At the double: IDC Herzliya now offers a combined degree in law and business

The world is not only getting smaller – it's getting hungrier, too! With international commerce getting more competitive, resources dwindling, banks defaulting and world terror a constant threat, nations often find themselves competing in the board room or before a magistrate rather than in the battlefield – led by lawyers rather than generals. Thus, today's business lawyer must be an expert in international trade and regulations, and a business major must be able to perform in a globalized economy – notwithstanding language and local predilections.

Prof. Sharon Rabin-Margalioth, Dean of the Radzyner School of Law at IDC Herzliya has studied law on both sides of the Atlantic. "In business, local expertise is insufficient; there is a growing need for international business law expertise and the ability to cope with the challenges of globalization. That's why we've established an innovative new program that provides students with significant added value in law and business."

IDC's combined degree in Law & Business Administration program focuses on global legal principles. Taught in English, students acquire an in-depth knowledge of international business law and the tools required to integrate into the international legal world and the global business sphere. US Supreme Court Justice Brandeis once observed that a lawyer who is not proficient in economic theory poses a danger to the public. Today, that assertion would state that one cannot function in a global sphere without an interdisciplinary understanding of geopolitical processes and the realities of any region in which we desire to act.

In law, as in commerce, one must draw upon experience and extensive knowledge to solve any problem at hand. One must interpret and utilize social norms and translate these into legal and commercial dispositions. The Radzyner School of Law provides students with that knowledge base and the ability to analyze problems and place them into an appropriate context – an impressive challenge, given the intricate nature of language and human disposition. Students develop their analytical skills, a creative imagination, sensitivity for others and the ability to express themselves in any situation. They also engage in diverse practical experiences, acquire 21st century skills and directly interact with leading figures in the legal practice and academic world from both Israel and abroad.

The nine semester curriculum (four years and an additional summer semester) includes law, business and specialized courses integrating the two. The program is offered by the IDC's Raphael Recanati International School.

Jonathan Davis who is both Vice-President for External Relations and head of the RRIS is a firm believer in the IDC's mission of statement: "We are Zionists – here to contribute to Israel and to the Jewish People," he stresses. "We strive to build bridges between the elites and the underprivileged, between Israelis and the Diaspora, between Israel and its neighbors." And, indeed, one of the main goals of the combined degree in International Business Law and Business Administration is to create a truly international learning experience.

Students from 86 different countries make up more than a quarter of the student body and the IDC's internationally renowned faculty roster reflects both scholarly excellence and practical experience. "We are constantly expanding the school's international focus and developing new and exciting opportunities for our students to explore on a global level," Davis adds.

The Radzyner School of Law is also one of the founding members of the Law Schools Global League – an international alliance between more than 20 law schools, which fosters collaborative relations and offers students the opportunity to study abroad for one semester as part of an extensive student exchange program.

IDC is located in Herzliya. Besides a host of recreational facilities, the area has been nicknamed Silicon Wadi – attracting the world's leading venture-capital firms alongside Israeli software and biotech companies, many of them traded on international stock exchanges.

When established in 1994, IDC was the first major private educational institution in Israel. Today, with 25 research centers and more than 60 exchange programs with leading universities around the world, IDC employs a truly international and distinctly interdisciplinary approach, allowing students to obtain an education that is comprehensive on so many levels and practical.

Reprinted from The Jewish Press, October 21, 2013.