Mr. Arni C. Thorsteinson along with his wife Ms. Susan Glass O.C of Winnipeg visited the Guilford Glazer Faculty of Business and Management on Oct. 14^th . The couple was accompanied by Dean of the Asper School of Business at The University of Manitoba - Dr. Glenn Feltham.

The visit – another milestone in the strengthening of relations between the Faculty and the School, Chairperson of the Department of Hotel and Tourism Management Prof. Aviad Israeli and Chairperson of the Department of Management Dr. Shai Danziger.

Upon entering the Arni C. Thorsteinson and Susan Glass Lecture Hall at the Faculty, the Canadians were met by Faculty B.A. students who participated this summer in an exchange program, named in honor of Thorsteinson as a tribute to his longtime association with the    Asper School of Business at The University of Manitoba. It was an exciting and emotional reunion as the students were home guests of Mr. Thorsteinson and his wife for the opening reception of the program.

Over the past few years the Arni C. Thorsteinson Student Exchange Program has enabled students from both Universities to study a course in International Management and Marketing abroad, while exposing them to the different cultures, societies, and business atmospheres along with the history, sights, sounds and flavors of Israel and Canada. Canoe rowing along the famous Red River in Winnipeg and a dinner in a Negev Bedouin tent were just a few of the cultural experiences enjoyed by the participants. 

Dean Glenn Feltham of The University of Manitoba said he was “incredibly impressed” by the BGU students: “Despite being in a new study environment and studying in a foreign language, the BGU students were just as strong as ours, and did well on their exams. Their added maturity and additional life experience, due to the fact that they are a bit older than our students and have served in the military, made them outstanding ambassadors for your university and for your country.”

Glass and Thorsteinson said they felt privileged to be able to continue the longtime tradition of Winnipeg support to BGU: “the best part of our involvement is getting to know the students, witnessing their enthusiasm and warmth – they’re the future of Israel. Living in Canada, it's hard to advocate Israel and explain its position. It's important to let Israelis and Canadians exchange viewpoints and broaden their horizons, because it’s all about the people connection."

Tamar Ayalon, member of the BGU delegation, described her experience as “unforgettable. It gave us an opportunity to learn new things in a stimulating environment and gain a lot of new learning skills.” Thanking Glass and Thorsteinson, she said: “Your support of the University is incredible, and seeing you here again with us at BGU is, in a word, heartwarming.”

Mr. Thorsteinson, his wife and Dean Feltham are part of a large delegation from Winnipeg visiting in Israel. The aim of their visit is to show their support to the State of Israel and its people – not to be taken for granted in times like these where a smile and a helping hand from abroad are rare.

The guests from Winnipeg visited the Bengis Center for Entrepreneurship and Hi-Tech Management – one of the Faculty’s research centers, where they were given a presentation by Mr. Yossi Shavit – Project Manager at the Center. Impressed with what they heard, both sides agreed to explore the possibilities of expanding the cooperation between the two institutes in the area of entrepreneurship as well as the existing Arni C. Thorsteinson Student Exchange Program. The visit also included a short dedication ceremony of the Guilford Glazer Faculty of Business and Management main lecture hall, donated by the Winnipeg Jewish Community in honor of Mr. Thorsteinson and his wife.