The Asper Fellows Program

Shirley Ben Dak	Pascal Cohen	Simon Zebede	Sabrina Jalfon
Ethan Chernofsky	Adam Grunewald	Jacobo Montvelisky	Daniel Gindis
Mordy Greenshfan	Sara Nigri	Adam Segal	Alexis Einhorn
Lara Greenberg	Daniel Haven	Ido Tzang	Danielle Brown
Alon Gelnik	Diego Grodzicki	Nir Evenhaim	Jonathan Grimberg
Download the Asper Fellows Program 2008

The Asper Institute

The Asper Institute for New Media Diplomacy focuses on the study and use of new media technologies in telling Israel's story to the world. The unique capabilities of these new technologies allow innovative communication and enable us to present Israel from different, and perhaps unexpected, angles. Use of new media also helps us reach new and more varied audiences than reached by the traditional media.

The Asper Institute works with students in producing and packaging video, audio and written content about different aspects of life in Israel and the Israeli reality for use in new media channels such as the blogosphere, virtual worlds, social networks, computer games, podcasts and more. The aim is for this creative, student-produced content to deliver a new perspective on Israel to a global audience and to help the students better understand the power of new media diplomacy.

Asper  Media fellows Program

The Asper Media fellows Program is a new cutting edge program offered to the International program in IDC. The program wishes to create a professional group of 15 outstanding students within the IDC, interested in promoting Israeli advocacy using new media tools, who can serve as the new young team presenting Israel at its best. After receiving a short yet advanced training program, the group will be expected to be on call ready to provide credible, first hand information on their experiences in Israel. The 15 media-trained students will focus their messaging on the public’s interest in Israel beyond the conflict.  They will speak to the Israeli and foreign press, business and community leaders, and groups of students from all over the world with the aim to impact them to advocate for Israel.
Students participating in the program will improve their advocacy skills and knowledge, including hands on practical experience, and will be exposed to a variety of cutting age projects with different organizations planed for Israel's 60th anniversary, while strengthening their networking possibilities in the Jewish world and in the Israel.   The training program will include:

• Agenda-Setting- What attracts the media’s attention? Why are certain issues covered more often than others? How can you become a reliable source?
• Framing- Know Your Issues and Frame the Debate, which emphasizes the importance of language and framing in communicating issues and political visions.  How can you frame the debate?
• Branding- Creating a clear, fresh and different message then the ones usually used to present Israel.  A tie-back to your name, who you are, and what you do.  Above all, branding is about personalities and consistency. 
• Advertising and Marketing- How do we get our message out there? What new possibilities does the world of web 2.0 offer?

The fellows will receive training on how to promote their own message about Israel, using new media tools and technologies and how to create an effective media buzz.  Simultaneously, they will interact and meet different originations and group leaders from around Diaspora helping them understand the needs of students and communities around the world.

• The group will be on call for Interviews and meetings with communication representatives, and groups visiting IDC.
• The group in whole will create several clips on Israel, which will be distributed through viral marketing.
• Each spokesperson will run a blog, telling his own personal story to his language community, sharing stories about Israel from his point of view.