Event Summary: Women In Technology - Open Day For Female Students

By Author: Henry Smith
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The open day for female students was held at ILDC on the 19th of November under the headline "Women in Technology". The aim was to allow female students studying software to meet with successful women who work in the industry, and who can be perceived as role models. 280 students studying software at various universities signed up for the event.

This meet is one of the ways to encourage young women to choose a technological profession, and to "stick with it" after graduating. The event focused on the choices that the panel members took during their careers and they way they combine work in hi-tech and personal life.

The event included personal meetings between the students and Microsoft employees, in various fields: career and personal growth, success strategies, studies, work-life balance, microsoft israel jobs at Microsoft Israel Labs, and others. The event was MC'd by Tal Berman and concluded with a stand-up show by Yisrael Katorza.

Reactions were very excited and positive:
"Thanks for investing so much effort in the event and the ...
... interesting content. You gave us a great feeling, knowing that there's what to look forward to after university .
"It was great and really eye-opening".

Planning Ahead: Excellence Program
In December, the Microsoft Excellence Program will receive new exceptional students from leading universities. At the same time, the 19 students who joined us last year will continue their work. During the year the students will receive scholarships and living expenses from Microsoft, mentoring by Microsoft employees and technical training which will prepare them as a selected technological reserve that can join the ILDC in the future. During January we will hold an opening ceremony for 2010 and deliver the scholarships.

Microsoft Campus Days
During December we will hold "focus days" at the Techniyon and Tel Aviv University, which will present the latest Microsoft Israel R&D Center technologies. At these focus days the students will be able to impressed with presentations and simulations in various areas, play in the Xbox zone, hear interesting lectures and meet with our headhunters. The students will also be able to sign up for the global "Imagine Cup", the developer's community, and receive Beta versions of VS 2010.

Great Hopes
On the 8th of December the Ezer Mizion organization held a nationwide event for ILDC employee Eli Tovbeyn who suffers from leukemia. Managers and fellow employees worked around the clock to help this event succeed. The efforts included PR and marketing, recruiting friends and acquaintances and also donating laptops for the blood-donor booths.

Microsoft's worldwide CEO Steve Balmer joined the efforts as well, and called upon all Microsoft employees to help save Eli in a special video he recorded.

On the day of the event, tens of ILDC employees manned the booths and helped to register the thousands of people who came to be checked. At the end of the day the event turned out to be a huge success, with 25,000 new people joining the database.

Meir Mendelovitz, Eli's friend, says: "People wore posters and literally dragged others to the booths, and even learned sentences in Russian to read over the PA systems at malls in order to encourage people to come to be checked".

About: "Yesterday was one of those days you will remember forever. I can't even find the appropriate words to express the pride and appreciation I feel towards each and every one who helped, and I hope our efforts made a difference for Eli and for many others who are suffering like him", says Asaf Ronen, UAG group manager.

Now we all need is to pray that Eli finds a compatible donor.