ISBA UAE: Entrepreneurship in the Middle East

Learn about an established entrepreneurial country (Israel) and an emerging entrepreneurial country (United Arab Emirates) and how the interconnectedness between culture, politics, and business produce a unique and successful business and entrepreneurial environment.

The Middle East is transforming from economies predominantly relying on energy to become hubs of global innovation and entrepreneurship. Students will learn from guest speakers, company visits, and actual non-profit consulting. 

This program will run for 15 days in June, with days split between Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Total cost is estimated at $6,500.

Israel Summer Business Academy

The Israel Summer Business Academy (ISBA) is a unique opportunity for undergraduate students to study and immerse themselves in Israel—a country that’s built itself around entrepreneurship.

Spend approximately three days a week attending lectures and working on group and individual assignments at Mindspace, located in central Tel Aviv. The other 2 days are spent visiting companies and listening to guest lectures.

A Typical Day

9:00 a.m. – Leave for class

10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. – Class at Mindspace in Tel Aviv

1:00-2:00 pm. – Lunch at a restaurant around Mindspace

2:00-4:00 p.m. – Coursework with assigned group

4:30 p.m. – Return to apartment

4:30-6:00 p.m. – Gym, Laundry, free time

6:00-8:00 p.m. – Dinner with ISBA friends

8:00-11:00 pm. – Relaxing and experiencing the Tel Aviv night life

Why Study Entrepreneurship in Israel?

Launched in the summer of 2014, the Israel Summer Business Academy is designed for students of all faiths, beliefs and academic backgrounds who want to learn about Israeli business and startup culture firsthand. This is a powerful opportunity to immerse yourself in a truly innovative environment that encourages startups.

I came to ISBA knowing little about venture capital or entrepreneurship, and I walked away feeling like an expert.

—Noah, University of Michigan

Israel has more startups per capita than any other country in the world, with 65% of the companies still in business after five years. Israel–with a population of about 8 million–is #3 on the list of countries with the most companies on NASDAQ, behind only the United States and China. While there, you learn about Israeli entrepreneurship, innovation and nonprofit consulting through coursework, speakers, company visits and actual nonprofit consulting.

You’ll also visit historical and cultural sites such as Masada and the Dead Sea, Jerusalem, and a number of museums in Tel Aviv.