Author: Hilary

Undergraduate Studies at Tel Aviv University Boost Unicorn Founder Odds by 260%

Written by Hilary on 28 December 2025. Posted in Newsroom.

A study published by Prof. Ilya Strebulaev of Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business finds that undergraduate studies at Tel Aviv University increase the likelihood of becoming a founder of a unicorn company by 260% – the highest rate among all universities included in the study, which also examined leading U.S. institutions.

As part of the study published last week, Prof. Strebulaev, entrepreneurship researcher from Stanford University’s examined the impact of leading academic institutions on the success prospects of entrepreneurs who founded venture capital–backed companies.

The study is based on data from 2,781 founders of U.S. based unicorn companies, alongside 2,188 founders of venture capital–backed companies, randomly selected for comparison. The comparison group was matched by the year of the company’s first venture capital round, to enable an accurate comparison between the groups.

Alongside Tel Aviv University, the top tier of the index includes leading American universities. Undergraduate studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) increase the odds of becoming a unicorn founder by 90%, while Stanford University and Yale University show an increase of 60%, and the University of California, Berkeley, and Cornell University show an increase of 30%. In terms of the absolute number of unicorn founders, Stanford University ranks first, with 139 founders, representing 5.0% of the total sample.

Tel Aviv University, the only institution outside the United States included in this index, ranks eighth among the world’s top ten universities in producing unicorn founders, immediately after Princeton University and ahead of the University of Washington, and stands out with the highest relative advantage of a 260% increase in its graduates’ likelihood of founding a successful unicorn.

The accompanying chart presents the top ten universities, ranked by the number of unicorn founders who earned their undergraduate degree at each institution.

Credit: Stanford University Graduate School of Business, Venture Capital Initiative

Prof. Moshe Zviran, TAU’s Chief Entrepreneurship and Innovation Officer at Tel Aviv University and former dean of the Coller School of Management, said: “The new Stanford University study reinforces Tel Aviv University’s unique position as a leading institution that provides its graduates with a significant advantage in the world of entrepreneurship. The high increase in the likelihood of our students becoming unicorn founders reflects a combination of academic excellence, entrepreneurial spirit, and the strengthening connection between education, research, and innovation.”

The index was conducted with the support of the Venture Capital Initiative of Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business.

Why We Sometimes Avoid the Truth and Other Times Can’t Stop Looking for It

Written by Hilary on 23 December 2025. Posted in Newsroom.

A new TAU study reveals the emotional logic behind how we choose what information to face and what to avoid

A new study by Prof. Yaniv Shani of the Coller School of Management at Tel Aviv University and Prof. Marcel Zeelenberg of the Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences reveals a surprising insight into how we deal with information. Contrary to the common view that “willful ignorance” is primarily a way to avoid moral responsibility toward others, the study offers a much broader explanation: at times we avoid information — and at times we deliberately seek painful information — to regulate our own emotions and manage psychological overload.

According to the findings, many people delay receiving important information because they fear its emotional consequences. For example, many prefer not to check their medical test results before a vacation, or avoid looking at their investment portfolio during a market downturn. This avoidance does not stem from indifference, but rather from a desire to postpone the moment of emotional confrontation.

Why We Sometimes Seek Painful Information

But alongside avoidance, the study points to an opposite behavior that serves the same emotional regulation mechanism: in situations of uncertainty, people actively seek painful information, even when it offers no benefit. For instance, consumers often check the prices of products they have already purchased, just to know whether they lost money — despite the fact that their initial decision cannot be undone. This phenomenon was especially evident after the October 7 attack in Israel, when many families sought to learn the fate of their loved ones, even when they knew the information might be devastating. In such cases, the pain of uncertainty seemingly outweighs the pain of knowing.

The study was published in the journal Current Opinion in Psychology. It presents a broad literature review in which the researchers examine recent empirical studies, alongside their own research on avoiding useful information and seeking information that serves no practical purpose. By comparing these patterns, they constructed a simple model based on two questions: Am I able to bear uncertainty? and Am I able to bear the truth? Their findings show that both behaviors — avoidance of information and information seeking — stem from the same emotional mechanism that attempts to regulate and balance between the fear of knowing and the pain of not knowing.

Moral Choices, Responsibility, and the Cost of Not Knowing

The researchers emphasize that this dynamic arises not only in social contexts, but also in moral situations in which individuals have to confront themselves. Sometimes people prefer “not to know” how their actions affect others, in order to avoid guilt. However, when avoiding information risks causing serious harm to others, it is the very inability to bear uncertainty that compels them to confront the truth.

The study offers a new way to understand the decisions people make in an information-saturated world: the desire to know and the desire not to know are not opposing forces, but two psychological tools intended to help us emotionally cope with threatening situations. For healthcare systems, public institutions, and organizations, this insight underscores the importance of how information is delivered — not only what is conveyed, but also how and when. We constantly navigate between the desire to know and the need to protect ourselves, weighing which option will hurt less: the truth or uncertainty. In an era where information is always within reach, the study highlights that what we know is not the only thing that matters — equally important is how we feel when we choose to know, or decide to remain in the dark.

