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Tel Aviv University Establishes Multidisciplinary Center for Research of Autoimmune Diseases

Written by AUFTAU on . Posted in Newsroom.

New center enabled by a generous gift of $10 million from Judith and Stewart Colton

Tel Aviv University has established the Colton Center, Israel’s first multidisciplinary center for the study of autoimmune diseases – chronic conditions involving an abnormal response of the immune system within body tissues. The Center will collaborate with Israel’s medical centers and health services including HMO’s and Hospitals as well as selected scientists from other academic institutions to enable big data analytics of medical information and biological samples from patients with autoimmune diseases and promote understanding of the causes of morbidity and recurrent flareups and possible early diagnostics and treatments.

The TAU research approach will be unique in its nature fundamentally being based on big data analytics that will direct any traditional scientific wet lab work. The intent of the center would be to grant research funding to multidisciplinary groups of scientists including computer science, engineering, biology, statistics, mathematics, psychology, and more. The different research programs will be managed based on agreed upon milestones with the ability to reach substantial sums upon success. In addition to its multidisciplinary clinical research, the new Center will encourage experimental and theoretical studies in immunology and conduct workshops and conferences jointly with the three other Colton Centers.

Goal: Finding a Cure for Autoimmune Diseases

The Center’s establishment was enabled by a generous donation of $10 million from TAU Governors Judith and Stewart Colton. It is the fourth research center founded by the Colton family to address autoimmune diseases, joining three centers already operating in the USA – at Yale University, the University of Pennsylvania, and NYU.

“Stewart and Judith Colton, renowned Jewish philanthropists and dear friends of TAU, have set themselves a goal,” explains Prof. Ariel Porat, President of TAU. This goal is “to develop drugs and treatments for autoimmune diseases. For this purpose, they have established dedicated centers at three leading American universities, and now decided to extend this activity to TAU.”

“This donation is following many years of active contribution by the Colton Foundation to TAU’s innovation and entrepreneurships in wide range of disciplines. We are proud to belong to this elite group of universities, and together with them and the Colton family, we will strive to find a cure for autoimmune diseases.”

 

“Even though autoimmune diseases have been known to science since the beginning of the 20th century, we still don’t have adequate tools for prevention, treatment, or prediction of morbidity and recurrent flareups.” Mr. Stewart Colton

 

Tel Aviv University 

In Need of Adequate Tools

Mr. Stewart Colton comments: “We believe the Consortium created by the four universities will multiply the opportunities for advancing the chances for successful research. We have worked with TAU for almost 40 years and recognize the unique talent and dedication brought to innovative science. It is a terrible disease that deserves more attention.”

“I am particularly proud that Prof. Uri Nevo from the Department of Biomedical Engineering, who was one of the Colton Fellow graduates, was appointed to be the Chair of the Center’s Steering Committee.”

“The category of autoimmune diseases covers over 100 diseases, with relatively familiar examples including lupus, multiple sclerosis (MS), psoriasis, and Crohn’s disease.  Autoimmune diseases are defined as diseases in which the immune system, instead of pathogens such as viruses and bacteria, or cells infected with these pathogens, attack the body’s healthy tissues. Even though autoimmune diseases have been known to science since the beginning of the 20th century, we still don’t have adequate tools for prevention, treatment, or prediction of morbidity and recurrent flareups.”

 

“The new Colton Center represents the best of basic and translational research – a true collaboration between researchers and clinicians to explore the optimal avenues for deciphering the mechanisms and therapy for autoimmune diseases.” Prof. Karen Avraham

 

True Collaboration Between Researchers and Clinicians

Prof. Karen Avraham, Dean of TAU’s Sackler Faculty of Medicine adds: “the new Colton Center represents the best of basic and translational research – a true collaboration between researchers and clinicians to explore the optimal avenues for deciphering the mechanisms and therapy for autoimmune diseases.”

 

“We will start our research carefully and modestly, hoping that from the focused study we will learn about the basic principles underlying autoimmune diseases, and eventually impact the understanding of many of these diseases, and benefit vast numbers of patients.” Prof. Uri Nevo

 

Aim to Benefit Vast Numbers of Patients

Prof. Uri Nevo from the Department of Biomedical Engineering, Chair of the Center’s Steering Committee, explains that the Center’s purpose is to promote the study and understanding of autoimmune diseases in order to improve their prevention and treatment. The first goal, he says, is to obtain measurable results, identify early signs and develop predictive algorithms for both initial onset and recurrent flare-ups. Eventually, studies may provide explanations, and possibly even discover the cause.

Other goals are to define practical recommendations for preventing onset and recurrence or reducing severity, and acquire new insights about disease mechanisms, enabling the development of new treatment strategies in the future.

Prof. Nevo: “Due to the complexity of the immune system, and the difficulty in measuring the interaction between the immune system and tissues in the body, we face some tough challenges. We do not understand the biological mechanism that drives many autoimmune diseases, or how they are connected with genetic and environmental risk factors. As a result, very few specific medications are on offer, and in many cases the disease becomes chronic.

“One of our main objectives is to establish research collaborations with various players: the medical institutions affiliated with TAU, the health services, and representatives of NPOs addressing the various diseases. Our intention is to sample their data and utilize the vast knowledge they have accumulated. The data will enable computerized analysis of samples taken from autoimmune patients in Israel, to help us understand the causes for the onset and recurrent flareups of these diseases.”

