Prof. Ron Robin     Prof. Gustavo Mesch
President                 Rector

The University of Haifa welcomed new and continuing students to the start of the 2020/21 fall semester this week -- with all classes being taught online. “The crisis has taught us the important role that academic support and  remote access tools play in ensuring a safe and positive learning experience for our students. Our goal is to make the transition to remote learning as seamless as possible,” explains Rector Gustavo Mesch. “Over the past few months, the University invested heavily in tech support and faculty training to improve online teaching, and in preparation of online proctoring for remote examination, as well as in technologies that make lectures accessible even in areas with poor access to the Internet.” The shift to an online model is a short-term measure to meet the challenges for the immediate period ahead. The University's long-term model will incorporate a hybrid teaching system which will enable a gradual return to campus life under governmental guidelines. “Despite the many challenges posed to academia and the entire educational system, we are committed to ensuring the highest levels of teaching, and creating stimulating learning environments for our students,” adds President Ron Robin. “The crisis has strengthened the importance of the Multiversity toolbox, providing a unique blend of traditional literacies and 21st century competencies that includes critical and creative thinking and computational literacy.”

(l-r) Professors Efraim Lev, Daphna Canetti, Roza Leikin,Doron Kliger, and Meir Hemmo

Prof. Efraim Lev - Dean of the Faculty of Humanities

Efraim Lev is a historian of medicine and pharmacology; he was also trained as field biologist and botanical archeologist. He is a full professor at the Department of Israel Studies, and past immediate Head of The Center for Interdisciplinary Research of the Cairo Genizah and the Department of Humanities and Arts at the Technion. His research focus is on ethno-pharmacology and the history of medicine among the Jews in the medieval Muslim Middle East. He also currently serves as a member of International Society of the History of Medicine. READ MORE

Prof. Daphna Canetti – Dean of the Herta and Paul Amir Faculty of Social Sciences

Daphna Canetti is a professor of political psychology and the former Head of the School of Political Science. Her research focuses on the micro-foundations of political conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and on studying the impact of individual-level exposure to terrorism and political violence. She also serves on the editorial boards of The Journal of Political Psychology, Journal of Peace Research, and the Journal of Conflict Resolution. READ MORE

Prof. Roza Leikin - Dean of the Faculty of Education

Roza Leikin is a professor of mathematics education and education of the gifted. Her research and practice focus on mathematical creativity and ability, mathematics teachers’ professional potential, mathematical challenges in education, and integration of neuro-cognitive research to the field of mathematics education. She is the Director of the Interdisciplinary Center for the Research and Advancement of Giftedness and past President of the International Group for Mathematical Creativity and Giftedness (2012-2017). Dr. Leikin edited 11 volumes related to research in mathematics education and the education of gifted and published more than 150 papers in peer reviewed research journals. READ MORE

Prof. Doron Kliger – Dean of Teaching
Doron Kliger is a professor of finance and behavioral economics in the Department of Economics. He serves as Chair of Graduate Studies at the Department of Economics, Head of the Specialization in Behavioral Economics track (joint with the Technion) and the Specialization in Finance track, and is an academic member of the Israel Association of Actuaries. He writes extensively on asset pricing, bond rating, behavioral economics and finance, decision making, industrial organization and insurance pricing; editor of the Review of Behavioral Economics; and an associate editor for the Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, Journal of Economic Psychology, and Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics. READ MORE

Prof. Meir Hemmo – Vice Rector

Meir Hemmo is a professor of philosophy at the University of Haifa, and is a former Head of the Department of Philosophy (2008-2012). He is co-author (with Prof. Orly Shenker) of the book, The Road to Maxwell’s Demon: Conceptual Foundations of Statistical Mechanics (Cambridge University Press, 2012). He co-edited three volumes of articles in philosophy of physics and philosophy of science, and has published extensively on the conceptual foundations and interpretation of quantum mechanics; classical and quantum statistical mechanics; relativity theory; the concept of probability in physics and the hypothesis of physicalism in the special sciences and in philosophy of mind. He is a recipient of numerous research grants in and outside of Israel, and over the years has supervised a large number of Master and Doctoral students. VIEW SOME OF HIS WORKS  

In a previous issue of At a Glance, we reported on an exceptional community outreach project spearheaded by two University students that provided assistance to senior citizens in Haifa and the surrounding region during the first country-wide lockdown. Now, Tamar Nagler and Liat Epstein have joined forces with the Office of the Dean of Students and the Welfare Department of the Haifa Municipality to expand the initiative and launch a new academic pilot project. Students accepted into the program will be trained as neighborhood coordinators and work with municipal caseworkers, assisting Haifa’s elderly population. Participating students will receive the University’s new “Keeping in Touch” scholarship for completing 80 hours of volunteer service. READ MORE

President Ron Robin addresses TheMarker Higher Education Summit.