How Tel Aviv University’s Psychedelic Research is Revolutionizing Trauma Care

Written by Hilary on 22 December 2025. Posted in Newsroom.

As Israel grapples with the aftermath of October 7th and the ensuing war, it is facing a mental health crisis of unprecedented proportions. The demand for treatment has quickly outpaced what traditional therapy can deliver and the need for innovation is urgent. At Tel Aviv University’s Institute for Psychedelic Research (IPR), scientists and clinicians are developing a bold alternative grounded in a simple premise: healing depends on restoring the connections that trauma erodes.

“The loss of connection is the silent wound that lies at the core of trauma, depression and addiction. It is the feeling of being cut off from yourself, from others, from the world,” says Prof. Talma Hendler, Director of the Institute and a member jointly of TAU’s Gray Faculty of Medical & Health Sciences and the School of Psychological Sciences. “Our work is about helping people reconnect in a real, lasting way.”

Founded two years ago under the auspices of TAU’s Sagol School of Neuroscience, and embedded within Ichilov Hospital, the IPR is the first in Israel to explore the use of psychoactive medicine for treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, chronic pain and other conditions at the intersection of neurology and psychiatry. The launch of the project was made possible by the generous contributions of TAU supporters Jeremy Coller, Dr. David B. Katzin, and Dr. Dmitry Repin. Moreover, a dedicated laboratory is being built for psychedelic research at the Miriam and Moshe Shuster Building for the Center for Traumatic Stress and Resilience, now nearing completion.

Closing the Gap Between Neuroscience and Therapy

Despite decades of research on how trauma affects the brain, most therapy still relies entirely on conversation and assessments based on subjective report and impressions. After two decades of neurobiological research on human stress and trauma, Prof. Talma Hendler’s team is trying to bridge the translation gap between neuroscience and therapy with an approach they call Brain-Informed Psychotherapy.

Using technologies such as Prism*, pioneered by Hendler’s lab, patients learn to regulate the deep emotional circuits involved in fear and stress. These sessions are paired with psychotherapy that helps them reinterpret traumatic memories, rebuild trust, and restore agency.

“There’s a moment when a patient realizes, ‘I can actually influence my own brain state,’” says Hendler. “That moment can change everything.”

Providing a Window for Change

Psychedelic compounds like psilocybin (hallucinogenic mushrooms), MDMA and ketamine are gaining attention worldwide because they can temporarily make the brain incredibly flexible, a state scientists call a “window for change.”
“Think of the brain as a complex traffic system with multiple hubs. Each hub is a network of regions with its own role: one helps with control and regulation, another detects threat, yet another provides memory and context. In a healthy brain, traffic moves flexibly, and there are many open routes between the hubs.

In PTSD, these routes become rigid. When the alarm network activates as a response to a trauma trigger, the control and memory networks are blocked from sending information that the person is actually safe, so the alarm keeps escalating,” Hendler explains.
Psychedelic substances temporarily change this maladaptive flow. Over one to three weeks, new routes open and blocked networks begin exchanging information again.
“In that window of renewed plasticity, psychotherapy can gently redirect the system — helping the brain relearn safety, rebuild balance, and reconnect with oneself and others in reality,” Hendler says. “The goal is to use that brief period of biological malleability to create a lasting, positive change in the neural underpins of mental health.”

To achieve this mission, the IPR team — an interdisciplinary mix of clinicians, neuroscientists, and psychologists — is developing a new model of mental health care, one that combines cutting-edge brain science with individual-centered, brain-informed psychotherapy. “The drug opens the door,” Hendler notes, “but lasting recovery depends on the steps that follow: patient involvement, brain-informed clinical approach and the supportive community that lead toward wholesome healing.”

Early Results: Hope Returning

One of the Institute’s first major successes came from a seven-day ketamine-assisted protocol for chronic PTSD, developed in partnership with Yale University. The early results were groundbreaking: out of 35 participants, 80 percent experienced a meaningful reduction in PTSD symptoms. “Out of the group that received Ketamine (vs control drugs), 40 percent no longer met diagnostic criteria for PTSD three months after the treatment”, says Dr Jacob Nimrod Keynan, the scientific manager of IPR.

“For the first time in years, I felt like I could get better,” one participant said. “It gave me energy to keep fighting for myself.”

Psilocybin appears to offer an even longer and more powerful window for therapeutic change. IPR is the first research center in Israel to administer synthetic psilocybin to humans, and the Institute is now running Israel’s first clinical and imaging study of psilocybin-assisted short-term psychotherapy for PTSD. According to Dr Keynan, the first two patients — both combat veterans— experienced substantial symptom relief and no longer met PTSD diagnosis criteria following the 3-week treatment. Importantly, they further reported meaningful improvements in depression, emotional openness and day-to-day functioning, even after three months.