To choose the focus of its research for the next few years, the Colton Center is presently sending out a dedicated survey to thousands of clinicians and researchers in Israel. “We want to hear the opinions of doctors and experts, in order to focus on a limited number of diseases,” says Prof. Nevo. “We will start our research carefully and modestly, hoping that from the focused study we will learn about the basic principles underlying autoimmune diseases, and eventually impact the understanding of many of these diseases, and benefit vast numbers of patients.”

Featured image: Mr. and Mrs. Colton

Sir Frank Lowy Donates $18M USD to Tel Aviv University’s International School

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The gift from the Israeli-Australian businessman will expand TAU’s offering of global programs and collaborations; it will include a scholarship fund for outstanding international students, a fund for visiting professors; and it will fund a new building for the International School.

Sir Frank Lowy is donating $18M USD (65M NIS) to Tel Aviv University to expand the activities of the International School, to be renamed ‘THE LOWY INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL Dedicated to the Memory of Shirley Lowy’ (the School honors Shirley Lowy, the late wife of Sir Frank). The official name change of TAU’s International School will take place on Tuesday, December 20, 2022. 

Enabling Further Expansion

The donation will fund the construction of a building that will serve as the new home of the International School, as well as the launch of three key activities at the International School:

  • The Lowy Scholarship Fund supporting outstanding international students at stages of their academic studies, including research students
  • The Lowy Distinguished Guest Professors Fund financing visits of leading scholars from abroad
  • The development of new international and local programs and initiatives

Sir Frank’s generous gift will also enable TAU to expand, enrich and diversify the School’s student body as well as its study programs. TAU already offers more than 20 English-language academic programs including a joint Liberal Arts bachelor’s degree with Columbia University, a new International BA in Management and Liberal Arts, and an online MBA program – the first of its kind in Israel.

Over 2,000 students from over 100 countries come to TAU every year, and there are more than 30,000 international student alumni worldwide. The School has experienced significant recent growth and now serves as the hub for all international activities on campus, including study programs, research partnerships, student exchanges, visits of scholars from abroad, and conferences.

The Lowy International School is central to TAU’s international strategy, aiming for several goals: enhancing international collaboration through research ties with leading institutions, attracting students from across the globe, and providing Israeli students with the tools they need to prosper in today’s globalized era. To date, the broad network of partners developed by TAU comprises over 280 institutions in 46 countries, including universities in the Gulf states and Morocco (a new and rapidly growing collaboration), Ivy League universities in the USA, and leading academic institutions in Europe and Asia.

Strengthening Ties between Israel and the World

“I have always been a Zionist,” says Sir Frank Lowy, “and now I am excited for this extension of my warm friendship with Tel Aviv University – intended to bolster TAU and Israel’s relations with leading partners in academia and industry around the world. With this gift, I hope to enhance the important connection between the State of Israel and Diaspora Jewry, and to encourage academic excellence by bringing the best researchers and students from all over the world to Israel.”

“My family and I know that my dear wife Shirley’s memory will forever live on at TAU, and this makes us very proud. Shirley believed in education, and in her 40s fulfilled a childhood dream and completed an academic degree. This tribute to my wife combines all the things that were most important to her – education, the state of Israel, and empowering the new generations. The gift in her memory will benefit students and scholars in many ways, and for years to come. I know that Shirley would be happy and honored to see that her legacy is commemorated in this way.”

Prof. Ariel Porat, President of Tel Aviv University: “Sir Frank Lowy’s leadership and philanthropic activity have for decades generated significant changes in communities in Israel, Australia, and worldwide. This new gift will further enhance his impact, strengthen the ties between Israel and the world, and extend the reach of Israeli academia.”

“It is a great privilege for us at Tel Aviv University to regard Sir Frank as a close and steadfast friend. The fact that he has seen fit to entrust us with the legacy of his beloved wife Shirley, is a great honor for us.”

TAU Vice President International Prof. Milette Shamir: “We are immensely grateful for Sir Frank Lowy’s gift. It is a great honor for us to house THE LOWY INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL Dedicated to the Memory of Shirley Lowy. This generous donation will allow us to significantly bolster the University’s international standing, attract hundreds of excellent international researchers and students, and strengthen TAU’s ties with communities around the world. This gift brings about an enormous transformation when it comes to TAU’s global impact.”

A festive ceremony celebrating the important gift will take place in December in the presence of Sir Frank and his family.

About Sir Frank Lowy

Sir Frank Lowy served for many years as the owner and Chairman of Westfield Corporation, a global real estate and shopping center conglomerate. He has been a steadfast friend of TAU for more than 20 years, has received an Honorary Doctorate from TAU, and serves as a TAU Governor. His generous contributions to TAU include support for the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), the Center for Combating Pandemics, and research in the field of nanotechnology.

As part of his broad philanthropic activities Sir Frank provides support for the Jewish community in Australia and Israel and donates generously to a range of causes in the spheres of education, security, health, sports, and charity. He has held various leadership roles in Jewish organizations, including President of Keren HaYesod in Australia – United Israel Appeal, and Leading Member of the Jewish Communal Appeal (JCA) in Australia.

