Tal had a dream. She was going to be a teacher. She wanted to teach a subject that she loved, so she decided to immerse herself in the subject matter, rather than attend a teacher training college. That is how she ended up studying history and political science at Hebrew University
During her second and third years, she participated in the Excellence Forum, which is where she first heard about the Glaser-Mudie Graduate Program in Political Science (formerly known as Telem). Tal surprised herself by even considering graduate school. Neither of her parents had a college education, and she’d lacked academic role models. “You can be what you see,” she reflects. She had worked to put herself through her bachelor’s degree; it was clear that she would need financial support to continue studying.
Tal applied – and was accepted. Although considered a direct PhD program, students in the Glaser-Mudie Graduate Program first write a master’s thesis. She began working under the guidance of Prof. Reuven Y. Hazan, studying Israel’s 2015 transition to the constructive vote of no-confidence (voting in a new government in lieu of the old one). Her in-depth research revealed the shift was done quietly, without much public discussion – a shame, considering that it essentially redefined the legislative-executive relationship. For her doctoral research, Tal expanded upon this topic, comparing Israel and Belgium – the only two countries to have adopted the constructive vote of no-confidence as full-fledged democracies.
“I’m thankful that I was encouraged to apply to the Glaser-Mudie Graduate Program in Political Science. It entirely changed my academic experience. Research gets lonely, and the program provided a social framework, while also opening the gates of academia and introducing me to faculty members and mentors.”