KENNESAW, Ga. | May 31, 2022

Kennesaw State University marketing professor Prachi Gala has been invited to participate in the Jewish National Fund USA’s 2022 Summer Faculty Fellowship Program in Israel, where she will work with university faculty across Israel in the hopes of establishing new academic partnerships.

Gala, an assistant professor of marketing in the Michael J. Coles College of Business, is one of 33 college and university faculty from across the U.S. selected for this highly competitive program. Fellows will participate in an all-expense-paid academic trip to Israel where they will meet and network with Israeli professors from institutions across the country. 

“I’m excited to learn something new from another country, specifically a ‘start-up nation’ like Israel, and apply it to my classes as well as my research,” Gala said. “This creates an opportunity for new collaborations with research faculty in Israel as well as with faculty who are also participating in the program.” 

Fellows will travel across Israel from June 4-17 visiting cities such as Haifa, Be'er Sheva, Jerusalem and more engaging in cross-cultural academic and professional exchanges at leading Israeli institutions. The focus of the fellowship is for participants to connect with scholars and experts in their respective disciplines, allowing for academic exchange, networking, and the development of collaboration opportunities like research projects and student faculty/student exchange programs. 

Networking is not the program’s only goal. Fellows will also gain insight into Israeli technologies, and will explore the country’s history, society, economy, culture, and government in order to better understand Israel’s complexity. Gala is confident that this knowledge will help shape the way she teaches.

“Exploring a different country and culture will give me a new perspective on teaching,” Gala said. “I teach various marketing courses and understanding the perspectives of different cultures only enhances my teaching experience.”  

JNF-USA is a philanthropic organization supporting environmental and nation-building activities in Israel. The Summer Faculty Fellowship Program is supported by JNF-USA’s Boruchin Fund, which promotes educational partnerships between the U.S. and Israel. 

A goal of the fellowship is to allows participants to enhance their understanding of Israeli culture and practices and to foster international cooperation. 

“I am expecting this trip to be a life-changing experience for me,” Gala said. “Collaborating with the marketing faculty, developing a professional network in Israel, becoming more cross-culturally competent, and getting hands-on experience with their research and development makes this a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I hope to build relationships with the travel companions who are selected along with me across the USA and from different disciplines, thus building cross-disciplinary connections and making life-long friends.”

-Daijah Sims