Tel-Hai Magazine 2022

shops, markets, and healthcare providers. I invite them to social events too, which offers them an opportunity to connect and develop friendships with local students. On Friday evenings, the in ternational students are invited to a Shabbat meal, by one of our local hosts – and this gives them an insight into our culture and customs. I also help them with any linguistic challenges they have, and I try my best to make them feel at home. It’s important they feel they have a support network, that someone cares and is there to offer help, when needed. ” E-internships at Tel-Hai College In 2021, when Israel’s borders were closed, during one of the waves of the pandemic, we were forced to be creative and hosted three M.Sc. Students from Wageningen University, the Netherlands, in an online research program. The pro gram ran under the supervision of Dr. Ofir Benjamin, Department of Food Sci ence. One of the students who partici pated, Devashree Patil, tells of her expe rience: “I participated in an e-internship at Tel-Hai College, as part of my MSc in Food Technology, at Wageningen University and Research Insti tute, in the Netherlands. It was a pleasure to work on a collaborative project between Wagen ingen and Tel-Hai. The experience exposed me to a work-like environment and broadened my understanding of theoretical materials. I think the experience will be useful for me, when looking for jobs in the future. Since this internship was conducted online, during the pandemic, it also taught me how to continue functioning effectively, whilst dealing with uncertainty, in rapidly changing circumstances.” Looking ahead, and hoping the pandem ic is nearing its final stages, we intend to continue promoting the internationaliza tion of Tel-Hai college and look forward to welcoming new international students and researchers to our beautiful campus es. Dr. Daniela Zinmeisster, Zoologist at HRC

with the research and fieldwork for her dissertation on the development and practice of psychodrama, and on drama therapy in Israel. “Tel-Hai’s International Academic Affairs Unit has provided invaluable support during my stay. From organizing the logistics that helped me en ter the country safely during the global pandemic, to facilitating connections with relevant Israeli academics. And being hosted by the Drama Therapy Department (Israel’s first such Depart ment), under the guidance of Professor Susana Pendzik, has opened new pathways for my re search, kept me abreast of new developments in the field, and helped me to develop several in ter-disciplinary collaborations. Joining the de partment’s staff meetings, attending conferences, and offering guest lectures on qualitative research methods to graduate students has also been an excellent way to improve my professional He brew.” The ‘Buddy System’ Arriving in a foreign country can be a lonely and daunting experience at the best of times – but it can be even more so, during a global pandemic that entails a mandatory isolation period on arrival. At Tel-Hai, we understand that if we want our visitors to have a positive expe rience during their stay, they will need more support and assistance than solely in the academic sphere. This is why we support the students during all stages,

from the pre-arrival stage up until they leave Israel and return home. As part of this concept, we have developed a new support program called, ‘the buddy sys tem’, in which local Israeli students are assigned as ‘buddies’ to the international students. The same Israeli students also act as mentors to local, first year students at the college. This program brings to gether students from Israel and other countries and helps to improve and en rich the social experience of incoming students. Roy Alper, a B.A. student in the East Asian Studies Department, served as an Israeli ‘buddy’ to three M.Sc. students from the University of Lisbon, Portugal. The Portuguese students arrived for re search under the supervision of Prof. Iggy Litaor, who heads the Hydro-geo chemistry Laboratory at the MIGAL research Institute and is also Head of the Water Sciences M.Sc. program at Tel Hai. Roy shares his experience of the ‘buddy’ program: “In my opinion, it’s essential that we offer the ‘Buddy’ program to our newly arrived interna tional students. They benefit greatly from having us around to help them navigate the environment - especially during the first few weeks of the semester. As a ‘Buddy’, I share my knowledge and experience with the students. I show them around the area and introduce them to local

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