Mridul Raj
26 Oct 2011 remains in my memory. The weather was pleasant and welcoming when I arrived at Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv. The queue at the immigration control was long and serpentine, filled with people from all over of the globe. The city is living up to its reputation as a tourist haven and a global city, I thought, recollecting the information I gathered back in Mumbai. Tel Aviv is branded as “the city that never sleeps” in tourist information brochures, I reminded myself. As I awaited my turn at the immigration counter, I was reminiscing about the string of events that eventually culminated in me enrolling as a student at Tel Aviv University. I had spent years working in various capacities before I decided to take the plunge to pursue a degree in International Security. I paused my thoughts as I moved into the immigration counter. An officer sifted through my documents and granted me official entry into the State of Israel. Her deportment was amiable. I thanked her profusely as I moved past.
I have a special affinity towards cab drivers. My endless meandering through the streets of Mumbai, day after day, was made less painful and more enjoyable by many unknown cab drivers. They are great conversationalist adept at sprinkling interesting anecdotes, churned out of the harsh realities of life in the streets. My cab driver from the Tel Aviv airport was patient enough to answer my non-stop questions about the city. If it is true that we love a place through its people, I should then say that the short journey from Ben Gurion airport to Ramat Aviv in the company of a witty cab driver made me start liking the city.
Allow me to reconnect my thoughts to where I paused. I was a fairly experienced professional, having served in the Army and in various multinational companies. My job was to provide operational security expertise, incident analysis and crisis management solutions. What I was curious to understand further was the devolution of geopolitical events into a degenerating security crisis which affects one and all. How do we track such a situation, analyze it and prepare for it? Probably, this was the overarching reason to pursue an advanced degree in international security. Locating the right place was imperative. My search for an ideal place ended when I discovered the International Master’s in Security & Diplomacy program run by Tel Aviv University. It offered the right mix of ingredients that could shape my career in security. The security situation in the Middle East has its fluidity and dynamics due to a variety of geopolitical reasons coupled with unique socioeconomic, religious and ethnic issues. This was an opportunity to consider the theoretical aspects of International security with direct co-relation to the practical aspects. In its entirety, ranging from the study of wars to violence to peace process to uneasy calm, this program was aptly shaped to my liking. Thus began my journey in Tel Aviv on 26 Oct 2011.
The program is designed to enhance the analytical skills of students, and the presence of world-class faculty makes it more appealing. It connects me to the real events and demonstrates the application of theoretical aspects through security field trips. It gives me insights into the world of diplomacy through interaction with Ambassadors and foreign delegates. The diversity of students from different nationalities, different cultures and different educational background enriches this program, making it truly international.
Sprinkle the academic experience with a swim in the campus pool, get lost in Tel Aviv Uviersity’s “Buddy System” parties, equip yourself with Krav Maga tricks, run along the beaches kissed by the lofty Mediterrean, wade through the never sleeping bars and restaurants, dig through the history and civilizations of the land, merge in the fun and frolic of the city. This place has everything to make it exciting and worth coming back again and again. I will miss this campus and this city for sure but I promise myself that I remain connected.
