The Israel-Asia Center is seeking for its future emerging leaders from Indonesia to develop relations between the two countries, through its Israel-Indonesia Futures Program and Israel-Indonesia Futures 2022 Challenge Program. The programs are destined to Indonesian emerging leaders in innovation, social entrepreneurship, tech, education and other sectors who demonstrate a track record for creating impact and who are eager to contribute to the strengthening of Israel-Indonesia relations in the post-COVID era.
The Israel-Asia Center is an Israeli not-for-profit organization dedicated to prepare Israel – dubbed as the Start-up Nation due to its status as a powerhouse of innovation – for a secure and prosperous future in Asia. It conducts leadership and public education programs, including a 12-week of Israel-Indonesia Futures Programs. Through the Israeli Start-Up Nation Central, the organization also giving grants to the alumni of the Israel-Asia Leaders Fellowship with ongoing engagement opportunities whose seeking funding for events, ventures and other initiatives connecting Israel and Asia.
Israel-Indonesia Futures 2022 Challenge Program in Israel
The application for the Israel-Indonesia Futures Program has been closed, but the potential candidates still can access the Israel-Indonesia Futures 2022 Challenge Program, another program for Indonesian social entrepreneurs. One of the objectives of the program is to connect Indonesian entrepreneurs to Israeli international start-up ecosystems and support systems.
The program also offers partial scholarships available to candidates on a needs basis. The winning teams will have access to capacity building and other business development mentorship, such as incubator or accelerator programs, workshops, seminars and other resources to help their business grow in Indonesian market during a one week validation and partnership building trip in Israel.
Following the program, the alumni will have the eligibility to apply for post-program Micro Grants to develop Israel-Indonesia initiatives and travel between Israel and Indonesia for networking and partnership-building. The alumni of the Israel-Asia Center’s leadership programs also benefit from the ongoing access to high-level networking platforms through the Israel-Asia Center, as well as exclusive networking events, and ongoing career guidance.
Israel seeks to invest and develop people-to-people relation
Two advisors behind the Israel-Indonesia programs are Emanuel Shahaf, Vice-Chair of Israel-Indonesia Chamber of Commerce, and Benjamin Cass, President Director, Living Well Seniors Communities Indonesia, whose also, based on his LinkedIn page, served on the Australia-Indonesia Business Council’s Victorian Committee.
Shahaf, in his interview with Indonesia Business Post, stated that the most important thing now is to build relationships between two countries at the people-to-people level. He considers Indonesia as strategically crucial for Israel since it is the world’s most prominent moderate Muslim country. “I think the biggest attraction for Israel is the fact that Indonesia is a very large Muslim, a moderate Muslim country and can contribute to a peaceful relationship with the Palestinians and other Muslim countries.”
Read also: Indonesia’s strategic position as a moderate Muslim country for Israel
