$$News and Reports$$

May. 19, 2015
Celebration of the Second Graduating Class

of The Mandel Social Leadership MBA Program
at the Guilford Glazer Faculty of Business & Management
a gala event marking management in social change

On May17, 2015, a gala event celebrated the second graduating class of the Guilford Glazer Faculty of Business & Management (GGFBM) Mandel Social Leadership MBA Program (SLMBA).  This was a particularly special graduation of a degree program unlike any other, the culmination of years of planning, reflection, redirection and innovation among leading minds to create just the right inter-disciplinary degree program in management for social change.

Honored guests were Beer-Sheva Mayor Ruvik Danilovitch, Deputy Mayor Dr. Heftzi Zohar, Mandel Foundation Director Moshe Vigdor, BGU President Prof. Rivka Carmi, GGFBM Dean Prof. Oded Lowengart, Former President of Mandel Foundation-Israel Annette Hochstein, Chair of SLMBA Pedagogy Committee Prof. Miki Malul. Interestingly, the graduation ceremony was emceed by graduate Elad Ben Aroche, exhibiting the leadership spirit and the solidarity of this pioneering class. Moreover, the keynote lecture was a group presentation titled “Act of Leadership,” given by the graduates themselves.

Prof. Pierre Kletz, Head of the Mandel SLMBA Program, faced the graduates when giving his address, relating this fruition of painstakingly creating a program that would combine social change, ethics, values and management as an establishment in the academic world. “I want to tell you the secret of my excitement this evening:…you are on the brink of making social change to making life better.”  He wished each on success in finding their individual as well as organizational paths, “plant your feet on the ground and your eyes on the stars.”

As Mayor Danilovitch addressed the students with delight, he described them as David-Ben-Gurions, all visionaries emerging from the Negev and for the Negev and for the future of Israel. “So you have a degree.  So what?” he surprised the audience. “But if you believe in yourselves and believe in becoming part of our history – take this opportunity and DO it.” Prof. Rivka Carmi commented on this Mandel Program being a BGU flagship, “seemingly small, but with a huge impact for the future.”

In his address, GGFBM Dean Prof. Oded Lowengart spoke directly to the students, expressing “what a very happy and exciting moment this is”, for both the graduates and for their families who filled the Senate Hall for this Gala. He began by saying that while the SLMBA Program may seem small in size (21 grads this year), it comprises 1% of the GGFBM which is 12% of the University student body. He reminded the students that the greatest, and the warmest expression of gratitude goes to the families who made it possible for their children, grandchildren, siblings, spouses “and even parents, there are a few I see here as new or about-to-be parents”, while he applauded the families as did the graduates who sat grouped to the right of the podium.

Prof. Lowengart described his take on the extraordinary photo exhibit of the graduates, “Dimensions of Vision: From Imagination to Reality,” recalling that at last year’s graduation he was struck by images of outstretched hands, “tonight, I was struck by the common thread of change, and of national change;  also by this common thread of individualism and collectiveness. Did this happen because we chose for these qualities from the start? Or did this happen in the course of your intensive 16-month studies?”

Naama Yardeni represented the graduates in her address, stating for the future that even if changes are made in the program, we will always have a framework that defines us, that will motivate us and turn us into the best managers.  We are determined to succeed, to work in the field for Israeli society, and also to manage organizations and lead to better change. And who knows, maybe we’ll also turn into leaders.”

Video of the ceremony here

Yearbook here​ 

2nd Graduating Class of the Mandel MBA Program in Social Leadership, 2013-2014

Yifat Pinto-Kahana, Ori Shechter, Daniel Silverton, Tali Tessler, Avital Blonder, Shir Menuchin, Tal Goldman, Limor Hashavia, Yitzchak Bodner, Hila Sagges, Shani Aloni, Naama Yardeni, Mor Deitch, Hadas Aglamaz, Sagie Grunhaus, Amir Chen, Noam Aricha, Noa Bielitsky, Doreen Gabbai, Avital Hepher, Dana Schleifer, Dan Shapira, Elad Ben Aroche

 
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