President Ron Robin was a guest speaker at the online Higher Education Summit that marked the beginning of the academic year.  In his address, President Robin warned that COVID-19 was widening gaps in Israeli society and increasing polarization. He emphasized that higher education has an important role to play in reducing social and economic gaps. “Beyond its role of promoting leading and groundbreaking research, higher education today has a national and critical role to play - providing basic tools and core values that are a common intercultural denominator in a society such as ours,” explains Prof. Robin. “This is the key to creating a functioning society that unites around crises and does not disintegrate because of them.”  READ MORE (Hebrew)

In a joint hearing of the Commerce and Judiciary Committees on Capitol Hill, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently announced Facebook will ban posts from the social media site that deny the Holocaust. According to Prof. Gabriel Weimann of the Department of Communications, this is one small victory in the complex fight against extremism online. “By providing immediate gratification in the form of likes, reactions, and shares, and enabling users to spew vitriol anonymously, platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok are a breeding ground for extremism,” explains Weimann. He emphasized that, while this is a good first step, social media platforms must do much more to combat online hate speech. The article first appeared in an op-ed for The Baltimore Sun and has been picked up by additional media outlets. READ MORE

Medical cannabis has become widely recognized as a safe and efficient treatment for chronic pain, with increasing numbers of elderly patients incorporating it into their treatment regimen. Dr. Sharon Sznitman and Dr. Galit Weinstein from the School of Public Health, together with researchers from Rambam Medical Health Care Campus and the Technion, recently conducted a pioneering study to examine the effects of medical cannabis on cognitive function in seniors. “Although patients treated with cannabis had been using it consistently for at least one year, we did not find that their cerebral functioning was poorer than that of individuals of similar age and background diseases,” explained the researchers. “The study's findings can alleviate concerns among physicians in the field of chronic pain regarding detrimental effects of cannabis on cognitive functioning, yet further studies are needed,” the researchers concluded. The study was published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Review. READ MORE

A multi-institutional research team, co-led by Prof. Kobi Rosenblum of the Sagol Department of Neurobiology and scientists from McGill University and the University of Montreal, has gained important new insights into how the brain creates and stores memories. Their study, recently published in Nature, found that during memory consolidation, at least two distinct processes take place in two different brain networks: the excitatory and inhibitory networks. Excitatory neurons are involved in creating a memory trail, and inhibitory neurons block out background noise and allow long-term learning to take place. The team also found that each neural system can be selectively manipulated to control long-term memory. The research has potential implications for developing new drugs for disorders like Alzheimer’s disease and autism. READ MORE

Future dome of the research telescope in the Mitzpe Ramon Crater under development.

The American Society of the University of Haifa recently held a fascinating webinar exploring the astronomical phenomenon of black holes with Prof. Doron Chelouche, professor of physics currently serving as Vice Dean of Research at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Director of the Haifa Center for Theoretical Physics & Astrophysics. The timely event coincides with the announcement by the Noble Laureate Committee that the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics will be given to three scientists for their work on black holes. Prof. Chelouche is leading a unique project to map the immediate environs of super-massive black holes, aiming to understand the properties of such objects out to the edge of the observable universe. He recently received funding from the ISF to construct a first of its kind research telescope, which will be located in the Negev desert near Mitzpe Ramon. VIEW RECORDING

Dr. Eli Somer, a clinical psychology professor in the School of Social Work and Dr. Israel Waismel-Manor, from the School of Political Science, explored psychological and physiological impacts of the COVID-19 crisis on the upcoming American elections. Dr. Somer discussed the impact that ineffectual and constantly shifting governmental policies and populist pronouncements have on the electorate. Dr. Waismel-Manor pointed out that, while registered Democrats and independent voters blamed President Trump for mismanaging the crisis, he is still viewed as the candidate better able to manage the economy. Dr. Waismel-Manor's comments were later published in the Jerusalem Post.  The American Society of the University of Haifa hosted the webinar. VIEW RECORDING

Current Affairs – Israel 2025: International Relations

The Charney Forum for New Diplomacy’s second virtual webinar series - about geopolitics and international relations in the information age - is off to an outstanding start! Prominent Israeli journalist, Shimrit Meir, discussed with Charney Forum’s CEO, Noa Meir, the normalization agreement between Israel and the UAE and implications on the region. Dr. Yoram Evron of the Department of Asian Studies, recently discussed opportunities and challenges in Israel’s relations with China. Please click here to register for next week’s final session with Prof. Fania Oz-Salzberger (conducted in Hebrew).

Charney Forum for New Diplomacy Series for Madrichim
"In a relationship with Israel… It's complicated”

Last week, the Charney Forum for New Diplomacy launched a unique program, "In a relationship with Israel… It's complicated”, for the Jewish Agency's Machon LeMadrichim Chutz La'Aretz  (Hebrew for Institute for Youth Leaders). Through this six-part series of meaningful encounters and conversations, participants will receive a glimpse into the diverse, multifaceted and beautiful mosaic that is Israel. The first session with CEO of the Charney Forum, Noa Meir, and Director of Program Development, Maya Fintz, presented an introduction to Israel and the implications of the information revolution. The second session entailed meaningful conversations with six inspiring people from diverse communities and ethnic minority groups in Israel, including Arab, Ethiopian, Russian, Haredi, Refugee and LGBTQ.