Sir Frank was born in Slovakia, managed to escape before the Holocaust, lived in Budapest during the Holocaust, then moved to the USA. He moved back and forth between the UK and Israel, even taking part in the War of Independence as a Golani soldier, before finally settling in Australia. As an ardent Zionist, he recently fulfilled a dream of many years, and once again made Aliyah to Israel. 

Featured image: Prof. Ariel Porat, President of Tel Aviv University (to the left) and Sir Frank Lowy

Surprising the Pope with The Artwork ‘Jesus from the Soil of the Holy Land’

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Prof. Dina Porat: “The Pope was moved by the gesture. He thanked me wholeheartedly and said that it was a very special gift.”

Prof. Dina Porat from Tel Aviv University recently surprised Pope Francis when she handed him the artwork ‘Jesus from the Soil of the Holy Land’ while in Rome. The Pope thanked Prof. Porat wholeheartedly for the “very special gift”.

 

“Nilly sent me a photo of the unusual composition and asked, half-jokingly, if perhaps I could meet the Pope and bring him a very special gift from the soil of the Holy Land.” Prof. Dina Porat.

 

From the fields of Israel to the Vatican

‘Jesus from the Soil of the Holy Land’ was conceived, almost accidentally, by artist Nilly Shachor from Sde Warburg, a moshav in central Israel.

One day, as she was walking in the fields near her home, Shachor tripped and fell. When she got up, she saw that she had tripped on some branches that lay on the ground in an unusual formation, reminding her of Jesus Christ: two branches spreading sideways like human arms, a disheveled head, and long thin legs. Even a wreath was in place on Jesus’ head.

Shachor took the branches home, cleaned them, and embellished the wreath with some more twigs and thorns.  

 

The artwork ‘Jesus from the Soil of the Holy Land’

Shachor called her friend, Prof. Dina Porat from Tel Aviv University’s Chaim Rosenberg School of Jewish Studies and Archaeology at The Lester and Sally Entin Faculty of Humanities, who was planning to attend an international conference on antisemitism in Rome a few days later.

“Nilly sent me a photo of the unusual composition and asked, half-jokingly, if perhaps I could meet the Pope and bring him a very special gift from the soil of the Holy Land,” recalls Prof. Porat.

 

“It was a very meaningful experience for me, and I hope that ‘Jesus from the soil of the Holy Land’ is now displayed on a wall somewhere in the Vatican.” Prof. Dina Porat

 

Challenge Accepted

Accepting the challenge, Prof. Porat framed the photo in gold and called an old friend, Father Norbert Hofmann, Secretary of the Vatican’s Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews, who immediately agreed to help.

“When I arrived in Rome, my friend Norbert said that the next day, like every Wednesday, the Pope would hold the General Audience in which he greets visitors, and that it had been arranged for us to sit in the VIP section, right next to the stage,” recounts Prof. Porat.

“It was a very exciting event. Thousands of people gathered in Saint Peter’s Square, the Vatican’s large plaza, sang songs and merrily waved their flags. The Pope approached and shook people’s hands. When he approached me, I offered him the gift. He was moved and asked his attendants to safeguard the artwork. It was a very meaningful experience for me, and I hope that ‘Jesus from the soil of the Holy Land’ is now displayed on a wall somewhere in the Vatican.”

TAU Ready for Climate Action

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Lectures, workshops, and hands-on initiatives attract hundreds of students and visitors.

As world leaders gathered at the UN climate change summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, the first climate day event of its kind took place here at Tel Aviv University campus. Researchers from various faculties participated, and the meetings touched on a wide variety of topics pertaining to the climate crisis, including the earth sciences, ecosystems, renewable energy sources, legal aspects, lifestyle and culture, history, fashion, activism, cities, and the financial sector. Participants attended TED-style lectures by leading researchers; expert panels; a special meeting for the younger generation with Tel Aviv University for Youth; workshops; screening of the film The True Cost, and there was even a clothes swap party.

The event was organized by PlanNet Zero – Tel Aviv University’s Climate Crisis Initiative, and attracted a diverse crowd of students and faculty, representatives from the private sector, government and municipalities, children, high school students and others. The aim of PlanNetZero is to serve as a comprehensive, multidisciplinary think tank, bringing together dozens of researchers from units across campus – together with private, industry and government partners – to discuss and collaborate. The goal is to seek out solutions that bridge disciplines and actors, for adapting to climate change and for mitigating its harmful effects.

 

Dr. Yael Roth Barkai from TAU’s School of Education manages the clothes swapping booth on TAU’s Climate Day

It’s Time to Act

“We wanted to convey that the academia recognizes that the climate crisis is top priority, and that we are partners in formulating an immediate, practical and relevant response,” explains Dr. Orli Ronen Rotem, Head of TAU’s Urban Innovation and Sustainability Laboratory, at the Department of Environmental Studies, Porter School of Environmental and Earth Sciences and member of the PlanNetZero Climate Crisis Initiative team. “The crisis, as well as the solutions, require many fields of knowledge, including from earth sciences and life sciences, to the fields of law, culture, policy and education. Parallel to what is happening in the world, and which is being discussed at the climate conference in Egypt, it is important to recognize and promote action in Israel and here on campus. Our research needs to be geared towards promoting solutions. We wanted to encourage the audiences to learn about the climate crisis from different angles, so that they can take part in the change.” 

