Academic Bridge Fellowship
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US-Israel Academic Bridge Fellowship
The Academic Bridge Fellowship offers a fully-funded academic program for young Israelis at the [University of Pennsylvania]UPenn. UPenn is one of the highest-ranked academic institutions in the world, with programs in wide-ranging fields, including science, engineering, medicine, law, business, humanities, social work, education, and numerous other fields of study.
After October 7th, faculty from Penn organized a mission to express our solidarity with our friends and colleagues in Israel. In the face of the dramatic rise in anti-Israel sentiment on campus, we see cultural exchange as the best antidote to hateful views arising from a failure to know Israelis. We therefore initiated the Academic Bridge Fellowship, which provides young Israelis with the opportunity to interact with faculty and students in an immersive setting, providing deep connections on North American campuses, beginning this summer at Penn and scaling, in future years, to other institutions.
About the Fellowship
The bridge fellowship is a scholarly summer internship for young Israelis offering early exposure to the academic system in North American universities, and enhancing mutual understanding between young Israelis and their North American counterparts. The program has the following goals:
1. Provide opportunities for young Israelis to gain scholarly exposure in the North American academic system, thus offering them valuable training and future connections.
2. Facilitate dialogue and mutual understanding between young Israelis and their counterparts on North American campuses.
3. Provide opportunities for North American faculty and communities to demonstrate their support for young Israelis, thus strengthening ties between our communities.
Why this program? Our premise is that cultural exchange between Israeli and American young people is particularly important for promoting dialogue and mutual understanding. And despite the many programs aimed at North American / Israeli cultural exchange, few programs exist to bring young Israelis to North America, and those that do, operate within the setting of a summer camp or a trip.
Opportunity and Eligibility
The bridge fellowship is open to any Israeli citizen eligible to travel to the US who meets English language proficiency requirements. Selection criteria include a strong commitment to spending 4-5 weeks engaged in full-time academic training/research and personal qualities that bode well for success in our program. In addition, we seek to prioritize admission of fellows who have recently completed military service or national service.
The present program encompasses two key elements: (1) Giving young Israelis the opportunity to be mentored by Penn Professors, and (2) Bringing young Israelis together with young North Americans in a setting where they pursue academic goals and also through non-academic interactions and engagement with the local community.
Key Dates and Details
The program will cover all costs, including a multi-day orientation in Israel, flights to and from the US, housing on the Penn campus, and meals. Fellows will also participate in community activities, including group trips and (optional) Shabbat meals. Bridge fellows will be mentored by Penn Faculty (listed below) and participate in regular “Lunch & Learn” meetings where they will be exposed to the cutting-edge research environment at UPenn. A typical week during the program will include a trip on Sunday, Monday-Friday work with faculty mentors and research groups, Lunch & Learn seminars, and community outings.
May 1st – Application deadline (no costs for applicants)
June 18-20 – Orientation in Israel with UPenn faculty and Alumni
June 21 - Travel to the US (plus or minus one day, pending flight availability)
June 22 - July 22 - Program at UPenn, as described above)
July 23 - Return to Israel (plus or minus one day, pending flight availability)
Program Organizers
Michael Jacob Kahana, Ph.D., Edmund J. and Louise W. Kahn Term Professor of Psychology, School of Arts & Sciences
Maayan Levy, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine
Peter Decherney, Ph.D., Edmund J. and Louise W. Kahn Term Professor of Cinema, School of Arts & Sciences
Ron Berman, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Marketing, Wharton School of Business