One described a shift he didn’t expect: “The treatment helped me understand how to reconnect with my daughter — and why I hadn’t been able to before.”

Where Trauma Care Is Heading

The next frontier, IPR researchers say, is combining psilocybin therapy with other brain-informed therapies such as neurofeedback or magnetic stimulation to strengthen the brain circuits that sustain recovery. In the long term, the IPR team is exploring AI-supported tools, as well as music and virtual reality, to help patients track insights, organize their emotional work, and carry therapeutic momentum into daily life.

Professor Talma Hendler, speaking at the IPR inauguration during the 2023 TAU Board of Governors meeting.

“We aim to redesign trauma care from the ground up,” says Hendler. “Precise, measurable, deeply personal, and focused on restoring neural and psychological connections.”

As Israel continues to confront profound psychological wounds, IRP’s work offers a rare mix of scientific rigor and hope. It suggests that even in times of immense pain, the brain can reopen, the mind can reorient, and people can find their way back to themselves.
“Trauma disconnects,” Hendler reflects. “Our job is to help people feel connected again — to their emotions, their relationships, their lives.”

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*Prism is a brain-training therapy. It uses brain scans to help people see what’s happening in their brain in real time and learn how to change it.
The therapy focuses on different areas of the brain, such as the amygdala, a part of the brain that controls emotions like fear and stress. By getting live feedback from brain signals, people can practice calming or adjusting this brain activity. Over time, this can help improve emotional control.

This approach is being explored for treating conditions like PTSD and major depressive disorder. In 2023, the Hendler lab’s spinoff company, GrayMatters Health, received FDA approval for the technique.

TAU and Google Israel Launch New Three-Year Program to Advance Core AI Research

Written by Hilary on 21 December 2025. Posted in Newsroom.

Google and Tel Aviv University (TAU) are continuing their collaboration, now launching a new three-year program to promote research in artificial intelligence (AI) and data science. The new program focuses on advancing foundational research in AI, including innovation in language models, AI for privacy, algorithmic efficiency, and more. The program will be led by the Center for AI & Data Science at Tel Aviv University (TAD), headed by Prof. Yishay Mansour from the Blavatnik School of Computer Science and AI. Google.org (Google’s philanthropic arm) announced it will provide $1 million in funding.

Supporting Research, Students, and Education in AI

The new program was launched at a festive event at Tel Aviv University (TAU), with the participation of TAU President, Prof. Ariel Porat, Google Vice President and Head of Google Research, Prof. Yossi Matias and Prof. Tova Milo, Dean of the Faculty of Exact Sciences. As part of the collaboration, Google will support research grants and scholarships for students in the core areas of AI. In addition, emphasis will be placed on new educational initiatives at the TAD Center: an honors program for graduate students in AI, as well as the BITS of AI program for teens from Israel’s social and geographic peripheries, in collaboration with TAU’s Youth University.

TAU President Prof. Ariel Porat said: “Our collaboration with Google began about five years ago, when Google supported interdisciplinary AI collaborations connecting researchers in Computer Science, Engineering, and Data Science, with those in the Life Sciences, Humanities, and Social Sciences. The newly launched program focuses on core areas of AI and includes scholarships for PhD students. In addition, it enables scholarships for students from Israel’s periphery – thereby advancing the university’s strategy of supporting students who have not had the same opportunities as most of their peers.”

Advancing Science Through Academic–Industry Partnership

Prof. Yossi Matias, Google Vice President and Head of Google Research (the global research division): “Research and academic excellence are more important than ever. I believe in the benefits of mutual enrichment between outstanding academic research and the development of technological innovation —when researchers from different disciplines and different approaches come together meaningful advances emerge. Through our expanding partnership with academia, we are advancing science and technology in fields that are significant for humanity and the world.”

Prof. Yishay Mansour, Head of the TAU Center for AI & Data Science (TAD), thanked Google for their fruitful collaboration and continued support for research in AI. “Promoting research in the core areas of AI is of utmost importance,” he said. “One of our central challenges is developing theories that explain AI’s meteoric success. A deep understanding of the processes involved in training large language models can open new directions and contribute to significant improvements in the algorithmic efficiency of learning processes. Moreover, many social challenges are linked to the advancement of AI, including the critical importance of safeguarding privacy.”

Building the Next Generation of Researchers

Prof. Avinatan Hassidim, Google Vice President and Head of the Research Group in Israel, Africa, and Australia: “Our longstanding relationship with TAU enables us to bring together resources and knowledge around research questions important to both sides. As part of the current collaboration, we will continue working together over the next three years to promote innovation and nurture Israel’s next generation of researchers and developers. Our joint work helps us contribute to the local ecosystem and strive for solutions to complex technological challenges.”