 

Saving the world in style. An expert panel on sustainable fashion held at TAU’s Central Library. From left to right: moderator Yuval Ofer, Meital Peleg Mizrahi, Sybil Goldfainer, Maya Erzi, Liraz Cohen Mordechai and Mia Hershkovitz

The members of TAU’s PlanNetZero Climate Crisis Initiative hope to see positive results from various events that are taking place in connection with the Sharm El Sheikh climate summit: “The official discussions are an important part of the world’s countries handling of climate change,” notes Dr. Shula Goulden from TAU’s Environmental Studies and the PlanNetZero Climate Crisis Initiative. “This is the first conference that focuses, and rightly so, on adaptation and climate change assessments. It should produce practical and immediate ways to provide support to populations that are already affected by the crisis. However, the conference consists of much more than the official discussions. In addition to those, there are also hundreds, if not thousands, of affiliated events and side events taking place. We hope that this extensive activity will contribute to more awareness and political pressure on various sectors, enabling the adoption of stricter policies.”

“The very existence of such a large event affects activities in the world in various ways, including a lot of activity at the national and local level. An example of this, is the joint effort on behalf of many academic institutions in Israel in preparation for the summit, with the organization of events on campuses, demonstrating awareness and commitment to the issue.”

 

Dr. Ram Fishman, who is usually travelling with student delegations in developing countries, gave a TED-style talk in TAU’s Social Sciences Library

In many disciplines, it takes time for academic research to reach professional audiences. In the context of the climate crisis, however, PlanNetZero members would like to speed up the process: “On this week’s Climate Day event, we organized two consultation events: one of them was with the Tel Aviv Municipality, on the topic of promoting a sustainable lifestyle in the city, and the other was with the Ministry of Environmental Protection and representatives of companies in the financial sector, on new tools for managing climate risks.”

“The participation of researchers and academics from the fields of policy, law and economics create new leverage, because today’s big challenge in the field of climate is not technological but political, economic and social,” they conclude.

 

 

Academics from various disciplines gathered to address the crisis. From left to right: Prof. Alon Tal, Dr. Dorit Kerret , Prof. Marcelo Sternberg and Prof. Iftach Yacoby, and Meital Peleg Mizrahi 

TAU 7th in World for Entrepreneurship

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TAU ranked first in Israel and first among universities outside the U.S. that produce successful entrepreneurs.

TAU alumni ranked at the top of global entrepreneurship: 814 entrepreneurs with bachelor’s degrees from Tel Aviv University have established 677 companies and raised a total of $26.5 billion. After staring as number 8 in the world for 4 consecutive years, this brings Tel Aviv University to 7th place in the world and 1st place outside the U.S. in  the prestigious PitchBook ranking. 

TAU alumni with graduate degrees rank on 14th place, with 726 entrepreneurs who established 616 companies and raised $16.5 billion. 

TAU also leads in PitchBook‘s world ranking of female entrepreneurs, placing 20th for TAU’s female undergraduate alumni and ranking 23rd for female graduates.

Every year, Pitchbook, a business data research firm, publishes an annual ranking of the world’s top 100 universities based on the number of alumni entrepreneurs who have founded venture capital backed companies. Several elite American universities are at the top of the list: 1. Stanford, 2. UC Berkeley, 3. Harvard, and 4. MIT. TAU ranks higher than leading universities such as Yale (10th place), UCLA (11th place), and Princeton (12th place). 

The following large companies established by TAU alumni are noted by the PitchBook ranking: Generate ($3.3 billion), Fireblocks ($1.2 billion), Trax ($1.1 billion), Varo ($992 million),and Celsius ($948 million).

Four additional Israeli universities are also included in Pitchbook’s top 100 list: Technion (15th place), Hebrew University (31st), Reichman University (38) and Ben-Gurion University (45). 

“The credit for this enormous success goes to our alumni, first and foremost, but TAU also does its best to instill a spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation in its students,” says Prof. Ariel Porat, President of TAU. “It is no coincidence that we have a superb Entrepreneurship Center on campus, expected to grow even further in the next few years, and to equip TAU students from the exact sciences, the social sciences, and the humanities with the tools and motivation that are so essential for entrepreneurial endeavors in all areas, both technological and social.”

Prof. Moshe Zviran, Head of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at TAU comments, “TAU continues to establish itself as Israel’s main entrepreneurial university and a world leader in producing entrepreneurs who found companies, raise venture capital, and boost Israel’s economy. TAU’s climb to 7th place in the PitchBook rankings is one more indicator of the high quality of our alumni, as well as the contribution of the entrepreneurial ecosystem on campus that proactively promotes this approach among both students and faculty.”

Read the full 2022 ranking list here >>

20 Mayors Begin TAU’s World-class Training Program

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The Bloomberg-Sagol Center for City Leadership announces inaugural class.

As the fall semester began on TAU campus, the University’s Bloomberg-Sagol Center for City Leadership opened its doors to the program’s first cohort of students. 20 mayors and municipal heads from across Israel arrived to participate in the intensive, yearlong executive education and training program that will equip them with the tools and skills needed to enhance the residents’ quality of life.

