The academic reserve: Israel's fast track to high-tech success

Gil Baram*, Isaac Ben-Israel

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

12 Scopus citations

Abstract

Why is Israel world-renowned as the 'start-up nation' and a leading source of technological innovation? While existing scholarship focuses on the importance of skill development during Israel Defense Forces (IDF) service, we argue that the key role of the Academic Reserve has been overlooked. Established in the 1950s as part of David Ben-Gurion's vision for a scientifically and technologically advanced defense force, the Academic Reserve is a special program in which the IDF sends selected high school graduates to earn academic degrees before they complete an extended term of military service. After finishing their service, most participants go on to contribute to Israel's successful high-tech industry. By focusing on the role of the Academic Reserve, we provide a broader understanding of Israel's ongoing technological success.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)75-91
Number of pages17
JournalIsrael Studies Review
Volume34
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Sep 2019

Keywords

  • Academic reserve
  • Cyber ecosystem
  • IDF
  • Innovation
  • Military service
  • Technology
  • Veterans

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