The University of Passau had the pleasure of welcoming a group of students from the Jerusalem Multidisciplinary College (formerly Hadassah Academic College) as part of an intercultural Erasmus exchange program. Together with faculty and students from the University of Passau, the guests dedicated an entire week to the topic of "Intercultural Entrepreneurship," experiencing an engaging blend of theory and practice. The exchange was led by Prof. Dr. Christoph Barmeyer, Dr. Tali Hadasa Blank (The Blender – Innovation & Entrepreneurship Center, Jerusalem Multidisciplinary College), and Dr. Olga Goncharova, who jointly offered the interdisciplinary course "Intercultural Entrepreneurship" to students from both universities during this term.

In this course, students were introduced to theories and concepts of interculturality, entrepreneurship, and dilemma theory, and were tasked with developing a case study on an innovative entrepreneurial project based on empirical data. This required them to apply their entrepreneurial and creative skills to analyze complex problems and develop innovative solutions. The course provided students with the opportunity to work in bicultural teams on case studies of interesting entrepreneurial projects, while also addressing and solving the challenges of virtual and intercultural collaboration

.A highlight of the program was the visit to the Passau Innovation Center INNkubator, where promising ideas for future collaborations were discussed. PATEC – Passau The Entrepreneurial Campus, represented by Dr. Maria Diekmann, played a key role in facilitating and supporting this exchange. Additionally, Prof. Dr. Carolin Häussler and her team engaged in an intensive exchange with the Israeli students and faculty. A special program highlight was the inspiring lecture by Dr. Tali Hadasa Blank on the topic "Startup Nation Israel," which took place as part of the "Technology and Innovation Management" course. This lecture not only provided Passau students with the opportunity to learn about the current situation in Israel but also allowed for a vibrant discussion with the Israeli guests on challenges and opportunities. The lecture offered valuable insights and fostered intercultural dialogue.

The University of Passau is deeply committed to promoting intercultural dialogue and entrepreneurial collaboration. The Jerusalem Multidisciplinary College is a partner university of the University of Passau and follows a strongly intercultural approach, with students from diverse backgrounds (e.g., one-third of the students are of Arab origin, approximately 20% are ultra-Orthodox).

We extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone involved, especially the International Office of the University of Passau, the Jerusalem Multidisciplinary College, the Academic Exchange Office of Passau, and the PATEC team, for their invaluable support. We look forward to further joint projects with our Israeli partners!