Bloomberg Philanthropies and the Sagol family launched the Center earlier this year as a major new effort to strengthen local leadership across Israel. Inspired by the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative, the new program aims to help mayors of cities across Israel – north and south, large, and small, Jewish- and Arab-led – deliver better and more equitable public services to residents, strengthen social bonds, and deepen ties to the global community of innovative city leaders.

“Israel’s local authorities have a much greater impact on citizens’ lifestyles and quality of life than the central government,” said Prof. Ariel Porat, TAU President. “The quality of sanitation, transportation, welfare, education, and health services mostly depends on the local authority’s performance. The City Leadership Program aims to improve the management of local authorities in Israel, thereby enhancing the quality of life of Israelis throughout the country.”

Global Impact

“The Bloomberg-Sagol Center builds on all the work Bloomberg Philanthropies is doing to help local leaders around the world innovate, lead effectively, and share ideas for tackling complex problems,” said Michael R. Bloomberg, 108th Mayor of New York City and founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies and Bloomberg L.P. “This inaugural class brings together a dynamic group of mayors from across Israel. We’re looking forward to working with them, and to seeing the results in their cities and beyond.”

The Center was established at TAU’s Coller School of Management and is led by Prof. Moshe Zviran, the former Dean of the School, who serves as the Head of the Center and the Academic Director of the Program. The mayors will conclude the year with additional training and networking hosted by Bloomberg Philanthropies and Harvard University in New York City and Boston, in the United States.

Local Innovation

“When I became aware of the Bloomberg Harvard City Initiative, I realized how suitable it can be for us in Israel, by creating a long-lasting impact on our cities and local leadership”, said Yossi Sagol, Chairman of Sagol Holdings Corporation and the founding partner of the Program.

 

“Mayors serve as the first and most significant line of leadership for the citizens in Israel, and they manage the most important matters for its residents. Through learning and training at the Bloomberg-Sagol Program, they will be exposed to the best and latest management practices in the business world and will be able to apply their newly gained skills in local leadership. Doing so, we hope, will support bold public innovation and create more effective city halls. Our partnership with Mike Bloomberg is very exciting and will undoubtedly strengthen the leadership of the local authorities across Israel.”

Meet the Students

The first class of the City Leadership Program includes: Ran Konik, Mayor of Givatayim; Itzik Danino, Mayor of Ofakim;Samir Mahamid, Mayor of Umm al-Fahm; Rotem Yadlin, Head of the Gezer Regional Council; Liat Shochat, Mayor of Or Yehuda Municipality; Israel Gantz, Head of the Benjamin Regional Council; Israel Gal, Mayor of Kiryat Ono; Tzvika Brot, Mayor of Bat-Yam; Avraham Rubinstein, Mayor of Bnei Barak; Abed Elaziz Nasasara, Head of the Local Council of Kseifa; Israel Parosh, Mayor of Elad; Oshrat Gani Gonen, Head of the South Sharon Regional Council; Moshe Fadlon, Mayor of Herzliya;  Shoshi Kahlon Kidor, Mayor of Kfar Yona; Niv Wiesel, Head of the Mateh Yehuda Regional Council; Moshe Koninski, Mayor of Karmiel; Rafik Halabi, head of the Dalit El-Karmel Local Council; Nissan Ben Hamo, Mayor of Arad; Shay Hajaj, Head of the Merhavim Regional Council; and Yaala Maklis, Mayor of Yehud-Monoson.

Israel has 257 cities and towns with mayors. Each class of the City Leadership Program will accommodate 20 participants, who will invite two key members of their team to attend as well.

Featured image: Israeli Mayors and heads of municipalities participating in the yearlong training program (Photo: Maxim Golovanov)

Tel Aviv University and Industries in India Strengthen their Ties

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Bringing together industry and academia of the two countries.

A delegation of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) was hosted this week by TAU. The CII is a non-government, not-for-profit, industry-led, and industry-managed organization, with around 9000 members from the private as well as public sectors.

 

CII has an additional, indirect membership of over 300,000 enterprises from 286 national and regional sectoral industry bodies in India. The organization works to create and sustain an environment conducive to India’s development.

 

High-ranking Industry Leaders

The delegation was chaired by Mr. Rajan Navani, Chairman of the CII’s India@75 Council and vice chairman of Jetline Industries. The group included high-ranking industry leaders from India and the United Arab Emirates.

 

In their welcome speech, TAU’s VP International Prof. Milette Shamir and Asia Engagement Director at TAU International, Konstantin Platonov, presented an overview of Tel Aviv University and its academic and research initiatives in India and globally. 

 

Prof. Milette Shamir and Mr. Rajan Navani

 

Multifaceted Relationship

Prof. Yosi Shacham-Diamand, chairman of Nano Scale Information Technologies at TAU Faculty of Engineering, and Prof. Hadas Mamane Steindel, Head of TAU ‘Sustainable Water’ Laboratory discussed some of their most recent projects in India. These included projects on food security, agriculture management, water sustainability, and beyond.

 

The CII delegates participated in an insightful panel on Cyber security issues with Dr. Giora Yaron, founding investor and chairman of the board at Itamar Medical; former TAU chairman Mr. Yigal Unna, and Mr. Nathan Shuchami, managing partner at Hyperwise Ventures.