Dr. Shiri Stempler, Executive Director at the TAD Center, notes that the new program is a continuation of previous initiatives that focused on advancing AI research in sustainability, health, and education. These programs, jointly led by Dr. Stempler from TAU and Gal Weiss, Strategic Partnerships Development Manager at Google Research, included joint workshops of researchers from TAU and Google, and provided a platform to strengthen ties between academia and industry.

Additionally, over the past three years, Google has supported TAU’s ExactShe program led by Prof. Tova Milo, Dean of the Faculty of Exact Sciences, which aims to create a supportive community for women in research.

Two weeks of Life-Changing, Life-Saving Tech

Written by Hilary on 17 December 2025. Posted in Newsroom.

At Tel Aviv University, the first two weeks of December were dedicated to the many Israeli technologies now changing and saving lives. Three different conferences—AI Week, Cyber Week, and DefenseTech Week—were held on the TAU campus, all run by TAU’s Blavatnik Interdisciplinary Cyber Research Center. A combined 8,500 innovators, stakeholders, and experts attended hundreds of talks, viewed dozens of startup stalls, and made countless lucrative professional connections.

DefenseTech Week and HackTAU

Israel’s reputation as a juggernaut of security and defense innovations has been earned through years of necessity. At DefenseTech Week, global leaders from the military, academia, and industry shared how Israel’s advancements are shaping today’s global defense landscape.

With 2,000 attendees and over 80 speakers, as well as two exclusive events for investors, the conference contributed notably to the implementation of better defense systems all over the world.

A HackTAU participant presents his group’s innovation at DefenseTech. (Photo: LEN Productions)

Even more exciting, the next generation of defense innovators were put to the test in the “HackTAU: Battlefield Challenges” hackathon at the TAU Entrepreneurship Center. Dozens of participants in 24 teams came together to find a solution to three real-world challenges that soldiers face in the field. These brilliant young people presented their ideas for industry professionals at DefenseWeek.

The hackathon was held in memory of Sergeant Eden Alon Levi z”l, Sergeant Ibrahim Kharova z“l, and Israel Hacohen Yudkin z”l. DefenseTech Week is hosted by the Blavatnik Interdisciplinary Cyber Research Center and the Yuval Ne’eman Workshop, in collaboration with the Directorate of Defense, Research & Development (DDR&D), and Israel’s Ministry of Defense.

AI Week

Since 2019, the AI Week conference has been a leading international event showcasing cutting-edge AI research and its applications, in Israel and globally. This year’s gathering featured a variety of panels on the many different facets of AI usage, including the highly applicable “Creativity in the Age of AI”, and an entire day focused on the impact of AI on the health sector.

One session on cancer research illustrated how AI is helping predict stage, response to treatment, growth rate and more. These crucial discoveries may lead to more precise, effective treatments going forward. Said Dr. Ofir Cohen: “Cancer research is really at the pinnacle of both experimental and computational technologies. There are many lessons that the health and AI fields can draw from oncology.”

AI Week is hosted by the Blavatnik Interdisciplinary Cyber Research Center, the TAU Center for AI and Data Science (TAD), and the TAU Yuval Ne’eman Workshop for Science, Technology and Security, in collaboration with the Israel Innovation Authority.

Cyber Week

This year, Cyber Week marked its 15th year. The conference is known as one of the top cybersecurity events in the world, bringing in thousands of top players from across the industry. This year’s conference featured about 35 separate events, with high-profile speakers including former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and former Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar.

Thousands attended CyberWeek 2025. (Photo: Chen Galili)

Events included:

A full-day track on combating disinformation, analyzing how we can safeguard public discourse and national stability in the age of AI and fake news

A youth conference with hundreds of tomorrow’s cyber and tech leaders who got the opportunity to hear from and meet current industry leaders

A full-day track on quantum research, which may soon change security and the digital world as we know it

Two full-day tracks on online fraud, online identity, and finance in the digital age
Multiple exclusive closed-door sessions for policymakers and industry executives

During these sessions and many more, the world’s top technological minds met and created fertile ground for collaborations that will further accelerate innovation in the future.

Cyber Week is hosted by TAU’S Blavatnik Interdisciplinary Cyber Research Center, TAU’s Yuval Ne’eman Workshop, and The Israel National Cyber Directorate, in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the City of Tel Aviv, the Foreign Trade Administration and the Israel Export Institute.

Israel’s First India Chair Established at TAU During Ambassadorial Visit

Written by Hilary on 17 December 2025. Posted in Newsroom.

During the visit, Ambassador J.P. Singh met with Indian students and researchers from across the university and held discussions with Tel Aviv University leadership. The visit culminated in the signing of an agreement to establish Israel’s first India Chair at TAU.

At the outset of his visit, Ambassador Singh expressed condolences following a recent terrorist attack in Australia and underscored the close relationship between India and Israel.

“Whenever there is a crisis, India and Israel stand together,” he said, adding that his visit marked an important event focused on strengthening academic cooperation.

