MASHAV

Israel’s official overseas development cooperation was launched in 1958 with the aim of sharing with the rest of the developing world the know-how and technologies which provided the basis for Israel’s own rapid development.

MASHAV, the Hebrew acronym for the Center for International Cooperation, was established as a division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and is responsible for international cooperation and assistance around the world, through the provision of guidance and training in Israel and abroad. Part of the center's activity takes place in cooperation with other countries and international institutions, or with their financial assistance.

The following activities are supported:

• Courses in Israel: international and national courses
• On-the-spot courses conducted at the request of the recipient country. Training courses concentrate in traditional areas where Israel has acquired experience such as agriculture and related sciences, rural and urban development, education, social and economic development, medicine and public health, environmental and natural resource protection, and advancement of women.
• Short-term consultancies: a MASHAV expert is sent at the request of GOP to provide rapid, specific advisory services, assistance in program implementation, conduct a survey on a specific topic or back-up for MASHAV experts on long-term projects.
• Long-term consultancies: MASHAV experts are dispatched at the request of the host country to assist in the design, implementation, management or general assessment of pilot or development projects;
  International partnerships: forging partnerships with other donor bodies, international organizations

Focus of Development Cooperation

The priority sectors of cooperation include the following:

• Agriculture and food security
• Community development
• Rural development
• Medicine and public health
• Education
• Innovation and Entrepreneurship
• Advancement of women

MASHAV in the Philippines

To date, around 3000 Filipinos were MASHAV scholars. These professionals have attended various MASHAV courses in Israel ranging from agriculture to public health. Israeli experts have also been visiting the Philippines for on-the-spot courses such as water management, dairy farming and disaster risk management, to name a few.

The continuous relationship between Israel and the Philippines have also resulted to several intergovernmental project cooperation and lighthouse projects through the Shalom Club of the Philippines. Shalom Club is an organization of MASHAV scholars.

MASHAV, through the AgroStudies Center has been accepting Filipino agricultural students from various state universities and colleges from the Philippines for an 11-month on-the-job training in Israel.