 

Tel Aviv University has developed a long-standing and multifaceted relationship with CII for several initiatives. These include the India-Israel Forum, a powerful platform that brings together industry and academia of the two countries for an annual conversation on a diverse range of acute topics, such as cyber-security, agriculture technologies, waste management, energy, food and water sustainability and R&D.

 

The 15th gathering of the Forum will take place in India in December 2022 under the auspices of Tel Aviv University, CII, and the Ananta Aspen Center. 

Featured image: The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) delegation 

TAU Launches Israel’s 1st Scholarship Program for International Student-Athletes

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Initiative will enable elite athletes to study and train at world-class facilities, boost Israeli sports performance.

Tel Aviv University today announced the launch of a new scholarship program for international student-athletes, making it the first of its kind at a university in Israel. TAU is due to welcome the first cohort of recipients to campus in the next academic year.  

The International Sports Scholarship Fund at TAU was established through a generous gift from Israeli-British philanthropist and TAU Governor Linda Streit.

Raising the Bar for Israeli Sports

The Scholarship Fund will provide full degree support for talented athletes between the ages of 17-30, each year. International applicants of all nationalities are eligible.

Scholarship recipients will have the opportunity to study or research in any of TAU International’s nearly two dozen English-taught programs and train at the University’s world-class academic and sports facilities. Recipients will be expected to participate in elite Israeli sports by, for example, competing for the country in international competitions.  

Elite athletics in Israel, including Olympic representation, have gained steady momentum in recent years. This has been reinforced at TAU through the establishment of the Sylvan Adams Sports Institute (SASI), the first applied sports research facility of its kind in Israel for nurturing the performance of world-class athletes and Olympians such as TAU medical student and swimmer Andrea “Andi” Murez, as well as the recent overhaul plans for the University to provide students with the highest caliber training equipment and facilities.  

 

Andi Murez (Photo: Moshe Bedarshi/TAU)

Scholarship recipients will be selected by a committee of representatives from Tel Aviv University International (TAUi)—TAU’s division for international academics and activities—SASI, and Israeli sports professionals, including those affiliated with the competitive sports association at TAU’s Sports Center. The scholarships are available for athletes in all sports in which Israel’s national teams compete.  

Fueling Olympic Dreams

Linda Streit lectured at TAU’s Department of English and American Studies for over 30 years and is Co-Chair of the University’s Student Affairs Committee. Her family founded the Daniel Amichai Center for Rowing and Nautical Studies in Tel Aviv in memory of her late son, an avid rower who tragically died at the age of 21.

“I established the Daniel Howard Foundation (DHF) in memory of my son Daniel, an elite rower who was training to represent Israel in international competitions,” says Streit. “The foundation’s strategy is to support excellence in sport, and my dream is that an athlete representing Israel will be standing on the Olympic podium where Daniel was supposed to stand.”

The family’s philanthropic legacy at TAU began with her late grandparents, Sir John (“Jack”) and Lady Sarah Cohen and now spans five generations of engagement. Streit’s father, the late Sir Leslie Porter, was a former TAU Chancellor, Chairman of the University’s Board of Governors, and a generous benefactor. Among the numerous campus initiatives established by the family is the landmark Porter School of Environment and Earth Sciences, which Streit’s parents, Sir Leslie Porter and Dame Shirley Porter, founded in 2000. The school has grown into a thriving academic unit with a strong record of promoting environmental initiatives both within and outside of academia. 

“This scholarship program allows talented international athletes to choose Tel Aviv University as the venue for achieving success in high-level sports and studies,” Streit adds. 

Winning Big in Athletics and Academics 

TAU Vice President of International Collaboration Prof. Milette Shamir: “We are thrilled to roll out Israel’s first initiative to foster the education and careers of elite international athletes, who often must choose between academia or professional sports.”

She adds that “Sports are universally appreciated and an invaluable channel for bringing people together. This initiative is the latest among several recent steps at TAU for enhancing world-class sports in Israel, and thereby, the country’s recognition on the global stage.” 

For more information or to arrange prospective applicant consultations, please contact David Ryan, Global Outreach & Recruitment Manager at TAUi: [email protected]  

TAU to Switch to Sustainable Electricity within Two Years

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University becomes first in Israel to unroll plans for ‘green’ campus transformation.

In a first among Israeli universities, Tel Aviv University announced its plans to switch entirely to renewable electricity within two years. The pledge comes following the completion of a comprehensive assessment of campus’ greenhouse gas emissions (direct and indirect), as part of initial steps in a 10-year plan towards carbon neutrality.

Comprehensive Evaluation

External company EcoTraders conducted the evaluation according to the GHG Protocol – a global standardized framework used to measure greenhouse gas emissions. The comprehensive report includes details on all campus facilities that are owned and operated by the University, including the Broshim and Einstein student dormitories. The carbon footprint of the University’s suppliers was also assessed – from electricity consumption on campus, to transportation and construction inputs, to the food served at conferences and cafeterias.

The report was conducted using the University’s 2019 emissions data as a baseline year reference, before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted many activities, resulting in a temporary reduction in emissions.