Strategic Dialogue with University Leadership

Ambassador Singh met with Tel Aviv University President Prof. Ariel Porat, Vice President International Prof. Milette Shamir, Director of Asia Engagement Konstantin Platonov, and senior faculty representatives to discuss the university’s long-term academic engagement with India.

Left to right: Prof Nir Ohad, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Life Sciences; Prof Liora Sarfati, TAU Department of East Asian Studies; Prof. Noam Eliaz, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering; TAU President Prof. Ariel Porat; Ambassador J.P. Singh; Vice President International Prof. Milette Shamir; Director of Asia Engagement Konstantin Platonov, Sayali Narayan Mhetre, Director of the Indian Cultural Center in Israel (Photo credit: Chen Galili)

Welcoming the ambassador, Prof. Porat emphasized the strategic importance of India in TAU’s international outlook:

“Our ties with India are very important to us. I have been in India both as president and previously as a law professor, and I have seen firsthand the quality and potential of academic collaboration.”—Tel Aviv University President Prof. Porat

During the discussions, Prof. Porat proposed the establishment of a new Forum on Innovation and Education, envisioned as a platform for direct dialogue and collaboration between leading universities in Israel and India. The proposal received immediate support from Ambassador J.P. Singh.

TAU VP for International Affairs Prof. Milette Shamir during the meeting with the Ambassador of India to Israel. (Photo credit: Chen Galili)

Framing TAU’s broader vision, Prof. Shamir described the relationship as a two-way academic bridge:

“TAU’s mission is to serve as a gateway to Israeli science and academic expertise for Indian academic partners, and as a gateway to India for Israeli researchers and students in terms of cultural exchange and beyond,”—Vice President International Prof. Milette Shamir

She noted that TAU’s collaboration with India extends well beyond formal agreements. Over the past decade, TAU researchers have produced more than 1,000 joint publications with Indian colleagues, providing a strong foundation for expanded cooperation, including joint PhD and master’s programs and increased faculty mobility.

H.E. Mr. J.P. Singh, Ambassador of India to Israel, with Konstantin Platonov during a meeting with members of the Indian student community at Tel Aviv University. (Photo credit: Chen Galili)

Highlighting the campus dimension, Platonov pointed to the strength of the Indian research community at TAU.

“Indian research students are the second-largest cohort of foreign students at TAU and a thriving community. They feel comfortable and safe on our campus and build strong connections with our professors.”—Director of Asia Engagement Konstantin Platonov

From the faculty perspective, Prof. Nir Ohad, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Life Sciences and head of food security studies at TAU, focused on the long-term impact of sustained academic exchange.

“Our joint master’s program with Thapar University has created a clear pipeline of academic training. Students progress from graduate studies at TAU to PhDs, postdoctoral research, and faculty positions in India.”—Prof. Nir Ohad, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Life Sciences

Representing the engineering faculty, Prof. Noam Eliaz, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, stressed that all graduate-level engineering programs at TAU are taught entirely in English, making them accessible to international scholars from India pursuing master’s, PhD, and postdoctoral training.

H.E. Mr. J.P. Singh, Ambassador of India to Israel, discusses academic cooperation with Tel Aviv University leadership and faculty members. (Photo credit: Chen Galili)

In the humanities, Prof. Liora Sarfati from the Department of East Asian Studies spoke about TAU’s contribution to education and cultural scholarship, citing the Faculty of Humanities’ extensive experience in education studies. She also noted that TAU is home to one of the world’s largest Sanskrit programs, whose graduates continue into advanced research and academic careers in Israel and abroad.

Ambassador J.P. Singh welcomed TAU’s multidimensional engagement with India and underscored the urgency of expanding academic cooperation.

“This is the right time to deepen collaboration in education through student and faculty exchange, joint research, and partnerships between universities, public and private.”—Ambassador J.P. Singh

Establishing the ICCR–TAU India Chair

A central highlight of the visit was the signing of an agreement establishing the ICCR–TAU India Chair, in cooperation with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).

TAU President Prof. Porat and Ambassador J.P. Singh sign the ICCR–TAU agreement establishing the ICCR–TAU India Chair. (Photo credit: Chen Galili)

The first initiative of its kind in Israel, the ICCR-TAU India Chair will enable TAU to host leading Indian scholars annually across a range of academic fields, made possible through generous sponsorship from ICCR.

“This chair will allow scholars of India to engage with Tel Aviv University on a regular basis.”—Ambassador J.P. Singh

“By inaugurating the ICCR–TAU India Chair at TAU and establishing the TAU India Hub in Delhi for permanent in-country representation, we are taking our engagement with Indian students, research partners, and other stakeholders to the next level,” commented Platonov.

Meeting India’s Research Community at TAU

During his visit, Ambassador Singh also met with Indian students and postdoctoral researchers at TAU, representing disciplines including medicine, chemistry, life sciences, mechanical engineering, materials science, and plant sciences.

