Singapore University of Social Sciences

Entrepreneurial Spirit in Israel

Entrepreneurial Spirit in Israel (OEL333)

Synopsis

The objective of OEL333 is to provide students with the environments and tools to cultivate a deep understanding of Israel’s entrepreneurial, political and cultural landscape. This is achieved through a combination of experiential learning, e-learning, classroom activities, and participation in an overseas trip to Israel. It is important to bring our students to Israel because of its unique approach to lifelong learning and critical thinking. After coming back from a study trip in Israel, Minister Ng Chee Meng gave a speech about how to prepare students for life and pointed out that in Israel “Questioning is learning and no questions is considered silly. Students are encouraged to ask questions in class and outside of class. Concepts were debated and not taken as cast in stone. A level of messiness was tolerated. We were told that when the students returned home, their parents do not ask them about homework, test scores, or even about what they had learnt. Instead, they asked their children, ‘What questions did you ask in school today?’ Learning was not only about results, but having the sense of joy to explore, ask questions, discover and find out answers.” Both culturally and technologically, Israel offers unique opportunities for our students to broaden their world views. Israel is a small nation surrounded by larger countries that distinguish themselves greatly both culturally and economically. By visiting Israeli religious sites, meeting companies and speaking to the locals, our students will be able to witness how followers of three world religions live together in one small nation, how entrepreneurs are constantly innovating and able to scale beyond their borders and how Israelis celebrate life despite threats from the region.

Level: 3
Credit Units: 5
Presentation Pattern: Every January

Topics

  • Israel as a startup nation, entrepreneurship and business opportunities
  • Israel - Singapore relationship, geopolitical, historical and sociocultural aspects of Israel with a special focus on the Israeli - Palestinian Conflict
  • Israel’s cultural and religious sites: a holy place for followers of three world religions
  • Presumptions about Arabs and how they shape the ways that issues are addressed – ideologies, prejudices, and stereotypes
  • Essential skills required for the trip – safety awareness, self-defence, cultural sensitivity, technical proficiency, and physical fitness

Learning Outcome

  • Identify economic and business possibilities within the host country
  • Examine the key drivers behind the economic development policies in Israel
  • Explain the role of business and corporate enterprises in Israel’s economic and social development
  • Apply theories to make sense of the relationships between Israel and the neighbouring countries, and the impact of its growth and development on the region
  • Deconstruct how their personal worldviews and presumptions about Israel shape the way they address their selected issues
  • Examine how the locals take into consideration their native contexts in addressing similar issues
  • Construct new ways to address their selected issues that takes into consideration the native context and the respective local responses
  • Examine how the assumptions behind their new approaches shape the way they address their selected issues
  • Verify their new approaches with stakeholders
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