Moving towards Carbon Neutrality

“Tel Aviv University has decided to do its modest part to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which is crucial for addressing the climate crisis,” says Prof. Ariel Porat, President of Tel Aviv University who also chairs TAU’s Green Campus Committee. “We intend to formulate a methodical and detailed 10-year plan, with the goal of attaining carbon neutrality further down the road. Our hope is to inspire other institutions in Israel and around the world to take similar actions, which, in addition, help educate the next generations about this important subject.”

Gady Frank, TAU’s Director-General adds, “We are working to make sure that in two years all the electricity produced on campus will be green. Currently, we have more than 5000 meters of photovoltaic cells, and our goal is to triple their amount on campus rooftops. In addition, we will install storage facilities, which will drastically increase the yield of these solar cells. The rest of the energy would be bought from private suppliers specializing in producing energy solely from green sources.”

 

“We intend to formulate a methodical and detailed 10-year plan, with the goal of attaining carbon neutrality further down the road. Our hope is to inspire other institutions in Israel and around the world to take similar actions.” 

 

Green roof of TAU’s Porter building

Recruiting Experts

About a year ago, the University’s Green Campus Committee, led by President Prof. Ariel Porat and Director-General Gady Frank, appointed a team of academic and administrative experts to create a strategic plan with the goal of significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions on campus by encouraging more efficient use of resources and investing in renewable energy.

The team of experts hired EcoTraders to perform a baseline assessment of the overall carbon footprint of all TAU activities, on and off campus.

The team includes Prof. Marcelo Sternberg, Head of the Expert Team from George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences; Dr. Vered Blass and Dr. Orli Ronen – both of the Porter School of the Environment and Earth Sciences; Prof. Avi Kribus from the Iby and Aladar Fleischman Faculty of Engineering; Ofer Lugassi, Deputy Director-General for Engineering and Maintenance; and Alon Sapan, Director of the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History.

Developing a Practical Plan

“We set out on this mission about a year and a half ago and decided that in order to lead real change on campus, we must conduct a thorough and comprehensive mapping of all of the University’s greenhouse gas emissions,” explains the team of experts. “This is a complex process that required the enlistment of many parties on campus, who agreed for the first time to share with us, and the authors of the report, information that had not been made public until now.”

Now, with the publication of the report’s findings, the expert team is developing a practical plan to reduce TAU campus’ greenhouse gas emissions, to be presented for discussion within the Green Campus Committee and subsequently submitted for approval by the University administration.

It is the first time that an Israeli university has taken this kind of action, and the experts are confident that other universities will follow in TAU’s footsteps.

 

“It is not trivial that the University is investing resources in collecting and analyzing the data – and it is even less trivial that the University is publishing this data – but we are committed to our strategic vision of striving to attain carbon neutrality in the future.”

 

Highlights from Report

According to the report, in 2019, Tel Aviv University was responsible for greenhouse gas emissions amounting to approximately 70,000 tons of carbon dioxide, 93% of which were indirect, with only 7% constituting direct energy-related emissions from the campus, mainly from its air-conditioning systems.

According to the report’s authors, the total indirect emissions are broken down as follows: Electricity consumption on campus (42%); waste production and management (11%); transportation (12%); food and beverage services (7%); construction and building maintenance inputs (4%); fuel and energy for the University’s facilities (4%); procurement (4%); computer and laboratory equipment (3%); other (6%).

Prof. Ariel Porat, President of Tel Aviv University

Strategic Cuts

Numbers published in 2021 show that Tel Aviv University is responsible for emitting 1.56 tons of CO2-equivalent greenhouse gases per capita per year, compared to Yale University’s 8.2 tons, the University of Melbourne’s 2.7 tons, and the Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Germany’s 0.73 tons.

While the report shows that electricity consumption is the most polluting factor by far on TAU campus, reducing emissions generated from electricity consumption has so far not been an option, as the production method was determined by Israel’s Electric Corporation. However, this has changed. The experts say, “With the opening of the energy market, we plan to consider a transition from electricity suppliers that burn natural gas to suppliers that rely on renewable energy, and to expand the independent production of solar power within the campus.” When it comes to food procurement, the team will assess a variety of possibilities – from reducing the amount of food consumed, to precluding the ordering of meat products for events and kiosks.

The team concludes: “The new report lays down infrastructure that allows us to take a holistic view of the University’s total greenhouse gas emissions and identify the activities that cause the most pollution. This way, we can build comprehensive plans to reduce emissions from these activities in the short, medium, and long term. Moreover, the report will allow us to monitor and inspect the reduction in emissions over time and compare the numbers with the original values. It is not trivial that the University is investing resources in collecting and analyzing the data – and it is even less trivial that the University is publishing this data – but we are committed to our strategic vision of striving to attain carbon neutrality in the future.”

TAU’s French Culture Program Helps Propel Careers

Written by AUFTAU on . Posted in Newsroom.

A vice-consul, a hi-tech worker, and a musician explain how the unique Program contributed to their professional accomplishments.

There’s something about Tel Aviv University’s French Culture Program (Hebrew website) of the Faculty of Humanities, a certain “je ne sais quoi,” which translates into happy graduates with exciting, wide-ranging – and perhaps even surprising – careers. Three young professionals, all graduates of the Program, tell us how it helped jump start their international careers.  