The meeting reflected the diversity of India’s academic presence on campus, with students originating from different regions across the country. “India is very well represented here,” said the ambassador.

Ambassador J.P. Singh (in the center) with Maureen Meyer Adiri, the Director of the Lowy International School, and Konstantin Platonov, Director of Asia Engagement (on the right). (Photo credit: Chen Galili)

He encouraged students to remain focused on their academic goals while making the most of their international experience: “You have come here for studies. When you achieve something, you will contribute to the development of India.”

At the same time, Ambassador J.P. Singh emphasized their broader role:

“You are our ambassadors. Through your daily interactions, your research, and your engagement with Israeli society, you help bring our two countries closer together.”

During the discussion, students highlighted the potential to build on Israel’s startup and innovation experience to help advance India’s growing startup ecosystem, pointing to potential collaboration between academia, industry, and entrepreneurs in both countries.

Future Directions in India–Israel Cooperation

The visit reflected a shared vision for the future of India–Israel academic cooperation, with education positioned as a key driver of innovation, cultural understanding, and long-term partnership.

Echoing Ambassador Singh’s remarks on expanding exchange programs, strengthening joint research, and exploring new models of institutional presence in India, Tel Aviv University continues to deepen its engagement through initiatives such as the ICCR–TAU India Chair and expanded research collaboration, reinforcing its role as a global hub for academic excellence and international exchange.

The Dinosaurs That Forgot How to Fly

Written by Hilary on 16 December 2025. Posted in Newsroom.

A Rare Discovery Sheds New Light on the Evolution of Flight

A new study led by a researcher from the School of Zoology and the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History at Tel Aviv University examined dinosaur fossils preserved with their feathers and found that these dinosaurs had lost the ability to fly. According to the researchers, this is an extremely rare finding that offers a glimpse into the functioning of creatures that lived 160 million years ago, and their impact on the evolution of flight in dinosaurs and birds.

The research team: “This finding has broad significance, as it suggests that the development of flight throughout the evolution of dinosaurs and birds was far more complex than previously believed. In fact, certain species may have developed basic flight abilities — and then lost them later in their evolution.”

The study was led by Dr. Yosef Kiat of the School of Zoology and the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History at Tel Aviv University, in collaboration with researchers from China and the United States. The article was published in Communications Biology, published by Nature Portfolio.

Feathers, Dinosaurs, and the Origins of Birds

Dr. Kiat, an ornithologist specializing in feather research, explains: “The dinosaur lineage split from other reptiles 240 million years ago. Soon afterwards (on an evolutionary timescale) many dinosaurs developed feathers — a unique lightweight and strong organic structure, made of protein and used mainly for flight and for preserving body temperature. Around 175 million years ago, a lineage of feathered dinosaurs called Pennaraptora emerged – the distant ancestors of modern birds and the only lineage of dinosaurs to survive the mass extinction that marked the end of the Mesozoic era 66 million years ago. As far as we know, the Pennaraptora group developed feathers for flight, but it is possible that when environmental conditions changed, some of these dinosaurs lost their flight ability — just like the ostriches and penguins of today.”

160-million-year-old Anchiornis fossils

In the study, nine fossils from eastern China were examined, all belonging to a feathered Pennaraptoran dinosaur taxon called Anchiornis. A rare paleontological finding, these fossils (and several hundred similar ones) were preserved with their feathers intact, thanks to the special conditions prevailing in the region during fossilization. Specifically, the nine fossils examined in the study were chosen because they had retained the color of the wing feathers — white with a black spot at the tip.

What Feather Molting Can Tell Us

Here is where feather researcher Dr. Kiat enters the picture, explaining: “Feathers grow for two to three weeks. Reaching their final size, they detach from the blood vessels that fed them during growth and become dead material. Worn over time, they are shed and replaced by new feathers – in a process called molting, which tells an important story: birds that depend on flight, and thus on the feathers enabling them to fly, molt in an orderly, gradual process that maintains symmetry between the wings and allows them to keep flying during molting. In birds without flight ability, on the other hand, molting is more random and irregular. Consequently, the molting pattern tells us whether a certain winged creature was capable of flight.”

Evidence of a Flightless Dinosaur

The preserved feather coloration in the dinosaur fossils from China allowed the researchers to identify the wing structure, with the edge featuring a continual line of black spots. Moreover, they were able to distinguish new feathers that had not yet completed their growth — since their black spots deviated from the black line. A thorough inspection of the new feathers in the nine fossils revealed that molting had not occurred in an orderly process.

Dr. Yosef Kiat of the School of Zoology and the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History

Dr. Kiat: “Based on my familiarity with modern birds, I identified a molting pattern indicating that these dinosaurs were probably flightless. This is a rare and especially exciting finding: the preserved coloration of the feathers gave us a unique opportunity to identify a functional trait of these ancient creatures – not only the body structure preserved in fossils of skeletons and bones.”

