InnovNation Summer Program

InnovNation provides students, entrepreneurs, and professionals behind-the-scenes access to the high- tech industry and entrepreneurial ecosystem of Israel – a country world-renowned as the Start-Up Nation. As a participant in this course, you’ll learn practical strategies, models, and tools from the the experience and insights of Israel’s top innovative companies and entrepreneurs and take an up-close look at disruptive technologies that are shaping tomorrow’s world.

Get a glimpse into the future with visits to leading research hubs and top tech innovators in Israel. As a participant, you’ll gain insights from their knowledge and experience while also learning about practical approaches to entrepreneurial pursuits.

Summer

The summer program is made up of two complementary courses that can be taken together or separately:

• Start-Ups and Innovation: The Israeli Model
• Breakthrough Technologies: Shaping the Future

Follow the links above to learn more about these two specially designed courses.

These two courses are designed to complement each other with different field trips, lectures, and meetings: InnovNation Summer Session Sample Itinerary.

Scroll down for the July summer schedule to see which summer courses can be combined with the InnovNation program courses.

Winter

The Winter Program is an intensive two-week session, which is ideal for students and professionals. This program focuses on the highlights from the summer, including trips to key sites, meetings with leaders and activists, and lectures.

InnovNation Winter Session Itinerary

Course Components 

• Meet with scientists, researchers, executives, and R&D staff through guest lectures and visits to high-tech companies and research centers.
• Create a report on one of the breakthrough technologies studied during the course. Your report will analyze the innovation and its potential effects.
• Work in teams to create a business plan for an online venture, based on the tools and methods learned during the program.
• Present the project to your classmates following the format of an investor presentation.
• Complete assigned readings on business models, start-ups, innovation, marketing, Israel’s entrepreneurship culture, and more.

Professionals who are not interested in the academic credit may opt out of submitting the final paper and receive an audit grade (Active Participation grade) but must still attend all classes and field trips, and complete any assignment throughout the course. This option is also possible for students who are not interested in academic credit.

Download the brochure to learn more.

Syllabi: 

• Start Ups and Innovation – The Israeli Model (SPEC202)
• Breakthrough Technologies: Shaping the Future (SPEC203)

You’ll be invited to participate in a wide array of trips, tours, and activities offered by the Office of Student Life. From a tour of the Old City to a trip to the Dead Sea to checking out the local festivals, you’ll build your own unique impressions and memories of Jerusalem and Israel. Read what students have to say or check our Facebook page.

While residing in HebrewU dormitories with other international and Israeli students, you’ll have a chance to form new friendships and get involved in campus life. A team of multilingual Israeli students, called madrichim, is also there to help you adjust to your new surroundings and give you tips on things to do. Learn more about student life at HebrewU.

Apply by

• Winter: Winter course cancelled for 2020-2021
• Summer: May 1, 2021

Arrive on campus

• Winter: Winter course cancelled for 2020-2021
• Summer: June 28, 2021

Program length

• Winter: two weeks
• Summer: four weeks

Application fee: US$ 80 (non-refundable)

Health insurance through Rothberg is mandatory for the program.

Winter

Winter course cancelled for 2020-2021

Summer

Application fee: US$ 80

Courses (in-person):
US$ 1,875 (1 course)
US$ 3,345 (2 courses)

Courses (online):
US$ 1,313 (1 course)
US$ 2,342 (2 courses)

The InnovNation program is offered in collaboration with Israel Beyond the Headlines (IBH).
Tuition, for both Summer and Winter Sessions, is to be paid in two separate payments to Rothberg International School and IBH.

Learn more about fees, cost of living, and paying for the program.

For more information on Israel Beyond the Headlines’ method and terms of payment, please see here. For Rothberg International School financial information, see here.

A 30% discount is offered to participants in the online version of the course.

Need financial aid? Learn about scholarship opportunities.

Costs (USD)	Winter Program		Summer Program
			Single Course		Both Courses
	In Person	online	In person	Online	In Person	Online
Duration	2 weeks	2 weeks	4 weeks	4 weeks	4 weeks	4 weeks
Academic credit	3 credits	3 credits	3 credits	3 credits	6 credits	6 credits
Application fee (Paid to RIS)	US$ 80	US$ 80	US$ 80	US$ 80	US$ 80	US$ 80
Registration fee (Paid to RIS)	US$ 275	US$ 250	US$ 290	US$ 250	US$ 540	US$ 500
Basic Health Insurance (Paid to RIS)	US$ 30	-	US$ 65	-	US$ 65	-
Participation(Paid to IBH)	US$ 1,680	US$ 1,140	US$ 1,520	US$ 1,063	US$ 2,740	US$ 1,842
Total (without housing and with app. fee)	US$ 2,065	US$ 1,470	US$ 1,995	US$ 1,393	US$ 3,425	US$ 2,422

A limited number of housing spots at Student Village is available. Requests for housing at the Student Village should be communicated to the IBH staff only after being accepted to the program.

Scholarships

A limited number of scholarships based on demonstrated need or merit are available.

A 10% discount on the tuition fee for one of the InnovNation summer program courses is offered by IBH to students who complete their application by February 15, 2021, and who complete payment by March 15, 2021. Students who apply for both courses of the InnovNation program will receive the 10% discount on one of the courses only.

This program is open to students, professionals, and entrepreneurs who have completed at least one year of study in the areas of business, NPO management, economics, natural and applied sciences, engineering, and entrepreneurship.