Credit: Philipp Dümcke

German Friends of the University of Haifa held a festive event commemorating the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the University and its special connection with Germany at the residence of German President, Frank-Walter Steinmeier. President Ron Robin and VP and Dean of Research Mouna Maroun led a delegation of alumni and students from German Friends-sponsored programs. Over 80 longstanding friends and supporters of the University attended the event, including honored guests Dr. h.c. Sonja Lahnstein Kandel, Chairwoman of the German Friends Association and UofH honorary doctorate recipient (2017), and Prof. Manfred Lahnstein, Honorary Chairman of the University's Board of Governors and UofH honorary doctorate recipient (2007), Israeli ambassador to Germany, Ron Prosor, President of Freie Universität Berlin, Vice President of Max Planck Institute, and Director of GEOMAR. The gala event was followed by a lunch hosted by Senator and Second Mayor of Hamburg, Katharina Fegebank.

MEDIA COVERAGE
The event received extensive media coverage. In a rare statement, President Steinmeier voiced his concerns surrounding the Israeli government's proposed judicial overhaul. 

READ MORE in Times of Israel and JerusalemPost

Dozens of Israeli business leaders, key public figures, longstanding friends of the University and members of the Board of Governors, gathered at Tel Aviv law firm FISCHER (FBC & Co.), for the annual Business Leaders Forum hosted by the Israeli Friends Association. The guest speaker, Former Attorney General Prof. Avichai Mandelblit, spoke passionately about the vital role of the Office of the Attorney General, the Supreme Court, and legal advisers as a line of defense for the values of Israel's Declaration of Independence, and the current handling of the government's proposed judicial overhaul program.

Members of the University's senior leadership attended the exclusive event, including Chairman of the University's Executive Committee, Adv. Dov Weisglass, President Ron Robin, Rector Gur Alroey, Prof. Tal Zarsky, Dean of the Faculty of Law, and Eliana Dan, CEO of the Israeli Friends of the University of Haifa.

READ MORE in Times of Israel and Jerusalem Post

During a recent academic tour of the region, Harvard President Prof. Lawrence S. Bacow payed a visit to the Mt. Carmel Campus. President Bacow, a recipient of a UofH honorary doctorate (2021), met with President Ron Robin and Rector Gur Alroey, senior leadership team, faculty and doctoral students from the Bloom Graduate School, with whom he discussed the future challenges of universities in Israel and the US. "Through our teaching and research, universities play a crucial role in addressing the most significant challenges of our time, such as climate change, inequality and the future of democracy," noted President Bacow. He further praised the University of Haifa for "looking towards the future", in its active part in the social missions of the State of Israel. During his visit researchers presented joint projects with Harvard, including Project CETI (communicating with whales), research on the political participation of ethnic minorities, and research in molecular biology. 

Congratulations to Prof. Mouna Maroun, Vice President and Dean of Research, on being awarded a Medal of Distinction from the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation. Prof. Maroun was recognized for breaking glass ceilings through her groundbreaking research in the field of neuroscience, for promoting higher education in Arab society, and for raising awareness and encouraging young Arab women to pursue careers in science and neuroscience. The Medal of Distinction is awarded annually for International Women’s Day recognizes women from a diverse range of backgrounds and communities who are leaders in their fields and serve as role models for women and girls everywhere.| EVENT COVERAGE in the Jerusalem Post

READ THE FULL OP-ED in the Jerusalem Post

Photos from the opening of "This is a Good Place for Airing" exhibit.

The University of Haifa community hosted a number of special events and exhibitions to commemorate International Women's Day.

The Student Photovoice Exhibition opened an outdoor exhibit entitled "This is a Good Place for Airing". The project, facilitated by Rana Jubran (Division of the Presidency and External Relations), traces the stories by twelve female students from different cultural backgrounds and majoring in different fields. Over the summer, they shared experiences and transformative challenges they face as women at the University, and celebrated small victories. Their stories are told through photographs and writings. Mayor Einat Kalisch-Rotem and Eyal Edry, Founding Chairman of nonprofit organization Ahinoam, as well as Sharon Zaid, Vice President and CEO, and Prof. Batya Engel-Yeher, Dean of Students, attended the event. This project was created jointly by Israeli Friends of the University of Haifa and the Dean of Students, with support from Ahinoam.

The Diversity and Equality Unit coordinated "Women Create" – a happening that opened with a welcome by Head of the Unit, Prof. Shulamit Almog, who also serves as the Presidential Advisor on Gender Equity. The event included an inspirational modern dance number "And Yet it Moves" by Metora (מטורה) – an adult troupe comprised of 40+ age group from Haifa. "And Yet it Moves" conveys an uplifting message that despite adult responsibilities and aging bodies, we can find personal strength and beauty through dance.

