Wells Hall
Okemos, MI 48864
USA
Startup Nation: the Historical Context, the Cultural Geographic Landscape, and the Israeli Infotech Migrants in Silicon Valley and Beyond
This panel will explore the significance of Israeli high-tech industry on Israeli and American history, culture, society and economy. Dr. Tom Bielik (Weizmann Institute; post-doc at MSU) will focus on the history of first Israeli President and innovator Dr. Chaim Weizmann whose vision paved the way for the research of the Weizmann Institute of Science, one of the top-ranked research institutes in the world. Dr. Steven Fraiberg (MSU, WRAC) will focus on the cultural geographic landscape of the Israeli high-tech industry as it transitions from the socialist ideals of the kibbutz to a capitalist system based on global high-tech industries. Finally, Dr. Steven Gold (MSU, Sociology) will focus on the Israeli infotech migrants living in Silicon Valley, examining communal cooperation in San Francisco, comparing the Israeli experience to that of Indians and considering the impact of infotech Israeli involvement on the US economy.
Co-sponsored by James Madison College, the College of Arts and Letters, and the Asian Studies Center.