Tel-Hai Magazine 2023-2024

Prehistory of the Levant In April 2024, a unique workshop on the “Prehistory of the Levant” was led by Prof. Gonen Sharon at the University of Hradec Králové in the Czech Republic. The workshop was part of the recently launched Israeli-Czech Erasmus+ Mo bility Agreement and revolved around prehistoric developments in flint tool technologies as a means to understand human evolution. Prof. Sharon’s visit in cluded lectures, practical work and stu dent excavations at prehistorical sites. Collaboration between the two institu tions dates back to 2017 and includes last year’s participation of Czech students visiting the Jordan River excavations. Tel-Hai College looks forward to contin ued cooperation with the University of Hradec Králové within the Erasmus+ framework , which extends until 2026. Kafka Seminar at Charles University In May 2024, a group of outstanding students from the Department of Multi disciplinary Studies, accompanied by Prof. Yochai Ataria, Dr. Eli Pitcovski and Dr. Tamir Hod, took part in a multi-cul tural studies seminar at the Charles Uni versity in Prague, focusing on the work of Franz Kafka. The seminar combined study trips to historical sites, lectures by Czech and Israeli experts, student pre sentations and study workshops. This one-of-a-kind Israeli-Czech learning ex perience led to informal meetings among the participants, an exchange of views and ideas, and new friendships. The In ternational Academic Affairs Unit hopes to repeat this model in future years and expand it to include reciprocal visits and collaborations. Virtual Exchange with Universidad Veracruzana, Mexico Alongside its efforts to engage interna tional partners and expand its interna tional network, the college is also taking steps to strengthen students’ internation al capabilities. A recent initiative of Liz Dovrat, Head of Tel-Hai’s English Lan guage Unit, has brought international

Tel-Hai’s International Academic Affairs Unit promotes internationalization through international collaborations and partnerships, study programs and multicultural experiences, on and off campus. This is in accordance with its “Internationalization at Home” strategy. The Unit provides the college’s fac ulty and student body with professional support, and study and research op portunities, drawing on Tel-Hai’s unique role in the Northern Galilee ecosys tem, innovative research and vibrant academic life. Major areas of activity include expanding opportunities for academic ex change, introducing new learning experiences in English, organizing guest lectures by international specialists, initiating research seminars overseas, and hosting foreign delegations. Student, faculty and staff mobility has also become a major focus with the growing number of students and lecturers travelling to partner institutions abroad, and a considerable number of international re searchers arriving at Tel-Hai to participate in various academic programs. Tel-Hai’s International Academic Affairs Unit

ization into the classrooms by means of an Israeli-Mexican virtual exchange. In collaboration with the Universidad Vera cruzana in Mexico, Tel-Hai students, together with their Mexican counter parts, practiced their English skills and learned about each other’s culture by exchanging recorded video clips and par ticipating in online discussions. Such a unique virtual exchange offered an excel lent opportunity for our undergraduate students to get a first glimpse of interna tionalization, and practice some of their cultural and social skills. Future Plans Tel-Hai College is making every effort to cultivate and expand its international vis ibility and academic standing in circles overseas, despite the difficult times. Here are some of our plans for the upcoming year: ● The college is planning to send a select group of administrative staff in October 2024 to The Warsaw University of Life Sciences for a training session focusing on the strengthening of international ca pabilities, strategic international plan ning and networking. ● For the second year in a row, the col lege will be sending students to a summer internship program with SUNCORPO RATION, Japan, a leading IT company.

● East Asian Studies students have been encouraged to apply for a student ex change program at Keisen University in Tokyo to further their study of Japanese language and culture. ● East Asian Studies students were re cently offered a scholarship to study Chi nese in Taiwan during the coming fall semester. ● The International Academic Affairs Unit is planning to send representatives to the fall 2024 conferences of the Euro pean Association for International Edu cation in Toulouse and the Forum for Education Abroad in Athens. We view the International Academic Af fairs Unit as a fundamental component of Tel-Hai College’s evolution from a regional college to the influential Univer sity of Kiryat Shmona in the Galilee, and plan to redouble our efforts to create strategic alliances for the benefit of our staff and students, as well as for the resil ience and sustainability of the entire northern region of Israel.

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