Sustainability Without Borders

28 April 2025

This April, graduates of the MA in Sustainable Development and Nitsan Sustainable Development Lab got together on Tel Aviv University campus for the first official alumni meet-up—with more alumni tuning in from abroad—from Kenya, South Africa, India, France, and beyond.

A Network Rooted in Action

Now in its fifth cohort, the Sustainable Development program, run by TAU’s Faculty of Social Studies, is designed to educate professionals who understand the complexities of sustainable development, technology, socio-cultural issues, and policy, and who can translate their knowledge into real-world solutions.

The Nitsan Lab plays a key role in this, placing students in field projects across Africa and Asia, where they work closely with governments, NGOs, and grassroots organizations on clean water, agriculture, and education projects.

The first meetup of Sustainable Development MA and Nitsan Sustainable Development Lab students and alumni.

In the front row: Ana Goldstein (the Student and Academic Coordinator of the MA program), Prof. Ram Fishman, Prof. Tammie Ronen, Ayelet Fishman (Administrative Director of the International Graduate School of Social Sciences), Amit Kalisker, program alum and current PhD student, and Nicole Kuttler.

Nitsan Lab's Project Coordinator Nicole Kuttler noted opening the event that “this alumni network is not just growing in size—it's growing in strength.” There are currently close to 300 program and lab alumni. Many of them are thriving in diverse international locations, including India, South Africa, Kenya, Russia, Germany, the Netherlands, Brazil, Argentina. They are successfully employed across various sectors—private industry, public service, NGOs, and academia.

Words of Wisdom from Leaders and Mentors

Welcoming the participants, Prof. Guy Mundlak, who has recently became the Head of the School of Social and Policy Studies, was full of admiration:

“Your projects are exciting. I’m a real fan of the program, and it’s amazing to see what you’ve done over the years.”

Program Head, Prof. Tammie Ronen, encouraged students and graduates to think beyond traditional boundaries: “You have to take challenges—no matter your background—and turn them into new perspectives.”

Program Head, Prof. Tammie Ronen: "If you don’t have a dream, you can’t expect a dream to come true."

Nitsan Lab Head, Prof. Ram Fishman spoke about the joy of seeing alumni from all eight past cohorts gathered together. “It’s very moving,” he said, before jokingly apologizing for the tough academic journey. “But you made it through—and that’s what makes you such strong problem solvers.”

From TAU to the Global Stage

Keynote speaker Ayelet Levin-Karp shared her unconventional path—from biology to public policy, to working in Ghana with Israel’s Ministry of Economy, and now leading initiatives at SID Israel (Society for International Development).

Ayelet Levin-Karp, SID Israel

Her advice to the next generation: "Find something meaningful, always stay interested and keep growing."

Talking about the work of the Society for International Development (SID Israel), Levin-Karp highlighted the role of Israeli soft power in the global arena and the importance of local ownership in sustainable solutions—especially in post-USAID context, citing the example of Ghana where the government stepped in to finance the development programs.

"There are a lot of opportunities in the developing countries that can benefit from Israeli tech."—Ayelet Levin-Karp, SID

Levin’s story wasn’t unique in the room. An alumni panel showcased other powerful trajectories.

Oren Kaplun, Nitsan Lab’19, CEO of ENVA Responsible Investments, credits the Sustainable Development MA with giving him the intercultural skills to launch a startup that’s now building sustainable finance solutions.

"Know what your passion is and where you want to end up. Build your reputation in an industry that is slow at the moment—it’s going to explode."—Oren Kaplun, Nitsan Lab’19

The alumni panel at the meetup (from left to right): Yuval Barda, Selda Idris, Tal Kazas, Oren Kaplun

Tal Kazaz, MA Class of 2020 and Director of Malawi Operations at Innovation Africa, leads a team delivering clean water to over 5 million people. “The MA program facilitated my entry into this new field,” he shared.

"Know that things take time. Stay positive, always keep learning, and keep growing to stay at the cutting edge."—Tal Kazaz, MA Class of 2020

Selda Edris (Nitsan Lab’19), Head of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene at IsraAid, has always dreamt of working in Africa. Initially interested in mechanical engineering, she switched to sustainability for her master’s, which then led to her current position.

"Every challenge is an opportunity to look at things from a different perspective."—Selda Edris, Nitsan Lab’19

Yuval Barda (MA Class of 2020), former General Director at Project TEN and now with Engineers Without Borders, spoke of her hands-on research in Tanzania, which directly led to her first role.

"Without fieldwork, without doing community-based research, I couldn’t say that I work in sustainable development. The program really contributed to my career."—Yuval Barda, MA Class of 2020

Other alumni joined online from Kenya, South Africa, India, and France—including Shir Goldovsky, who is about to join the OECD as an environmental lobbyist. Many noted that their career paths started with a connection made during the program—whether through Nitsan Lab, a field partner, or a simple message on SID’s WhatsApp group.

Training Tomorrow’s Sustainability Leaders

The MA in Sustainable Development stands out not only with its global network, but also with the diversity of the student body: 25% of alumni are international students, and 38% come from minority communities. It welcomes students from a wide range of backgrounds, attracting engineers, architects, social scientists, public health professionals, and environmental activists—all united by a desire to drive meaningful change.

Prof. Ronen with MA and lab alums

Students take part in coursework that spans climate science, development economics, project design, and environmental law, and many pursue thesis or internship work in the field in Africa or Asia. Partners have included USAID, UNDP, Engineers Without Borders, SID Israel, the Ministry of Environmental Protection, and a wide range of grassroots NGOs.