“Our primary concern is for the health and welfare of our students, faculty and administrative staff. We have gone to great lengths to enable our community to study, teach and continue to research in an environment that complies with strict health protocols.”
– President Ron Robin

As part of its reopening plans for the fall semester, the University of Haifa’s administration announced a hybrid plan that will combine online teaching with on-campus teaching. The plan, which strictly adheres to the Health Ministry’s ‘Purple Badge’ rules and guidelines, will enable the University to continue its important mission while maintaining flexibility and adjusting to changing public health measures in response to COVID-19. Incoming first-year students will be given priority in terms of on-campus activities, and will be invited to orientation days organized by each academic department. Together with the Student Association, the Administration is also working to expand a peer mentoring program to smooth their transition to campus life. “Providing students with a sense of security and stability is of paramount importance,” noted Rector Gustavo Mesch. “Over the past few months we have invested heavily in tech support and faculty training to improve online teaching, learning, and remote examination proctoring, as well as in technologies that make lectures accessible even in environments with poor access to the Internet.”

President Ron Robin was asked by a number of media outlets to share his insights on the meaning of the historic Israel-UAE normalization agreement for Israel and the region. “The UAE is the region's business hub and a center of cultural tolerance in the Arab world,” notes President Robin. “The Israel-UAE deal means that the Emirates will become an important player in broad Middle East peace efforts and may very well position Abu Dhabi as an ‘idea capital’ through higher education.” President Robin was responsible for establishing NYU Abu Dhabi in 2010 and spent eight years in the UAE capital city. “I think we can learn from each other a spirit of enterprise and creativity.” VIEW i24 INTERVIEW | READ JNS INTERVIEW | READ OP-ED IN NY DAILY NEWS

Congratulations to Professor Emeritus Yosef Chetrit of the Department of Hebrew Language on being awarded the 2019 Prime Minister's Award for Promoting the Study of Jewish Communities in Iran and Arab countries. Prof. Chetrit, former Head of the Centre for the Study of Jewish Culture in Spain and Muslim Countries, was recognized for his extensive multidisciplinary research of north-African Judeo-Arabic linguistics and literary works, as well as north-African Jewish culture and Moroccan Jewry. Over the course of his career, he received numerous accolades including the Nissim Gaon Prize for the Study and Dissemination of the Heritage of North African Jewry, the Haim Zafrani Award for the study of Moroccan Jewry, the Medal of the City of Paris, and was decorated as an Officer of Farnce’s Ordre des Palmes Académiques (Order of Academic Palms).

Scientists from the Department of Occupational Therapy have been awarded a prestigious EU Horizon 2020 grant to co-lead an international research consortium developing an empathic platform to personally monitor, stimulate, enrich, and assist elders and children in their natural environment. Leading the project is Prof. Sara Rosenblum. She is joined by Prof. Naomi Josman, Associate Faculty Dean for the Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences and Dr. Sonya Meyer. Findings from Prof. Rosenblum's most recent study, supported by ISF's COVID-19 Research Fund, strongly suggested the need for a paradigm shift - from a focus on mortality rates to safeguarding healthy living. “Life during pandemics puts populations, such as the elderly and people with hidden disabilities, at risk for loneliness, low functioning, self-isolation and depression,” explains Prof. Rosenblum. "The intervention we are designing aims to customize services that will help individuals improve their performance, sociability and overall mental and physical wellbeing.”

Mr. Alejandro Rubinstein, a prominent member of the Mexican Jewish community, has agreed to serve as the President of the Mexican Friends of the University of Haifa. A seasoned businessman and director on several boards in Mexico, Mr. Rubinstein has extensive experience with philanthropy and brings to this role a great deal of energy, know-how and enthusiasm. The appointment took place in an online meeting with President Ron Robin; Shira Ben-Or, VP and CEO of the International Friends; and Mr. Adrian Teper, Director of the Latin American Desk.