First a few words about the Program, which allows you to discover the French language and the French culture at its highest level: You learn about intellectuals and artists who shaped the world as we know it today, from feminism to intellectuals streams, from democracy (liberté, égalité, fraternité) to avant-garde art and cinema. The Program offers both BA and MA studies, and during BA it’s a dual program, which means that students follow an additional program in parallel. Tu ne parles pas français? No problem. The classes are all taught in Hebrew by bilingual teaching staff. You learn French throughout the Program.

Work in Israel’s Foreign Ministry

Hanan Podolich, Vice-consul in the consular department of the Embassy of Israel in Paris: “Each day, my colleagues and I receive Israeli citizens and foreigners and provide them with consular services. I am the professional authority in the department, in charge of the smooth flow of the reception procedure, and I also cover for the Consul when he is absent,” explains Hanan, who holds a BA degree in French Culture and Linguistics from TAU’s French Culture Program.

“My studies helped me in two aspects: Firstly, and mainly, through the French language skills I acquired. While in the Program, I got to go abroad twice for summer school – the first time was in Vichy, France and the second was in Bruxelles, Belgium – to practice my French. It was incredibly reassuring to realize that I was capable of communicating with French speakers from all over the world. In my job, French facilitates the mutual understanding for both sides, especially when bureaucratic matters are at hand.”

 

“My studies made me more familiar with the huge Jewish-Franco-Israeli community in France. I came prepared.”

 

“Secondly, my studies made me more familiar with the huge Jewish-Franco-Israeli community in France. I came to Paris prepared. When speaking with people at the window, I already felt well ‘acquainted’ with them which allowed me to be more open to their needs.

The scholarships that I was given in order to participate in the summer schools helped me realize that I want to work with French speaking people and to showcase my country as well as I did with the young students I met during these summer schools sessions. In fact, it was thanks to those projects that I got in touch with the right people who later offered me the opportunity to work at the Embassy.”

Join Israeli Hi-Tech  

Maya Aharon, Risk Analyst at hi-tech company Riskified: “The company’s main goal is to detect and prevent fraud in online orders using behavioral analysis. My job is analyzing online orders with our different programs to detect fraudsters and fraud rings, and to improve our automatic model. I love my job – our company protects customers and makes the online ordering world much safer,” says Maya.

 

Maya at work, making the online ordering world safer

“Thanks to the French Culture Program I understand and speak the French language, the world’s fifth most spoken language. Riskified works with merchants across the globe, and my French enables me to communicate with customers all over the world, not just in France.”

 

“My French enables me to communicate with customers all over the world, not just in France”

 

Maya holds a BA from the French Culture Program, as well as in Political Science. “It’s a great combination of degrees,” she notes. “In many of my Political Science classes, we’d learn about France, its history and politics, and my French Culture Program classes were super helpful.”

“I couldn’t be happier that I chose the French Culture Program. It is a wonderful program with lovely people and great professors, perfect for anyone who’s interested in culture and in language,” she concludes.

Become an Artist

Ram Menachem, professional musician who produces music for films and dance performances (enjoy his last album here), while also finding time to study towards his BA in the French Culture Program (he’s about to start his third year) and in the multidisciplinary program of Humanities: “If you are into art, literature, poetry and languages; if you love French cinema, chansons, philosophy, I highly recommend the French culture program,” he says.

 

Ram Menachem during a performance (photo: Kfir Bolotin)

“We live in a very confusing time, where we spend a lot of our time on social networks, like Tiktok, Instagram, Twitter. Our culture is very immediate, short lived and shallow. Studying French culture gave me the rare opportunity to dive deep into a piece, novel, painting, or a poem. Studying French culture and humanities made my life more meaningful, less shallow.”

 

“Studying French culture gave me a rare opportunity these days – namely, to dive deep into a piece, novel, painting, or a poem.” 

 

Ram chose the Program mainly because of his love for culture. “The program,” he says, “offers a wide spectrum of it, including history of arts, literature, philosophy, language, and even music. I also find French culture fascinating where ‘liberal arts’ and ‘humanities’ are concerned, as many of the major fields are French or influenced by the French thought, such as Michel Foucault, Deleuze and Guattari, Jean-Paul Sartre and many more. I’d definitely choose the Program all over again, if I were to choose today.” 

Find Out if It’s for You

The high employment rate among the French Cultural Program’s graduates, may be partly a result of its close cooperation with renowned French Universities, Israel’s Ministry of Education (it provides a significant part of the Ministry’s French teaching staff) and with non-profit organization Gvahim (which traditionally provides new immigrants and returning residents network, tools, knowledge, and support to find employment or establish their own businesses in Israel).

Jonathan Sitbon, who teaches at the Program and is also a writing expert at Israeli hi-tech company, Wix, adds: “Employment opportunities are plenty for our graduates. Hi-Tech companies, for instance, are in need of qualified workers with background in the humanities.”

“In fact, whenever I was looking to recruit someone for my own team, I’d always first pay close attention to the candidates’ broad and general skills – their curiosity, creativity, intellectual rigor, and their ability to structure thoughts through words. A great way to acquire these skills, is by diving into books and exploring the minds of great thinkers,” he concludes.

 

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