Speeches

Statements by Senior

Embassy Officials

2007 MBA FAIR
SHERATON HOTEL
THURSDAY, AUGUST 30, 6 P.M.

Good evening. It is a pleasure to be in the presence of so many aspiring business students! I myself have a graduate degree in business, although I had to settle for a PhD –much less remunerative than an MBA, I assure you.

As important as an MBA was when I was in school, it is even more essential now. In America we say that the only thing that remains constant is change. In business, this is more true today than ever before. The global business landscape is in a state of flux. In order to succeed in such an environment, you need the skills that only an MBA can provide.

But why an American MBA? Well, the US and Israeli have had a Free Trade Agreement since 1985. During that period Israeli exports to the US have grown more than seven fold. US exports to Israel have quadrupled. In many ways we now have a common market.

But it’s not just the volume of trade that counts; the type of trade is also important.

Over the past several decades several bi-national institutions, including the BIRD, BARD, BSF and tonight’s sponsor, the USIEF, have promoted a healthy pattern of academic exchanges between our two countries.

These exchanges helped foster the development of Israel’s renowned hi-tech sector and further strengthened our bilateral commercial ties. Today Israel has more than 3,000 start-up companies and is the number one foreign country represented on NASDAQ.

Many leading American hi-tech companies have Israeli subsidiaries and are looking for more. If you’re a young Israeli, the odds are very good that one day you’ll be working for an American company –or owning one!

In short, there is a growing need for executives who understand and can function well in both business cultures. And that is where the American MBA comes in.

A U.S. MBA program provides Israeli executives with an opportunity to master advanced American management methods, through programs of study emphasizing practical applications and the acquisition of real world experience. In addition, the personal contacts you make while at school, people not just from the U.S. but all over the world, will prove invaluable as you progress through your career.

It is not surprising that there is a growing demand among Israelis for an American management education. Leading US business schools report an increasing number of Israelis applying, and being accepted, to their programs each year.

Your studies, together with internships or a post-degree period of on-the-job training, will equip you well to help your firms here in Israel succeed and to develop ever-closer partnerships with American companies.

In closing I would like to express the Embassy’ appreciation to the StudyUSA Educational Counseling Service of the United States-Israel Educational Foundation, the Fulbright Commission for Israel, for playing a lead role in helping you to familiarize yourselves with the advantages of MBA study in the US, and for organizing this annual MBA fair.

This year's fair offers you the chance to get acquainted with the programs of a record number of American business schools. Make the most of this opportunity, and best wishes to you as you set out to realize your ambition of acquiring an American MBA degree.