Scientists at The Hatter Department of Marine Technologies are developing cutting-edge submersible technologies for marine conservation, research, and the prevention of underwater military threats. Yedioth Ahronoth and Ynet recently spoke with Prof. Ilana Berman-Frank, Director of the Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, Prof. Morel Groper, Head of the Department and some of the Department’s leading researchers about current projects underway including, next generation unmanned submarine for the IDF; marine robotics for marine research and conservation; and underwater optical imaging systems. According to Prof. Berman-Frank, “In many respects, deep-sea research presents many of the same challenges as space exploration – and in some ways it can be even more demanding.” Hebrew article HERE

Phoenician figurines roughly 2,500-year-old recovered from the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Israel.
Credit: Jonathan J. Gottlieb

In a recent scientific study of a trove of clay figurines found near the coast of Israel nearly five decades ago, maritime researchers led by Dr. Meir Edrey of the Leon Recanati Institute for Maritime Studies proposed a new theory suggesting that the artifacts were thrown into sea by an ancient cult as offerings. “The majority of these figurines display attributes related to fertility, to childbearing and to pregnancy,” explains Dr. Edrey. The researchers believe that the collection was not deposited there all at once in a shipwreck. Rather, the figurines accumulated over roughly 400 years, between the 7th and 3rd centuries BC, in a series of ritual offerings as part of a cult devoted to seafaring and fertility. READ MORE on this story in the New York Times.

A new study led by Prof. Daniel Sperling of the Cheryl Spencer Department of Nursing, showed that 33% of nurses considered their work to be “high risk” or “very high risk,” and that 41% were anxious about treating Coronavirus patients. “Israeli nurses are very concerned about their personal safety and fear of infection,” explains Prof. Sperling. “However, they also show strong dedication and a sense of mission.” Indeed, over 80% of Israeli nurses believe that all patients have a right to receive optimal care regardless of their age and health background. The study was accepted for publication in the peer-reviewed journal Nursing Ethics. READ MORE

UofH study finds that, despite the growing public distrust over the government's handling of the COVID-19 crisis, over 80% of the Israeli public are still willing to abide by objective guidelines, ‘if they are formulated professionally and fairly’. Researchers warn however, that “If the upward trend in mistrust continues, it is quite possible that the public's willingness to comply and cooperate will decline.” The study is being led by a team of experts from the School of Political Science including Prof. Eran Vigoda-Gadot, Dean of the Herta and Paul Amir Faculty of Social Sciences, Prof. Shlomo Mizrahi and Dr. Nissim Cohen, in collaboration with the Ministry of Science and the National Knowledge and Research Center for Emergency Readiness. Researchers also noted that 66% of the population agreed with the government's initial closures following the outbreak, and that over 90% believe that the government is responsible to provide financial support to those who have lost their livelihood due to the crisis. READ MORE

The Maritime Policy and Strategy Research Center (HMS) recently brought together a group of former policy-makers, diplomats, military officials, analysts and scholars from eight countries to examine key drivers and dynamics at work in the region. What makes the Eastern Mediterranean so combustible today is the nexus of a number of complex and volatile issues, including: historical ambitions, conflicts of sovereignty, competing control over newly discovered natural gas reserves, pipeline disputes, civil wars and political unrest, US retrenchment and Russian naval base expansion in Syria, and waves of migrants and refugees. READ MORE

The Charney Forum for New Diplomacy recently held an online panel about Black Lives Matter. More than 60 participants enjoyed a stimulating discussion led by the Charney Forum’s CEO, Noa Meir, with three exceptional women participating: Pnina Agenyahu, social activist and Director of Interfaces & Synergy at The Jewish Agency for Israel; Alexious Butler, Development Diplomat in Residence at USAID; and Princess Sarah Culberson, Co-Founder of Sierra Leone Rising, author, philanthropist and actor. VIEW A RECORDING

Elka Nir, CEO of Carmel-Haifa -University of Haifa’s Economic Corporation, spoke at a recent webinar with Taiwan on effective vehicles and processes to accelerate innovation and commercialization of academic research. Ms. Nir drew parallels between the two countries, described various global collaborations, and emphasized the importance of the Carmel Innovations Fund and incubator in accelerating innovation and commercialization. Crossroads Taiwan hosted the event in cooperation with Anemone Ventures and the University of Haifa’s Asia Pacific Desk. DOWNLOAD RECORDING HERE

The Charney Forum for New Diplomacy, in partnership with the University of Haifa, launched a new three-part webinar series about geopolitics and international relations in the information age. Led by outstanding experts in the field, the first of these series focused on the US economy with American historian Dr. Eli Cook, from the Department of General History. The upcoming session will present American politics in the age of Trump. CLICK HERE for more information and to register. The series is conducted in Hebrew and charges a nominal fee.