聶良育 Jerry Nieh
During the 12-day exploration in Israel, I experienced the rich diversity of Israeli history, culture, and religion. I observed how these contrasting elements coexist harmoniously. More importantly, I learned the unique Jewish Chutzpah spirit, and Israel’s national character of seizing every opportunity at hand, which has earned them the esteemed title of a leading startup nation. The impact of this journey goes beyond personal growth; it has provoked a strong desire to contribute significantly to my homeland－Taiwan, while fostering aspirations for future academic and industrial pursuits in Israel.
Taiwan and Israel share a lot of similarities in technological innovation and cultural values. Before setting foot in Israel, I was curious about the nation's success as a global startup hub, despite its smaller population compared to Taiwan. Through our visits to workshops and startup companies, I unearthed the essential factors driving Israel's accomplishments: the proactive action to identify and seize opportunities, the fearless and adventurous Chutzpah spirit, exceptional marketing skills for the Israeli startup ecosystem, and the high-quality academic research environment. These aspects have played a crucial role in Israel's achievements. During our visits to workshops and startup companies, we noticed a significant number of Israeli startups do not focus on disruptive innovations based on cutting-edge technology. Instead, they excel in integrating existing technologies to solve specific problems they identify. This type of business module manifests Israeli entrepreneurs' sharp observance in pinpointing critical issues that inherit potential commercial value, and taking immediate action to seize opportunities. Their mindset aligns with a take-home message from Assaf: "When there is a gap, there is an opportunity." Additionally, the Chutzpah spirit emphasized the audacity for risk-taking and self-confidence, was displayed by all the speakers when answering questions or addressing how their companies stood out in a competitive market. This strong psychological resilience not only motivates many Israelis to venture into entrepreneurship but also serves as a crucial factor in their incredibly high startup success rate, which can reach up to 95%. Moreover, Assaf mentioned his unique career vision to market Israel's startup ecosystem internationally, bridging cross-border cooperation and attracting global investments. Israel's success as a startup nation is mostly on account of these ambitious entrepreneurs’ powerful marketing skills, which aid Israel in earning global recognition and business networking with many other countries. There are several aspects Taiwan could learn from the success of Israel in expanding global business opportunities. While many Israeli startups focus on technology integration, our visits to the Peres Center and Yissum (a technology transfer company) demonstrated lots of high-tech and research-driven startups led by academic professors. This shows abundant academic research talents and resources in Israel’s scholastic community. The Israeli government's substantial investment in research
funding, accounting for 5.4% of total GDP, surprisingly surpassing the United States, further highlights their commitment to scientific innovation. In particular, Israel encourages professors to pursue entrepreneurship, a practice that Taiwan has only recently begun to loosen regulatory restrictions.
From this study trip, I learned the secrets of Israel’s success in building a startup nation, critically I also had unparalleled experiences of immersing myself in Israel's cultural feast. Exploring Israel's cultural landscape felt like witnessing white light refracted through a prism. It brilliantly brings together diverse elements from various ethnicities and religious backgrounds, creating a colorful and harmonious mosaic.
Although each spectrum emitted from the prism remains unique and occasionally conflicts with one another, this interweaving of diverse ethnicities and religions that give Israel its distinct and rich cultural colors. Particularly, in the Old City of Jerusalem, I felt the convergence of these spectra, creating a harmonious atmosphere alike white light. This city is much more than the conflicts and tensions often portrayed by mainstream media; it is a place where history and different faiths intersect and coexist peacefully. The value of our visit lies in our firsthand exploration and experience of these unreported scenes and cultural nuances.
I am so glad that we had the privilege of seeing Israel's natural beauty and human landscapes, from the modern city of Tel Aviv along the Mediterranean coast to the ancient Old City of Jerusalem, from the spiritually significant Masada to the early Jewish Renaissance around the Sea of Galilee, and from the unique Jewish community of Kibbutz with utopian socialist principles to the millennia-old Jewish holy site, the Western Wall. Each place allowed me to deeply immerse myself in the coexistence of ancient Jewish heritage and Western modernity, as well as the juxtaposition of conservatism and innovation. These are experiences that cannot be fully illustrated through online descriptions or textbooks; they require firsthand experiences to truly understand their significance. Moreover, having guided tours of the Yad Vashem and participating in workshops to explore testimonies of survivors and perpetrators granted us a deeper understanding of the local history, which established a meaningful connection and sensational experience with this historical event. It also reminded us of the vulnerability and preciousness of humanity. Beyond the scheduled visits, we made the most of our free time to engage and interact with local residents, such as having conversations with people participating in demonstrations and learning about their expectations for judicial reform. Through these informal exchanges, we not only enriched our knowledge of Israel's history and religion, but most importantly, we discovered common values with the Israelis, which forged stronger relationships and connections with this place. Upon returning home, I felt grateful for the experiences and memories gathered in these mere twelve days. I firmly believe that these
experiences and learnings will have a profound impact on my future academic pursuits and entrepreneurial endeavors, motivating me to establish meaningful connections and collaborations between Taiwan and Israel. I look forward to cherishing these memories and experiences as precious treasures in my life, continually inspiring me to contribute remarkably to Taiwan and the world.
I am truly grateful to Mr. Jeffrey D. Schwartz and Mrs. Na Tang, the founders of the Jewish Taiwan Cultural Association, for their wholehearted and selfless support to this project. Thanks to their unwavering dedication, we had the extraordinary opportunity to explore and broaden our horizons in a meaningful way. I also want to express my appreciation to the Office of International Affairs at NTU for their assistance and arrangements, especially to Alberto and Krystal, who accompanied us to Israel and took good care of various matters. Furthermore, I would like to extend my gratitude to Irit Barash, our tour guide Ben, and security personnel Dolev for their care and guidance, which allowed us to gain deeper insights into Israel. Lastly, I want to thank all my classmates who were by my side during these ten days. I have learned so much from them, and their fascinating and unique ways of thinking have left a lasting impression on me.
