WHAT WE DO
Program Design

STEP-GTP is administered in the United States at Tufts University, Boston. STEP-GTP offers master’s, PhD, and medical fellowship degree-granting programs. In STEP-GTP, pairs of students (one Palestinian, and one Israeli) with matching academic interests will train at the same time in the same educational institution. Each student will be assigned a mentor at each academic institution. Two possible models for candidates are described below. Depending on their educational and personal needs and aspirations each pair of students will choose either the tri-national or bi-national model.

Tri-national model
In the tri-national model, students train in the United States, Israel and the Palestinian territories. The students begin with approximately two years’ training (depending upon the program) in a degree-granting program in an accredited American university. STEP-GTP fellows will participate in classes, individual instruction, laboratories and/or clinics along with other students. During this time, while relatively free of pressures from home, they can become fluent in English and obtain world-class training in their chosen discipline. When degrees have been awarded, the pair can continue joint training in Israel or the Palestinian territories or return to positions in their homelands.

In the final phase, STEP-GTP fellows along with their Israeli, Palestinian and/or American mentors will be required to contribute to specific capacity building in a community or institution in Palestine or in Israel. Capacity building might include research, training, data and technology transfer, or the establishment of new businesses or services (i.e. genetic counseling services.) On an annual basis, program fellows will communicate with STEP-GTP about the effect of their education on their work, and how they communicated with their training partner during the year.

Bi-national model
In the bi-national model, students will receive their training in Israel and/or the Palestinian territories. This model might be especially suitable for Palestinian doctors seeking fellowships in nutrition, ophthalmology, or medical disciplines where world-class training already exists in Israel and where there is precedent for cooperative research and education. In this case an Israeli colleague and host would complete the pair. The same situation would apply if an Israeli were to train in the Palestinian areas. The bi-national model may also be useful because it would allow students to remain closer to their families and homes.

In the final phase of the bi-national model, STEP-GTP fellows along with their Israeli, Palestinian and/or American mentors will be required to contribute to specific capacity building in a community or institution in Palestine or in Israel. Capacity building might include research, training, data and technology transfer, or the establishment of new businesses or services (i.e. genetic counseling services.) On an annual basis, program fellows will communicate with STEP-GTP about the effect of their education on their work, and how they communicated with their training colleague during the year.

STEP-GTP will assure that professional cooperation between the pair of fellows continues after the completion of formal training.