By Anthony Howard
JA Guest Writer
Jackson State University welcomed the Consulate General of Israel to the Southeastern United States, Anat Sultan-Dadon, to campus and discussed bilateral relationships between the university and Israel. Sultan-Dadon expressed interest in learning about the goals and work being done at the university.
“We really appreciate this wonderful session and I look forward to working with you. The university is very invested in research efforts and if we can, we’d like to look at different research opportunities in Israel as well,” said Acting JSU President Dr. Elayne Hayes-Anthony.
During the session with Hayes-Anthony and the JSU Executive Cabinet, Sultan-Dadon, shared their interest in study abroad opportunities for students and faculty.
“We place very high importance on working with HBCUs. We also see a great importance in furthering relationships within the region,” explained Sultan-Dadon. “During our two-day trip in Mississippi, it was really important to us to have the opportunity to get acquainted.”
The 84th Miss Jackson State University, Lauren Temple, gave the Consulate General of Israel and her team a tour of the university. The tour concluded with a visit to the COFO building where Robert Luckett, Ph.D., director of the Margaret Walker Center, gave a brief history about the civil rights education center.
“I am very grateful for the opportunity to speak with an international leader about different topics happening in the United States and Israel,” said Temple. “This visit was a great opportunity for students to realize they can take their careers beyond the country and change lives across the world.”
Sultan-Dadon and her team concluded the JSU visit with a meeting with student leaders where they shared information about how the students could study abroad.
Wendell Shelby-Wallace serves as special advisor for strategic partnerships for the Consulate General of Israel and the Associate Director of Philos Black and discussed the various programs that grant HBCU students the opportunity to travel to Israel.
“We have an opportunity through Philos Black to bring African American students to Israel. We take HBCU students twice a year during a winter and a summer trip and offer universities to send as many students from their institution that they desire. The point is to understand how we connect to Israel as Black people,” Shelby-Wallace explained.
Sultan-Dadon and her team piqued the interest of the students while sharing the various programs that provided students with a foreign exchange opportunity which allows them to gain work experience in their field of studies in Israel.