The International School hosted "Take a Step", a lecture by Israeli medalist Moran Samuel, a global motivational speaker and Paralympic rowing champion. Moran played on the Israeli women's national basketball team, but a spinal stroke left her paralyzed in her lower body in 2006. After she recovered, she completed her physical therapies studies at the University of Haifa and worked with the Paralympic Sports Association team on the re-establishment of the Israeli women's basketball team on wheelchairs.

Over 450 outstanding 8^th grade students from Haifa attended a seminar at the University hosted by The Young Scientists Hub in coordination with the Division of Education at the Haifa Municipality. The full-day event, entitled " Introduction to Science: Body, Mind and Environment" introduced the young pupils to a range of fields taught at the University, from climate change and neuroscience, to current topics in marine biology, physiotherapy, law and cyber security and sociology. They were welcomed by the Hub's Academic Head, Prof. Roza Leikin (Dean, Faculty of Education and the founder and director of the Interdisciplinary Center for the Research and Advancement of Giftedness and Excellence) and Founder and Administrative Director, Claudia Harel. The newly launched Young Scientists Hub is an educational outreach program designed to enable teens from Israel's northern periphery to take part in problem solving workshops, laboratory tours, Science Days and online classes led by leading researchers in fields aligned with the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

(l-r - top row) Dr. Anna Brook (Department of Geography and Environmental Studies), Prof. Michal Biron (School of Business Administration), Ariel Karabelnicoff, National Executive Director of the University's Canadian Friends, Naomi Reinharz, CEO of the American Society of the University of Haifa, Prof. Anna Zamansky (Department of Information Systems) and Prof. Hanin Karawani (Department of Communication Sciences and Disorder).

(l-r - bottom row) Prof. Adi Livnat (Institute of Evolution), Prof. Amit Bernstein (School of Psychological Sciences), Tsameret Zohar (Director of Asia Pacific Desk).

University of Haifa welcomed Naomi Reinharz, newly appointed CEO of the American Society of the University of Haifa, and Ariel Karabelnicoff, new Executive Director of the University's Canadian Friends, for an intensive orientation week. As part of their visit to both campuses ─ Mt. Carmel and Technological City ─ Naomi and Ariel met with the University's senior management, deans, faculty members, and doctoral students from diverse fields. During their visit, they toured the student dormitories, Donor's Garden, and the Charney School of Marine Sciences' coastal facilities: Morris Kahn Marine Research Station at Sdot Yam, and marine laboratories at the Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research Institute in Tel Shikmona.

READ Naomi Reinharz's recent Blog in the Times of Israel "When all roads lead to Haifa" detailing her career journey from law to fundraising.

A new international study led by researchers from the University of Haifa in collaboration with the University of California (Davis), found for the first time a cluster of genes (OPR III) in common wheat that may provide durability in drought conditions. Prof. Tzion Fahima (Institute of Evolution) headed the UofH research team that identified genes responsible for regulating the length of the roots in bread wheat, which may be significant for culturing drought-resistant types. "Given the importance of wheat for global nutrition, on the one hand, and the fact that global warming is leading to an expansion of arid areas and impairing agricultural crops, on the other, this discovery is highly significant and will allow wheat to be grown in a wider range of climatic conditions," explained study authors. The discovery was published in the prestigious journal Nature Communications. | READ MORE

An international research team has developed groundbreaking artificial intelligence capabilities that can identify pain in cats. House cats often suffer chronic pain, but seasoned veterinarians find it difficult to detect it because of their evolutionary ability to hide discomfort. Deep learning models and facial recognition analysis enabled researchers to detect pain in cats by analyzing their ears, eyes, whiskers, and mustaches with an over 70% success rate. "This breakthrough has the potential to revolutionize the way we care for our feline friends and lead to a significant transformation of veterinary care," explains doctoral student Marcelo Feighelstein, who led the study under the supervision of Prof. Anna Zamansky and Prof. Ilan Shimshoni (Department of Information Systems). The study findings were published in journal Scientific Reports. | READ MORE

Credit: Getty Images

An international scientific study examining over 300,000 people from around the world confirms that women usually understand other people’s emotions better than men. Researchers from the University of Haifa, Bar Ilan University and Cambridge University employed Reading Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET) and cognitive questionnaires to identify internal emotional states of participants aged 16 to 70 from 57 countries. “These differences have important ramifications in diverse social contexts,” noted Prof. Ahmad Abu-Akel (Department of Psychology) who co-authored the study. "Companies, corporations, and even governments that implement gender equality should be expected to make different decisions from those where there is a gender imbalance in either direction." The findings were published in the journal PNAS. | READ MORE

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