluded with the singing of Hatikvah accompanied by violin played by Lora Borla Sasson, an Alumna of the Faculty of Arts at Tel Aviv University.
The Tel Aviv University Alumni Organization thanks to the Presidents of the Israel Alumni clubs at the following leading Universities:
Oded Agam- NYU
Sagi Melamed - Harvard
Witte Carice / Guy Melamed – Yale
Dov Hoch- Penn
Shai Kivity - Wharton
Yishai Boazson - MIT
Alex Shmulovich - INSEAD
Dr. Adv. Gideon Fisher - Cambridge
Simon Kotlerman - Oxford
Ofer Weinberg – Columbia
Nir Alperin - HBS
Ron Plotkin - CBS
Sefi Kedmi – LBS
Many thanks to the sponsors of this special evening:
L'Oreal-Israel and the company's CEO Elie Sagiv is an Alum of the Faculty of Social Sciences at Tel Aviv University.
Teperberg Winery and CEO Motti Teperberg
Jems Beer and CEO Daniel Alon
Among the graduates who took part in the event:
Efrat Shuster - Co-Founder of Shuster, Terry Newman - Cairman of Beza Investments, Ilan Avital Zorman - President of Rotary
Amit Keren - CEO of Flowhow, Ilana Shoham - Co-Founder of MirrorESG,
Alona Shamardin- Payoneer legal counsel
Alon Cohen -Founder of Harmony and many others
The first-ever alumni only event in the Bay Area was a HIT, bringing together more than 100 guests, at Fenwick & West LLP in Silicon Valley to hear war correspondent, filmmaker & TAU alum Itai Anghel.
The event was organized by the TAU Core Alumni Leadership committee: Shira Ronen, Tali Alon, Alon Girmonsky, Galia Mor, Rafit Izhak-Ratzin, Idan Netser, Idan Tendler, & Noy Dancig.
The coolest part? The event was sponsored by Tel Aviv University USA - AFTAU and the proceeds from ticket sales supported the TAU Alumni Scholarship Global Campaign with one full scholarship!
Photography: Miri Ekshtein Prager
The Tel Aviv University alumni organization has set itself the goal of reconnecting with alumni who live abroad in 2019, and for this purpose the first meeting of alumni living in Germany took place.
The event was held as part of the Berlin Science Week and in cooperation with the German Friends of TAU Association. The central speaker was Nirit Bialer, alumna of the TAU Security & Diplomacy studies program, who is involved in business development for Israeli companies, including Elbit, in Germany, and the initiator of the "Home" project, which presents the different aspects of contemporary Israeli culture to the residents of Berlin.
Sigalit Ben Hayoun, Head of the Tel Aviv University alumni organization, said: "A comprehensive poll, in which more than 3,000 alumni participated, showed that most alumni are interested in networking - not only in Israel but around the world. That's why we are launching face-to-face meetings with our alumni in various locations around the world, and Germany is an important target in light of the large number of Israelis living here. I am happy for the warm responses we received".
It should be noted that a unique part of the meeting was devoted to the Berlin Science Week under the title "From Biblical Research to Climate Change: The Power of Interdisciplinary Research", with TAU researchers who came to Berlin for this purpose: Prof. Oded Lipschits, a full professor in the TAU Department of Archeology, Dr. Rachel Sarig, MD, PhD in Medicine and Anthropology. A faculty member at the TAU School of Dental Medicine, and Prof. Colin Price, a full professor in the TAU Department of Geophysics.
Among the alumni in attendance were Amos Geva, producer, Ido Mizrahi, Marketing Manager at Biotronik Berlin, Isabel Gethoff, producer, and many more.
Other participants included Yael Regev, Director of Development and Public Affairs at Tel Aviv University, Tzipi Roitman, Lay Leader of the German Friends of TAU Association, Reinhard Renger of the TAU Friends and alumni Association in Germany, and Ilanit Kessel. Germany, Austria and Switzerland Liaison in Tel Aviv University's Department of External Relations.
View the event's Photo album on our Facebook page>
Photography: Nikita Pavlov
Mr. Jack Ma, Lead Founder & Executive Chairman of the world's leading e-commerce company, Alibaba Group, visited Tel Aviv University as a recipient of an honoral doctorate.
Prior to the honorary degrees ceremony, Mr. Ma held an inspirational conversation with hundreds of TAU students and alumni, among them young entrepreneurs, hosted by TAU Alum Mr. Amnon Dick, Chairman of the Israeli Friends Association of Tel Aviv University.
During the event, Mr. Ma answered questions by Israeli and international TAU students, and shared experiences from his own career and path to success, his insights on employment and academia, and his views on the changes that educational institutions need to make to strengthen human innovation and creativity in the approaching era of AI and robotic automation.
Watch highlights from the event:
View the event's photo album on Facebook>
A second international career event was held in November 2017 with the world's #1 expert on finding a purpose - Tim Kelly, an alumnus of MIT's Mathematics Department and formerly a lead algorithm developer at the Global Oracle Company, who became a strategic consultant, mentor and acclaimed speaker, the world's first coach for countries, author of the Best-selling book 'True Purpose' about the unique method he developed for finding purpose.
Kelly frequently visits Israel, and said that he believes that the State of Israel does not currently know what is its purpose, which leads to a dissatisfaction among large groups in the Israeli society. He claims that finding a purpose will allow Israel to reach peace with its neighbors as well as internal peace, a process that will have a far-reaching global impact.
View the event's photo album on Facebook>
In June 2017, the alumni community gathered for its first international career event - an exclusive meeting with 'The Master of Charisma' Richard Greene - a charismatic lecturer, a leading commentator in the US and around the world and a leading public speaking coach who worked with International corporate presidents and top-notch politicians in the US and Europe.
Greenw delivered his fascinating lecture "The Seven Secrets of Highly Effective Speakers", during which he focused on relevant and current figures, including U.S. President Donald Trump, Former President Barack Obama and others. He shared anecdotes about his Jewish roots and previous visits to Israel, and gave a behind-the-scenes glimpse of preparations for political debates. From his experience, he said that "all demagogues were successful because they made big promises, and presented them with confidence".
A private meeting with Mr. Richard Greene was the prize in a raffle between the event's attendees, which was won by attorney Azgad Stern.
