Join us on June 14th and 15th, 2021 for the Meeting of the Board of Governors. The hybrid event will be held with a live audience in the Hecht Museum Auditorium and simultaneously streamed online. Highlights from the event includes the Honorary Doctorate (Honoris Causa) Ceremony for Professor Richard Charles Horton, Editor of The Lancet, on June 14th, 2021. Prof. Horton is being recognized for his exceptional contribution to the promotion of public health and wellbeing on a global level and for his actions in promoting the visibility and status of the Israeli health system.

Visit the Board of Governor's website

Adopting to a Changing World is the theme of this year's Report, which includes a message from the President and Rector of the University, financial information and other figures, articles focusing on climate change research, initiatives addressing regional and social change, as well as responses to COVID-19 from the University community.

 Video and other multimedia are featured throughout the Report.

Find the 2021 President's Report on our website or via the following direct link

Friends and family gathered to celebrate the graduation of 133 doctoral students at a hybrid event. In his remarks, President Ron Robin noted that the University of Haifa is open and welcoming to all and is proudly leading the way in building a new middle class. Rector Gur Alroey said that the coronavirus crisis strengthened our faith in science, in research, in the rational approach, and in the human spirit with its ability to overcome any obstacle. The University of Haifa embraces its new graduates.

Longstanding friends of the University and members of the Board of Governors gathered on campus for the Business Leaders Forum hosted by the Israeli Friends of the University of Haifa. Former Chief of Staff and University alumnus Gadi Izenkot was the keynote speaker. President Ron Robin provided an overview of new developments at the University and Chairman of the Executive Board, Adv. Dov Weissglas discussed the importance of openness and coexistence on campus.

In a joint online workshop, University of Haifa and National Taiwan University (NTU) explored strategies for combating the COVID-19 pandemic and the science of public health. Speakers from both universities, all top experts in their fields, shared successes and public health approaches that proved effective in their unique settings. Prof. Naomi Josman, Associate Dean of the Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences, and the University's Asia Pacific Desk worked with NTU to coordinate the event.

The Cheryl Spencer Department of Nursing and Haifa's Bnai Zion Medical Center  held a festive ceremony to mark the opening of a new joint nursing program. As part of the collaboration, a joint research fund will be established to promote cross-institutional research between the hospital and the Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences. President Ron Robin, Dr. Ohad Hochman, CEO of Bnai Zion Hospital and Prof. Faisal Azaiza, Dean of the Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences, attended the event, along with Baruch Marzan, Vice President and CEO of the University of Haifa, and Prof. Tamar Shochat, Head of the Cheryl Spencer Department of Nursing.

The Cheryl Spencer Department of Nursing also recently held a Thesis Proposals Presentation Event, awarding scholarships to master's students engaged in outstanding research that could impact the future of nursing care. Aaron and Mark Spencer, longstanding friends and supporters of the University through the Cheryl Spencer Memorial Foundation, joined the ceremony online with Mark Spencer offering greetings to the students on behalf of the family. Aaron and Irma Spencer (of blessed memory) generously support the Cheryl Spencer Institute for Nursing Research and scholarships for masters students, in memory of their daughter Cheryl, a young nursing student with a passion for helping people.

The Mt. Carmel campus welcomed 30 famous sculptures by renowned Israeli artists to a newly established sculpture garden overlooking the Haifa Bay and the Western Galilee. The sculptures represent the history of modern art in Israel. The new sculpture garden is part of a larger renewal project at the Hecht Museum to celebrate its 40th anniversary.

University of Haifa proudly highlights recent faculty achievements

Dr. Tali Treibitz (Hatter Department of Marine Technologies) was awarded a Horizons 2020 research grant for applying artificial intelligence to underwater robotics. Dr. Treibitz heads the VISEAON Marine Imaging Lab at the Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences and is the founder of the award winning startup company SeaErra. 

Credit: Dror Vardimon

Dr. Aviad Scheinin (Morris Kahn Marine Research Station) was named a National Geographic Emerging Explorer for 2021, one of 15 individuals recognized each year for transforming their fields of study. Dr. Scheinin is a marine conservationist and head of the Marine Apex Predator Lab at the Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences. 

Dr. Nadeem Karkabi (Department of Anthropology) is the winner of the Dusty and Ettie Miller Fellowship for Outstanding Young Scholars for 2021. The focus of his latest research, supported by the Israel Science Foundation (ISF), focuses on Arabic music in popular music by Jewish-Israeli musicians.

Prof. Gad Barzilai (Faculty of Law) will be the next president of the Israel Political Science Association, an organization that promotes research dealing with government, politics and society. Prof. Barzilai has served in a number of leadership positions at the University, including Vice Rector, Dean of the Faculty of Law and Head of the International School. 

Dr. Yotam Hod (Faculty of Education) was elected to serve on the Board of the International Society of the Learning Sciences for a multi-year term. Dr. Hod's research focuses on development of learning communities and future learning environments. He is the head of the Educational Technologies Graduate Program, as well as Director of the LINKS Future Learning Spaces research facility. 

Prof. Jonathan Cohen (Department of Communication) was elected a fellow of the International Communication Association (ICA) for his significant contributions to media research. His work is supported by a number of foundations including ISF and the Second Authority for Radio and Television. He also served as an associate editor of Communication Theory.