Alumni Meeting 2025
We are excited to have hosted the firstannual student and alumni meeting of the MA in Sustainable Development and the Nitsan Lab at Tel Aviv University. It was truly inspiring to hear from alumni across each of our fifth MA cohorts, as well as Nitsan fellows from 2018 and beyond, and students who have collaborated with partner institutions.
Some of the powerful testimonies shared:
“The MA in Sustainable Development and Nitsan Lab taught me the importance of persistence…”
“It helped me learn how to negotiate across cultures—a skill that later allowed me to fund my own ventures…”
“The program gave me the real-world experience I needed to land my dream job in sustainable development…”
The evening was filled with unforgettable stories about overcoming challenges, conducting fieldwork in places like India, Tanzania, and Malawi, navigating the job market, and more. We also had the chance to thank our mentors and professors for their invaluable guidance throughout our journeys.
A special thank you to Ayelet Levin Karp, CEO of Society for International Development (SID), Israel, who delivered an insightful address on Israel's role as a leader in international development and shared incredible opportunities for students and young professionals in the field.
Another huge thank you to our our alumni panelists who shared their stories, experiences and advice with us:
Oren Kaplun, Co-Founder and CEO at ENVA Responsible Investments, Nitsan Fellow from 2018
Selda Edris Zarobchik, Head of the Water, Hygiene and Sanitation Sector in IsraAID, Nitsan Fellow from 2019
Tal Kazaz, Malawi Country Director at Innovation: Africa, MA in Sustainable Development class of 2020
Yuval Barda Meiner, Project Manager at Engineers Without Borders Israel, MA in Sustainable Development class of 2020
We’re already looking forward to next year!
Event Program
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18:00 |
Arrivals, mingling and great food! |
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18:15 |
Event Opening
Prof. Guy Mundlak, Head of the School of Social and Policy Studies, Tel Aviv-University
Prof. Tammie Ronen, MA International Program for Sustainable Development, Faculty of Social Sciences, Tel-Aviv University
Prof. Ram Fishman, Associate Professor of Public Policy at Tel-Aviv University and Director of the Nitsan Lab for Sustainable Development
Nicole Kuttler, Project Manager, MA in Sustainable Development, Tel-Aviv University |
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18:30 |
Expert Lecturer Lecturer and Q&A
Ayelet Levin-Karp, CEO of SID Israel (Society for International Development) https://www.sid-israel.org/en/about |
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19:00 |
Alumni Panel, moderated by Nicole Kuttler, followed by Q&A
Oren Kaplun (Nitsan Lab, 2019), CEO of ENVA Responsible Investments
Tal Kazaz (MA Class of 2020), Director of Malawi Operations at Innovation Africa
Selda Edris (Nitsan Lab, 2021) Head of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Sector at IsraAid, former Industrial Wastewater Coordinator at the Ministry of Environmental Protection
Yuval Barda (MA Class of 2020), Project Manager at Engineers Without Borders Israel, former General Director at Project TEN |
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19:55 |
Closing Remarks |
Meetup presentation available here
Full meeting recording
