Adam Korbin sat down at a student booth during a Board of Governors fair four years ago, put on a pair of headphones and began talking about the theatre-of-the-mind. He was hooked. Radio had been his first career. He holds a journalism degree and spent five years in news radio, so a booth of students with microphones in the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) quad felt like home. Soon after, BGU called to ask if he wanted to be more involved.

That call was the latest chapter in a story that began long before BGU Radio. As a new camper at Habonim Camp Miriam, near Vancouver, Adam had David Berson, now BGU Canada’s Executive Director for Western Canada, as his camp counsellor. At 19, he spent nearly a year on a kibbutz in Israel, forming a bond with the country that has lasted a lifetime. About ten years ago, already a supporter of Hebrew University, he reached out to David about engaging with a second Israeli university and soon joined the board. A visit to the Be’er-Sheva campus sealed it. Prof. Daniel Chamovitz had just become president of BGU, and Adam was welcomed into his office and toured across campus. He felt like family and returned home ready to do more as part of the first cohort of BGU’s Halutz Initiative, which develops leaders from the university’s global community.

Today, Adam serves as a Regional President for B.C. and Alberta, sits on BGU Canada’s National Board and is a member of BGU’s Board of Governors. He regularly opened his own home as a gathering place for the community.

Why student media matters

Adam’s support has helped BGU Radio grow alongside the Yazamut 360° Entrepreneurship Center, where students learn the marketing and production side of their shows as well as the on-air side. It is, as he puts it, an extracurricular curriculum, one that brings a semi-institutional level of skill-building to work students might otherwise do on their own.

For Adam, the reason is simple. Communication has changed dramatically since COVID-19 and October 7, and young people now communicate mainly through social media. “If universities don’t recognize that and aren’t on top of that medium, we are missing things.” He quotes Marshall McLuhan: the medium is the message, and today the message is a smart phone, in everyone’s hand. BGU, he said, is creating the opportunity for students to craft that skill and learn the business behind it.

The impact on the ground

That opportunity was on display this fall at the Board of Governors gathering, where Adam presented the first Adam Korbin Outstanding Student Award to Artyom Pindiurin, a creator who joined BGU Radio as an undergraduate five years ago. His content is prolific and imaginative. He doesn’t use stock images or AI for his reels, which, Adam says, is a hallmark of strong creators today. At the ceremony, Adam met many other student content creators. "BGU radio keeps me young," he said. "It reminds me of my early days."

Adam sees the award as more than a personal honour. “Named philanthropy sets an example. When people see someone recognized, it can inspire them to find their own passion and create something that inspires others”, he said. He hopes recipients will share what Antonin showed: creativity, hard work and the ability to produce.

What’s next

Looking ahead, Adam would like to see BGU Radio become a form of social media diplomacy that reaches people all over the world as a grassroots voice for BGU. That, he says, would be an excellent form of academic freedom.

It’s also why he encourages others in the community to get involved. BGU, he says, is not a top-down organization. It has tremendous leadership, but it also lets all kinds of people take part and support the university in their own ways. BGU Radio is the case in point: democratic, open to anyone with an idea, and not controlling the message. “Find your passion at the university and get involved,” he says. “Chances are you’ll find it at BGU.”

Tune in to Adam Korbin on BGU Radio