JERUSALEM (Press Release) – A delegation of presidents and chancellors from top U.S. universities are visiting Israel to explore opportunities for bilateral academic partnerships and collaboration through an educational seminar conducted by Project Interchange, an institute of AJC (American Jewish Committee). The delegation will meet with their counterparts from Israeli universities, including Bar-Ilan, Haifa, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and Tel Aviv University, among others, in areas relevant to their universities such as research, water and environmental sustainability, biotechnology, urbanization, and diversity. The delegation will learn about state-of-the art research initiatives and ground-breaking innovation at Israeli universities, as well as unique academia-to-industry technology transfer that has contributed to Israel’s reputation as the “Start Up Nation”.
The campuses and university systems represented include the California State University system, the largest bachelor’s and graduate degree system of higher education in the United States; California State University, Fullerton, one of the top universities awarding bachelor’s degrees to Hispanic students; Clark University, which Forbes magazine ranked as a top 40 research university; Georgia State University, one of the Southeast U.S.’s major public research institutions; Texas A&M University, a research-intensive flagship university, pursuing the opening of a “Peace Campus” in Nazareth, Israel as early as 2015; UC San Diego, recognized as one of the top 10 public universities by U.S. News and World Report; University of Kansas, the top-ranked university for city management/urban planning; and University of the Incarnate Word, rated among the Southwest United States’ top liberal arts schools and the fourth largest private university in Texas.
The seminar was designed by Project Interchange, in consultation with the participating university presidents and chancellors, and will offer broad exposure to the complex issues facing Israel and the region, with the delegation scheduled to meet with senior government, academic and civil society leaders across the Israeli social and political spectrum, and traveling to the West Bank to meet with Palestinian leaders.
“We are honored to host this delegation of American university leaders in Israel. The world-class research and educational facilities at Israeli universities provide a fitting setting to share information, discuss research and academic partnerships, and explore opportunities for mutually-beneficial cooperation,” said Project Interchange Executive Director Robin Levenston.
The program marks Project Interchange’s 8th annual flagship seminar for university presidents. Previous Project Interchange seminars for university presidents have resulted in numerous instances of collaboration between participant universities and their Israeli counterparts.
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Preceding provided by AJC’s Project Interchange