Rethinking the Evolution of Flight

Dr. Kiat concludes: “Feather molting seems like a small technical detail — but when examined in fossils, it can change everything we thought about the origins of flight. Anchiornis now joins the list of dinosaurs that were covered in feathers but not capable of flight, highlighting how complex and diverse wing evolution truly was.”

No Longer a Secret Garden

Written by Hilary on 14 December 2025. Posted in Newsroom.

For decades, the Tel Aviv University Botanic Garden has stood as one of Israel’s leading living laboratories: an essential hub for plant sciences research, a sanctuary for native species, and a cornerstone of environmental education. Yet despite its scientific significance and rich biodiversity, the garden long lacked the resources needed to fully realize its vast potential.

According to Kineret Shwartz Maneviich, the Garden’s Operational Manager, the turning point came with the transformative contribution of philanthropist Yehuda Naftali.

“Yehuda’s support allowed us to leap forward in ways we’d only dreamed of,” she explains. “We were able to create new interactive learning experiences designed to spark curiosity -especially among children and teenagers. Our goal is to instill a sense of wonder and deepen appreciation for Israel’s natural world among new generations.”

As a result of Naftali’s gift, the Garden has introduced a series of interactive experiential exhibits throughout its grounds, inviting visitors to explore plant diversity, ecological relationships, evolutionary processes, climate challenges, and conservation efforts through hands-on engagement. These exhibits now serve both as educational tools and as gateways into larger botanical knowledge. At the same time, entire sections have been revitalized and enhanced, such as the Wetland Habitat the Succulent collection and the Greenhouse for Useful Plants.

Yehuda Naftali (left) with TAU Pres. Prof. Ariel Porat. (Photo: Chen Galili, TAU)

Opening to the Public

In spring 2025, the Naftali Garden opened for a pilot period following significant renovations. A more extensive public reopening followed in October 2025, accompanied by expanded programming for families, school groups, and the wider community. Now, the Garden is preparing to welcome visitors once again for Hanukkah, continuing to grow into its role as a vibrant, accessible space for the wider community.

Looking ahead, the garden’s academic and operational management follows a vision supported by three pillars: research, conservation and education. “We aspire to serve as a state-of-the-art research facility for plant scientists from TAU, other Israeli universities, and around the world. We are committed to protecting Israel’s unique plant diversity through conservation and the reintroduction of endangered species. And finally, we want to inspire the public-children, students, families, everyone-to discover the beauty and importance of plants,” Maneviich concludes.

With continued growth, expanded research capabilities, and a renewed commitment to community engagement, the Tel Aviv University Naftali Botanic Garden is poised to achieve its full potential – both as a scientific powerhouse and as an essential cultural and environmental resource for Israel.

Tickets for the Naftali Botanic Garden’s Hanukkah programs and tours can be purchased via the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History website here>>

Yehuda Naftali Botanic Garden’s Hanukkah 2025 activities:

Dates & Times

Activity	Time / Opening Hours	Dates (Hanukkah-season 2025)
Guided “Flowers & Pollinators” tour	09:45	Tue 16 Dec · Wed 17 Dec · Thu 18 Dec · Fri 19 Dec · Sun 21 Dec · Mon 22 Dec
Guided lantern-lit (evening) garden tour	16:30	Mon 15 Dec · Tue 16 Dec · Wed 17 Dec · Thu 18 Dec · Sat 20 Dec · Sun 21 Dec · Mon 22 Dec
Independent garden visits	10:00–16:00 (on Fridays until 14:00)	Tue 16 Dec · Wed 17 Dec · Thu 18 Dec · Fri 19 Dec

Note: Entrance is by pre-booked ticket only, and a ticket to the garden does not include access to the adjacent Steinhardt Natural History Museum. lifesci.tau.ac.il+1

Helping Heal a Hurting Generation

Written by Hilary on 9 December 2025. Posted in Newsroom.

A young woman sits in the back row of a large lecture hall. As the professor glances up from his presentation, he notices the student’s head drop into her hands and her awkward attempt to hide her tear-streaked face. He pauses mid-sentence, not knowing how to react, then turns his attention quickly back to the large screen and resumes his lecture.

These scenarios are likely taking place across Israeli campuses as students face the aftermath of two years of war. At Tel Aviv University, staff and faculty have been recruited to help struggling students through a series of online workshops on recognizing emotional stress. Run by the TAU Student Success Center (SSC), the workshops equip participants to reach out to students and colleagues and direct them to University resources.

It Takes a Village

“After a prolonged state of heightened alert, of being in survival mode, students are just now truly grappling with all the pain and grief they suppressed,” said Dr. Liat Sorski, a clinical psychologist, researcher in the field of psychoneuroimmunology, and the Mental Health Awareness Coordinator at the SSC. “After two years of repeated trauma, we’re in the post-trauma stage, and it’s a critical stage.”

