1. Ofer Zellermayer
Dr of Marketing and Decision Sciences
ACADEMSKI
A new concept in active higher education
Dr. Ofer Zellermayer
June 2014
Scholarly education and academic education in particular face a
challenge: the attention span of the classroom audience decreases.
Classroom tutoring therefore loses effectiveness. Additionally,
students can easily attain, and practically access, supplementary
information and even a lot of the lectures’ core contents by
themselves. In many fields, this, to a large extent, nullifies classroom
teaching. Technology and growing use of the web accelerate that.
Higher education institutions invest greatly in tackling their
diminishing allure and effectiveness. This happens both at the
institutions’ level as well in inter-universities cooperation. The idea
that teaching and syllabi should receive less emphasis and that
learning outcomes should receive more weight, seems to echo
loudly across the educational world.
One approach is to embed academic teaching into real life
environments. Much research supports such an approach by
indicating that it makes the learning not only more interesting but
also better in that it results in enhanced knowledge retention. It
also, for the bulk of the students, facilitates applying the knowledge
in their future work environments. As a side benefit it also boosts
motivation, and therefore encourages excellence.
Dr. Ofer Zellermayer . 58/25 Hadar St. Herzeliya 46326 Israel . Tel. 972-776622770 . Fax. 972-9-9519872 . E-mail. ofer@academski.org

2. Ofer Zellermayer
Dr of Marketing and Decision Sciences
Teaching and learning can become inherently spontaneous and
student-centered when moved from the confines of the classroom
into the world at large. From the collaborative learning atmosphere
that results from the unique relationships developed outside the
classroom, to the deep learning that occurs when students must put
into practice “in the real world” what they have theorized about
from behind a desk, field experiences are unmatched in their
learning potential. Field experiences early in a student’s career can
be formative and can inspire students to continue in a field.
Learning experiences outside the classroom are inherently
interdisciplinary. When we go out into the world, we encounter it as
a whole and are forced to engage multiple modalities, no matter
which pair of disciplinary “lenses” we intended to wear. Therefore,
scientists and humanists alike do well to consider the ways in which
other disciplines might enrich their own disciplinary approach to
their field.
The gist of Academski is an ODT-style program that includes skiing
and scholastic contents and that bear academic credits. The
academic disciplines whose subject matter bear relevance to the
program contents include Engineering, Geography, Geology, Global-
Changes, Metrology, Psychology, Sociology, Sustainability and of
course Business. The members of the target audience are
international students, mainly in the aforementioned fields, who will
participate in the program and will use the academic credits in their
home-countries’ schools and universities.
Dr. Ofer Zellermayer . 58/25 Hadar St. Herzeliya 46326 Israel . Tel. 972-776622770 . Fax. 972-9-9519872 . E-mail. ofer@academski.org

3. Ofer Zellermayer
Dr of Marketing and Decision Sciences
Similar programs that engulfed academic studies combined with
international industry traveling revealed that the students’
experience runs deeper than in ordinary classroom studies. With
the growing attraction of both a skiing destinations and education
hubs, the potential for such a program is apparent.
Academski is the initiative of Dr. Ofer Zellermayer, an academic
entrepreneur with a rich and proven record of extracting higher
education out of its ivory tower and comfort zoom and forcing it into
a real-world setting. In Academski, a pioneering endeavor by all
standards, Dr. Zellermayer has summoned teaching, research,
managerial, business and operation organs to make it happen.
The program will be operated with the Ski Dept. at Issta – the largest
and most specialized operator in vacations of Israeli students
abroad. The program is expected to funnel students to partake in it,
thus increasing the number of students, with interest in winter
sports, to choose to combine their skiing vacation with a remarkable
higher education experience. Subsequently the program aims to
attract international students from additional countries as well. At
that stage, participants will gain the additional benefit of
international networking with colleagues with whom they share a
common passion.
Dr. Ofer Zellermayer . 58/25 Hadar St. Herzeliya 46326 Israel . Tel. 972-776622770 . Fax. 972-9-9519872 . E-mail. ofer@academski.org

4. Ofer Zellermayer
Dr of Marketing and Decision Sciences
Academski is a week-long program during which each day has an
academic theme, e.g., risk management, which defines that day with
respect to the academic subject matter. Each day has four modules.
A morning lecture, a morning ski session, an afternoon on-the-slopes
ODT activity and an evening lecture. All sessions are led by field
experts from Universities, Mountaineering schools and affiliated
institutions. Participants should expect to gain from the program, on
top of the academic knowledge and credits, networking, knowhow
of the underpinnings of a winter resort operating system, and a
whole new way of learning.
To enter the program, candidates will have to present a current
student I.D. from their academic institution. They will have to
participate in a preliminary program introduction – physically or
online – in which they will have to accept its user agreement and
academic demands.
To complete the program the students will have to participate
successfully in all the sessions, deliver a presentation during the
program’s final day and hand-in a summarizing paper within one
week of their return to their home countries.
Dr. Ofer Zellermayer . 58/25 Hadar St. Herzeliya 46326 Israel . Tel. 972-776622770 . Fax. 972-9-9519872 . E-mail. ofer@academski.org

5. Ofer Zellermayer
Dr of Marketing and Decision Sciences
Academski is unique – some of its inimitable features are:
As the snow-based industry has grown, so have the vocations it
employs that are relevant to many professionals in a variety of
domains along their careers. The Academski program was designed
by scholars and businessmen who are deeply involved in today's
snow-business industry. This experience can benefit students in
myriad of disciplines.
Its concise, intense, physical and interdisciplinary nature helps to
quickly develop strong analytic, leadership, management, and
communication skills.
It emphasizes the interdependence of man and nature.
It emphasizes joyful studying and captures the essence of work and
play as a motivation and knowledge-retention advantages.
It enables to acquire, in a confined – though large – area and a short
amount of time, knowledge and skills whose alternative pursuit
takes much longer.
It’s a completely new way of learning.
Dr. Ofer Zellermayer . 58/25 Hadar St. Herzeliya 46326 Israel . Tel. 972-776622770 . Fax. 972-9-9519872 . E-mail. ofer@academski.org