Hebrew University touts new startup track as part of MBA

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem is set to launch a startup studies track as part of its executive MBA program.

Called Start Up 360 — which the university is touting as the first such program in any academic institution globally — the track aims to give students the necessary tools to manage and invest in startups. The students will be guided by local and global lecturers and by Israeli firm GKH Law Offices.

The study program will also include a real investment process, in which mentors from the VC industry, such as JVP and OurCrowd, will work with students and together allocate a total sum of $2 million in startups.

The aim of the specialization is to give students knowledge about startup ecosystems in Israel and abroad, and insights into what investors look for and what kind of investors should be approached at the different stages of the development of a startup. It will also impart tools on how to evaluate such companies.

The program will include lecturers from Harvard, MIT, Northwestern and Duke, and will partner with international tech firms like Google, Microsoft, Siemens and a number of VC funds.

Start Up 360 will begin this academic year, the Hebrew University said in a statement.