She believes that academic and administrative employees, who often see students daily, should have the ability to identify warning signs of traumatized students and be trained in how to handle sensitive situations and conversations. As adults who serve as mentors, teachers and role models, University employees have a responsibility for the well-being of students, and that includes their emotional state, emphasized Dr. Sorski.

Participants in the online workshops have included administrative assistants, student coordinators, lecturers, senior faculty, department heads, and heads of schools.

The feedback from staff has been overwhelmingly positive. “Many expressed how much they needed this kind of training and how detailed and helpful the workshop was,” said Dr. Sorski.

Professor or Therapist?

The training, led by Dr. Sorski since the beginning of the academic year, focuses on recognizing common reactions to all forms of distress and trauma, addressing both overt and hidden signs, responding in various ways while still respecting students’ privacy, and appropriately handling situations such as crying or other emotional outbursts.

“It’s ok to stop the class and allow the student to step out and gather themselves,” said Dr. Sorski. “And it’s ok to address the entire class and acknowledge the situation – we all went through a difficult period. We have to normalize the expression of our feelings.”

Just as important to understand is what not to do in these situations. Dr. Sorski acknowledged the urge to share personal experiences in an attempt to identify with a student but stressed that this is not an appropriate response. Also not recommended is attempting to provide advice or counseling.

“You are not a therapist, that’s not your role,” she said. Instead, staff should make the student feel seen and acknowledge their hardship, then direct them to appropriate resources.

Dr. Sorski also highlighted populations at higher risk of experiencing difficulties, such as foreign students who lack a support network, and reviewed in depth the University’s support mechanisms: the Student Success Center’s Psychological Services Unit, the network of faculty advisors, and the National Center for Traumatic Stress and Resilience; as well as national mental health resources outside the University.

The lectures are part of a wide array of services the Psychological Services Unit provides to students and staff. In the coming weeks, Dr. Sorski will be leading workshops for students this time, teaching coping strategies for stress and anxiety.

For more information on the Student Success Center’s mental health services, go to https://deanstudents.tau.ac.il/psychological-services.

Bridging the Gap: TAU Students Assist an Impoverished Town

Written by Hilary on 9 December 2025. Posted in Newsroom.

A low railing separates the distressed town of Jisr al-Zarqa from the affluent coastal city of Caesarea. Just a thin barrier, yet it represents a vast divide—socially, economically, and historically. Nestled along Israel’s Mediterranean coast, Jisr al-Zarqa is the country’s only Arab town on the shoreline, home to some 16,000 residents living on barely two square kilometres of land. Established in the 1920s around fishing and agriculture, the town today faces high unemployment, overcrowded housing, and decades of planning neglect.

Into this gap steps Tel Aviv University. Through its Buchmann Faculty of Law, the University is pioneering an educational initiative that merges legal education with social responsibility, societal change, and coexistence. The course, “Jisr al-Zarqa – Space, Planning, and Housing,” invites law students to bring the classroom to the community. Once a week, students visit Jisr al-Zarqa’s social services headquarters, offering pro bono legal advice on matters ranging from housing assistance and other governmental benefits to more complex legal matters, such as housing registration and permits.

“I enrolled in this course out of a deep sense of obligation, especially toward vulnerable groups or those who have experienced exclusion for various reasons,” says Bashar Siri, a third-year TAU law student.

“I’m glad I took part in the course to help, even if only in a small way. The residents here are an inseparable part of us.”

Hands-on Learning

Led by Prof.Neta Ziv, TAU’s Vice President for Equity, Diversity and Community, along with attorney Sharon Karni Kohn from the Hagar Carasso Social Housing Program, the course is a model of engaged scholarship.

“The Jisr al-Zarqa Housing and Planning course is unique in the way teaching and research are conducted at the law school,” explains Prof. Ziv.

“First, it brings together Arab and Jewish students in work settings to explore how law can improve the lives of people in the poorest locality in Israel—and at the same time, how law can be used by the powerful to reinforce inequality. Second, students go out into the field, applying their skills to assist real people in real situations while studying doctrine and legal theory. Finally, for Arab students, this is one of the few opportunities to study their own communities academically, with hands-on reflective practice.”

Jisr al-Zarqa Housing and Planning course students and professors

The TAU work is tangible and immediate. On a recent morning, Kohn helped a resident whose home had been recently demolished due to the absence of a building permit. Together, they filled out a rent-assistance form, a small but vital step toward stability.

Diving Deep

The course is supplemented by guest lectures from experts across multiple disciplines, including architect Areej Serhan, a planner who discussed the challenges of mobility and development in Arab communities. “Arab towns often suffer from a lack of proper paperwork, planning, and development,” she explained. “It becomes a vicious cycle that is not easy to break.” Yet, Serhan said, in recent years, the situation is changing. “There’s talk of advancing social mobility and cooperation. We see progress in closing gaps in educational results and economic growth in certain communities.”

Architect Areej Serhan addressing the students