Hebrew University of Jerusalem AND Jerusalem Institute’s Milken Innovation Center
Program Director Professor Glenn Yago (glenn@jerusaleminstitute.org.il)
Program Manager Ms. Orly Movshovitz-Landskroner (orly@jerusaleminstitute.org.il)
Website:
https://milkeninnovationcenter.org/fellows-program/global-fellows/
The Global Development Finance Practice Fellowship Program in conjunction with the Hebrew University Business School at Hebrew University opens every October. The graduate-level Certificate program through the Hebrew University Business School combines field internship training with the completion of a project implementation plan based on applying innovative finance for food, water, energy, and global health. The program provides cutting-edge solutions to address pressing sustainable development challenges. Financing sustainable development
requires robust skills in innovative finance, project finance mechanics, research seminar skills, hands-on field experience, and mentorship to produce investible project implementation plans in each of their home countries. Most importantly, they combine innovative finance and technology transfer to support SDGs through sustainable projects.
The Milken Innovation Center focuses on developing market-based solutions that other start-up nations can replicate based on breakthrough development technologies derived from Israel’s global laboratory in conjunction with co-innovation partners from developing and frontier economies. The Center’s goal is to accelerate sustainable economic growth through innovative finance that builds human, social, and natural capital, based on Israel’s role as a pioneer in developing new technologies that address global challenges.
Our model is to expose our Fellows to the practical aspects of sustainable project development. Fellows benefit from a unique opportunity to work on real-world challenges in partnership with cutting-edge technology companies and stakeholders in their home countries through project-based learning and development. The Hebrew University is one of the global top 100 Universities. The Jerusalem Institute for Policy Research’s Milken Innovation Center is widely recognized for its pioneering work in financial innovation through financial product, program, and policy development. Aside from core coursework and tailored workshops, MDP students will participate in monthly half-day problem-solving and skill development workshops with hands-on training in economic and financial analysis for project development, presentational skills, specific research methodologies, and meetings with key professionals who focus on innovative finance in sustainable development.
Fellows create investable projects in their target area of development practice. Fellows must present and complete a project implementation plan (PIP) and field training Fellowship (FTI). Four (4) days per week, students will spend on their PIP and FTI, with internship placements at a government ministry or authority, start-up or technology firm, research laboratory, a social enterprise or non-governmental organization, or a related research and development institute. The PIP report will include a full planning and project/business implementation plan including a financial model and capital structure for its funding in the home country to which the student will return. Working teams in each target area from government, industry, and academia will actually deploy practical, scalable, and sustainable solutions.
Upon graduation, participants become part of our international alumni network for
development practitioners and engagement with our financial innovation and project development labs. For example, Fellows have been involved in assignments with addressing issues as diverse as reducing post-harvest cassava losses in Nigeria, operationalizing finance for Power Africa projects in a hospital and fruit factory in Kenya, “hub and spoke” design for precision irrigation for smallholder fodder farmers in Kenya, fintech applications for agricultural supply chain needs in Mango harvest and production, fintech application to open access to credit and other banking services for smallholder farms in Ecuador and Colombia, and SME
lending to digital technology firms in Rwanda. Another Fellow worked on the business plan for a co-innovation hub between Israel and several African countries that will facilitate project development and technology transfer for SDGs.
The program hopes to attract students from neighboring countries in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Latin America, Europe, and North America. Fellows will receive a joint graduate certificate from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the
Milken Innovation Center. They may also complete the Fall-Spring course sequence while enrolled in the Hebrew University International MBA program (website: imba.huji.ac.il)
