International MBA - Hebrew University Business School

Meet the Student - Marc Abelman
"I find myself talking about stuff I learned in class at the gym or with friends. It’s practical ideology." 💡

Meet Marc Abelman, a US business graduate who made Aliyah 3 years ago and chose Hebrew University Business School for his International IMBA in MedTech Innovation.
Why Jerusalem? It kept him close to his ecosystem, allowed him to complete a rigorous degree in just one year, and put him in classrooms taught by actual industry leaders.

Marc’s Jerusalem Journey so far:
The Internship: Working at the Port of Ashdod’s VC fund, helping tech startups run real-world proofs of concept.

The Classroom: Embracing the diverse perspectives of an international cohort and learning to love the competitive, question-everything nature of Israeli students.

The Downtime: Playing local rugby to burst his "Oleh bubble," running the hills of the Old City, and relaxing in Gan Sacher.

Summed up in three words, Marc's experience has been insightful, rewarding, and engaging. We are so glad to have you in the HUBS family, Marc! ✨

👉 Curious about our 1-year International MBA tracks? Click the link to find your fit: [email protected]

The Hebrew University is once again Israel’s highest-ranked university in the Shanghai Ranking! We are proud to be part of the Hebrew University, recognized among the world’s top 100 universities.

From ideas to impact 💡

After weeks of learning, exploring, collaborating, and building, Catalyst came to a close with Demo Day!

Students took the stage to present ideas inspired by real challenges and personal experiences. From AI-powered solutions for stronger family connections and smarter financial planning, to cybersecurity, education, and digital services, the projects showed just how many directions entrepreneurial thinking can take.

Guided throughout the program by Prof. Dan Marom and Michael Mizrahi, students had the opportunity to move beyond the classroom, meet entrepreneurs and industry leaders, explore Jerusalem's innovation ecosystem, and turn ideas into something they could actually begin to build.

We were also happy to welcome back Taliah Lasry, a Hebrew University alumna from the 2022–2023 cohort and now Entrepreneurship Programs Manager at ASPER-HUJI Innovate, who joined the Demo Day to listen to the pitches and share feedback with the teams.

One message came through clearly in our conversations with the students: Catalyst wasn't only about the final pitch. It was about the people they met, the perspectives they gained, the questions they learned to ask, and the confidence to take an idea and get started.

Congratulations to all our Catalyst participants! 👏

We can't wait to see where you take these ideas next.

✨ STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: Meet Marian Khoury ✨

Many students travel across the globe to join the International MBA program at Hebrew University Business School. But for Jerusalem native Marian Khoury, going international was about expanding her horizons right at home.

Marian has lived in Jerusalem her whole life, aside from an undergraduate exchange semester in South Korea. Before starting her IMBA, she worked as a digital retail supervisor at the Garden Tomb. When she decided to pursue her master's, she specifically chose the international track to step out of her comfort zone.

"Academics are one thing, but connections are something else entirely," Marian says. "I wanted to work with people from different backgrounds. Everyone brings a unique piece of information to the table."

For Marian, her classmates' diverse work experiences have been the most valuable part of the program. The iMBA also helped reshape her career goals, shifting her focus toward international communication and public relations. She recently put this into practice during a PR internship with the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, where she attended a lot of events, and had the opportunity to collaborate with embassies and global organizations.

"Each course taught me something different and meaningful," she says. "My advice to anyone considering the program is to come with an open mind."

We are so proud to have Marian in our cohort!

👋 Want to build your own global network right here in Jerusalem?

For more information about the International MBA program and admissions, reach out to us at [email protected].

AI + Behavioral Finance: Can Technology Save Consumers from Costly Mistakes?

How often do people pay a $30 overdraft fee for a $5 cup of coffee? It happens more than you think—driven by a human bias known as the "Ostrich Effect" which is a non-rational limited attention.

On the latest episode of the Business Talk podcast, our Dean, Prof. Orly Sade, discussed her research (with Daniel Ben-David and Ido Mintz) published in Management Science. Partnering with Intuit, the study examines how AI financial advisors can step in precisely when consumers lose track of their finances.

📊 Key Takeaways:

The Message Matters: Simply sending an alert can help but isn't enough. The timing, simplicity, framing, and even a tone can drastically improve whether a customer acts to avoid a fee.

The Inequality Paradox: Surprisingly, higher-income individuals acted on the AI alerts more than lower-income individuals. Warning people only works if they have the financial ability and literacy to act.

The Policy Challenge: As AI cuts out the human middleman, regulators must step up. Without driving digital and financial literacy, advanced fintech tools risk widening the inequality gap rather than closing it.

Prof. Orly Sade's core recommendation for banks and regulators is to "Give the information, but make it simple and easy to comprehend."

🎧 Tune in to the full episode of Business Talk to explore the future of human-algorithm interaction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STTPKqrIrlU

Innovation comes to life when you see it in action.

Last week, Catalyst participants from the Hebrew University International MBA experienced two inspiring visits that highlighted the many faces of innovation.

