Bozeman Magazine

Two leaders of the COVID-19 vaccine effort in Israel – a country that has reportedly inoculated its citizens at the fastest per capita pace of any country – will speak April 6 at a free online event hosted by the Montana State University Leadership Institute.

Deputy Consul General Matan Zamir and Dr. Nadav Davidovitch, experts in foreign affairs and the Israeli vaccine response, will present “Global Recovery: Leadership Amidst Israel's COVID-19 Crisis Response” from 10 a.m. to noon.

Davidovitch and Zamir will discuss Israel’s vaccine success, their leadership experiences related to that success, strategies for a successful COVID-19 crisis response and the importance of leadership within global health and international collaborative efforts. They will also share how the lessons they’ve learned translate to Montana, the Gallatin Valley and MSU students. The event is free and open to all, but registration is required at https://tinyurl.com/MSUGlobalLeadership.

According to The Washington Post, as of  Feb. 28, Israel – which has a population of about 9 million people – has inoculated more than 4.6 million people with at least the first of two COVID-19 vaccines. More than 3.3 million in Israel have received both shots.

Davidovitch is an epidemiologist, public health physician and director of the School of Public Health at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel. He serves on a number of international committees, including the governing board of the European Public Health Association; the Israeli national COVID-19 advisory committee; and the Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region COVID-19 Task Force. Davidovich has published more than 120 papers in leading medical and health policy journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine, Clinical Infectious Diseases, Emerging Infectious Diseases, the Journal of Pediatrics, Vaccine, Social Science and Medicine, and Law & Contemporary Problems.

“I am pleased to share our insights about Israel’s response to COVID-19 with other academic communities,” Davidovitch said. “Many of our university researchers and physicians, together with the Israeli public health community, were instrumental in helping Israel overcome some significant pandemic-related issues. We hope to offer any help we can with the rest of the world through our experience.”

Zamir is deputy consul general of Israel to the Pacific Northwest. He has been a member of Israel’s Foreign Service since 2011, and he previously served as the deputy chief of mission at the Israeli consulates to Mumbai and New England. He is also the recipient of the President’s Medal of Excellence for Israel's 55th Independence Day.

"The best way to combat COVID-19 is through international dialogue and sharing information since we are all facing the pandemic together,” Zamir said. “I am excited to help facilitate conversations like this at MSU.”

The MSU Leadership Institute has partnered with the Consulate General of Israel to the Pacific Northwest and American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev to hold the event. Event sponsors include Associated Students of MSU, the Office of the Provost, Congregation Beth Shalom, the Healthcare Leadership Program - Carroll College, Montana World Trade Center and Montana Bioscience Cluster Initiatives - University of Montana.

For more information, call the MSU Leadership Institute at 406-994-7275 or visit montana.edu/leadership or facebook.com/MSULeadershipInstitute.