Biotech in Israel – Anatomy of Success

Written by Emily Gottschalk, Student

As an Israel Engaged Campus (IEC) Intern at Queen’s University I was given the opportunity to engage a diverse range of students within my faculty, Life Sciences. I met with students who had varied levels of knowledge about Israel; some considered themselves Israel advocates and others had never contemplated the topic. These meetings taught me a lot about how Israel is perceived and the interest that so many students have in learning more. IEC helped me to plan an event that would introduce like-minded students to the field of science in Israel. I invited my former supervisor from Sick Kids Hospital, Dr. Yaron Avitzur, to share his unique experiences and insight on the biotech industry in Israel. He spoke about his personal experiences and highlighted the cultural and behavioural roots that drive the success of the industry. Around 50 students attended and the feedback from the event was overwhelmingly positive. Thank you to IEC for giving me the opportunity to engage students in such a constructive way.