The week began at AtoBe Startup Accelerator, where students met the accelerator team, connected with founders building their startups, and heard from entrepreneur Uri Stein, PhD, who shared his journey through successes, setbacks, and an impressive exit. The day concluded with a networking event that introduced students to Jerusalem’s thriving tech ecosystem.

Later in the week, the group visited ALYN Hospital and ALYNnovation, where they explored how innovation and entrepreneurship are transforming pediatric rehabilitation. Guided by Deputy Director General Arie Melamed and Innovation Director Sefi Hauslich, students learned how ideas developed in the clinical setting can become solutions with real impact.

From startups to healthcare, these experiences showed that innovation starts with people who are willing to solve meaningful challenges.

Thank you to our hosts at atobe.azrieli and alyn_hospital for welcoming our students and sharing your expertise.

🎙️ What happens when top AI professors leave universities for Big Tech?

According to Prof. Michael Gofman, the impact goes far beyond academia.

Michael, Senior Lecturer in Finance and Head of the PhD Program at the Hebrew University Business School, recently joined The Scholar podcast, a collaboration between The Jerusalem Post and Canadian Friends of the Hebrew University, to discuss how AI, financial networks, and academic talent are shaping the future of innovation.

Here are three key takeaways:

🧠 AI talent migration matters
Research by Michael and his co-authors found that when leading AI professors left universities for major tech companies, those universities produced fewer AI startups and raised less venture capital years later, highlighting the critical role faculty play in mentoring future entrepreneurs.

🕸️ Financial systems are networks
Michael’s research shows that banks are deeply interconnected. Managing financial risk requires understanding how shocks spread across the entire network, not just individual institutions.

🚀 Preparing leaders for the AI era
Michael is also co-founding the J CENTER at the Hebrew University Business School, an initiative connecting research, education, and industry to help organizations navigate AI transformation.

🎧 Listen to the full episode of The Scholar via the link in our bio.

The Peres Center for Peace & Innovation מרכז פרס לשלום ולחדשנות

💡Exploring the story of Israeli innovation.

As part of the CATALYST program, our students visited the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation for a guided tour exploring the past, present, and future of Israeli innovation.

The visit offered a unique opportunity to experience the ideas, breakthroughs, and entrepreneurial spirit that have helped shape Israel’s innovation ecosystem. Experiences like these complement the classroom by connecting learning with the people, stories, and institutions driving innovation forward. 🤝

The Peres Center for Peace & Innovation מרכז פרס לשלום ולחדשנות

When Rona Yaniv started her studies at Hebrew University, she was drawn to Economics and Psychology, hoping to better understand how people think and make decisions.

Over time, that curiosity led her into finance. Through advanced courses, competitions like the Women’s Stock Pitch, and hands-on experience with the HUJI VC Club and the MAAYAN Fund, she discovered how closely human behavior and financial decision-making are connected. Today, she’s pursuing an MA in Financial Economics and, as she puts it, has become a bit of a “finance nerd.”

From the start, Rona made a point of getting involved. She attended events, built connections, evaluated startups, and took part in international competitions, experiences that broadened her perspective on finance across different markets and cultures.

Representing Hebrew University abroad was one of the highlights of her journey. She competed in the Women’s Stock Pitch in New York and the Wharton Turner MIINT, an international impact investing competition hosted by Wharton. Along the way, she gained a global perspective on finance and discovered that collaboration often goes beyond borders.

Back on campus, professors, mentors, and friends helped shape her experience and encouraged her to keep pushing forward.

With graduation on the horizon, Rona is looking toward a future in VC and investments. Her advice to other students is simple: stay curious, get involved, and don’t wait for opportunities to find you.

“There’s so much happening,” she says. “You just have to go after it.”

If you’re looking to make the most of your time at university, opportunities like these are waiting for you. From student clubs and international competitions to mentorship programs and hands-on experiences, Hebrew University offers countless ways to learn, connect, and grow beyond the classroom.

What happens when people from different industries, countries, and career stages come together with one goal? Innovation.

Yesterday marked the start of this year’s Catalyst program, bringing together participants from healthcare, finance, marketing, sales, technology, business, and more. With journeys spanning California, Atlanta, New York, Israel, China, South Korea, France, and beyond, this year’s group is as diverse as it is ambitious.

Led by Professor Dan Marom, Michael Mizrahi, and Shai Hod, the first day introduced participants to creative thinking, startup tools, and the startup and investment ecosystem, setting the stage for the weeks ahead.

When we asked what they hoped to gain from the program, one word kept coming up: connection. Participants spoke about building meaningful networks, learning practical AI tools, gaining new perspectives, and meeting entrepreneurs who have already turned ideas into reality.

As Michael Mizrahi said, “Diversity is the key ingredient in innovation.” Looking back on previous groups that grew into award-winning startups, he shared his excitement to see what this year’s participants will create together.

Looking around the room yesterday, it’s easy to believe the next success story could already be sitting among us.