Wars are still fought with tanks and artillery, but today’s conflicts increasingly take place on the virtual battlefield. The IDF’s elite C4I Unit is Israel’s front line of defense against hostile cyber-attacks on critical national infrastructures, from civilian water supplies to military command and control systems.

Now, Sapir College has joined forces with the IDF to train a reserve of highly motivated young people from the Negev, willing and able to defend their country on tomorrow’s battlefield. An initial group of 31 high school graduates from the Gaza Envelope and surrounding areas will study at Sapir’s Center for Practical Engineering, learning the skills they need to serve in the Cyber Defense Division and other elite, IDF technological units.

As Dudu Shlomo, director of the center, explains, “This program is not just about national defense. It’s about social mobility and the chance for young people from underserved communities to build a future in Israel’s hi-tech economy. The skills we teach them will help keep Israel one step ahead of our adversaries.  And it will give these kids a leg up when they finish their army service and pursue their dreams in academia and the workforce.”

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While Israel considers how to revitalize the devastated communities of Hevel Tkuma / Gaza Envelope, Sapir Academic College has just taken the first step. Sapir, the academic nerve center of the entire Western Negev, will devote most of its NIS 200 million in government rehabilitation funding to scholarships, enabling more students from diverse backgrounds to study in the region. Its flagship initiative will be free tuition for all first-year students.
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