FEBRUARY 1ST 2001

IN ISRAEL

ON CAMPUS

TAU held the fourth university-wide Open House for candidates under the logo "The Future Lies Ahead." Faculties held lectures, presentations and information. The registration office offered information and consultations. Some 10,000 candidates attended.

The academic staff of TAU joined a one-week national university strike disputing salaries.

The Labor Party's Dor Hadash (New Generation) movement won the largest number of seats in the TAU annual student union election -- 30 Seats out of 75 on the council. Lior Strassberg, a Political Science student, was elected Chairman of the Student Union and Lior Batstein; a fourth year Industrial Engineering student was elected President of the Student Council.

NEWLY LAUNCHED PROJECTS:

The Allan Rubin Doctoral Scholarship Fund

The David and Inez Myers Student Loan Fund

The Shirley Palmer Collier Scholarship and Development

The Dr. Gerald A. Niznick Floor at the Goldschleger School of Dental Medicine.

The Israel Pollak Fellowship Program for Excellence.

CONFERENCES

The Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and the Program on Arab Politics in Israel held a conference entitled "The Arabs in Israel and the Prime Ministerial Elections, organized by Dr. Elie Rekhess.

CNN Senior Political Commentator William Schneider lectured on "The Influence of the Electronic Media on Society and Politics" at a breakfast meeting of Israeli TAU Board members hosted by President Itamar Rabinovich. Hirsh Goodman of the Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies delivered a response.

CNN Senior Political Commentator William Schneider delivered the Margaret Thatcher Lecture entitled "The Long Journey into the American Presidential Elections" as a guest of the School of Government and Policy. Greetings were delivered by Prof. Moshe Semyonov, Dean of the Gordon Faculty of Social Sciences, and opening remarks by Prof. Avraham Ben-Zvi, Head of the Defense Studies Program. A panel discussion followed entitled "Possible Implications for Israel," chaired by Prof. Zeev Maoz, Head of the School.

Ambassador of India Ranjan Mathai was guest of the International Forum, on "Unity in Diversity - The Case of India," chaired by Dr. Gad Barzilai of the Department of Political Science.

The Porter School of Cultural Studies and the Department of Arabic Language and Literature held a conference in memory of Prof. Rina Drori. Opening remarks were delivered by Prof. Dan Laor, Dean of the Entin Faculty of Humanities.

"The Intifada for Independence and the Arabic Space" was the title of a conference of the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies, organized by Prof. Asher Susser.

"A Lover of Wisdom" was the title of a conference held by the Entin Faculty of Humanities in memory of Tirtsa Yuval, founder and editor of the IDF Radio Station's Program "University on the Air," (in cooperation with TAU). The broadcasts on science, art and humanities for IDF soldiers included classes by TAU academic staff that were later published by the Ministry of Defense. Greetings were delivered by Rector Nili Cohen, Faculty Dean Dan Laor, and former Chief Commander of the Radio Station Zvi Shapira.

The Curiel Center for International Studies held a Symposium entitled "Yugoslavia's Place in Europe," chaired by Prof. Gabriel Gorodetsky, Director of the Center. Greetings were delivered by Prof. Moshe Semyonov, Dean of the Gordon Faculty of Social Sciences and Mirko Stefanovich, Ambassador of Yugoslavia to Israel.

The Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies opened a series of discussions on foreign affairs and defense issues. Their first guest was Prof. Shlomo Ben Ami, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Internal Security. The event was chaired by Prof. Shai Feldman, Director of the Center.

Prof. Stephen Wizner of Yale Law School was guest lecturer of the Buchmann Faculty of Law. He delivered a lecture entitled "The Law School Clinic: Legal Education in the Public Interest."

Moshe Arens, MK, former Minister of Defense, was guest lecturer of SHILUVIM, the Alumni Association of TAU's Fleischman Faculty of Engineering. His lecture was entitled "Industry and Politics."

Prof. Hilary Putnam of the Department of Philosophy, Harvard University, delivered a lecture entitled "Philosophy and Life" at an evening held by the Entin Faculty of Humanities in memory of Giora Shoham who was killed in action in the Yom Kippur War. Greetings were delivered by President Itamar Rabinovich, Rector Nili Cohen and Dean Dan Laor.

Prof. Bernard Lewis of Princeton University was guest lecturer of the Mortimer and Raymond Sackler Institute of Advanced Studies directed by Prof. Saul Abarbanel. Prof. Lewis delivered a lecture entitled "What Went Wrong? - An Aspect of Middle Eastern History."

"Political Instability and the State Budget" was the title of a lecture delivered by Prof. Avi Ben-Bassat, Director-General of the Ministry of Finance at a conference held in memory of Amnon Ben-Nathan. The event was organized by the Amnon Ben-Nathan Chair of Economics and the Pinchas Sapir Center for Development, and was moderated by Prof. Efraim Sadka of the Eitan Berglas School of Economics. Opening remarks were delivered by Prof. Alex Cukierman, incumbent of the Chair.

Dr. Liliana Regalado de Hurtado of the Pontificia Universidad Catolica Del Peru delivered a lecture entitled "The History of the Native Andean: Interpretations on Peruvian Traditional Culture," at an event organized by the Institute for the History and Culture of Latin America, Entin Faculty of Humanities, and chaired by Dr. Gerardo Leibner of the School of History.

The Israel-Ibero America Cultural Institute (I.C.I.I.A) and the TAU Institute for the History and Culture of Latin America, under the auspices of the Latin America and Caribbean Ambassadors Group, celebrated the introduction in Israel of a book by Ambassador of Peru Dr. Nicolas Roncagliolo Higueras, entitled "The Permanent South Pacific Commission on the Brink of the New Millenium (New Developments in Maritime Rights)". Greetings were delivered by Prof. Raanan Rein, Head of the TAU Institute; architect David Reznik, President of I.C.I.I.A; and Juan Antonio Mateos, Ambassador of Mexico. Ambassador Pinchas Avivi, Director-General of the Latin America Department at the Foreign Ministry presented the book.

Dr. Shimon Weiss of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory was guest lecturer of the Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Lecture Series. He spoke on "Single Molecule Biophysics: Biomolecular Rulers for the Nanoscale."

The Department of Geophysics and Planetary Sciences, Raymond and Beverly Sackler Faculty of Exact Sciences, and the Porter School of Environmental Studies held a conference, chaired by Prof. Akiva Flexer, on the newly planned Trans Israel Highway and its influence on the environment. Greetings were delivered by Prof. Zev Levin, Head of the School.

A scholarship awarding ceremony for new immigrant and Israeli students was held by the TAU Israel Friends Association and the Dean of Students Office. Raya Jaglom, President of the Israeli Friends, donated the scholarships. Dean of Students Prof. Ruth Shalgi and Director of Public Affairs Yoram Shamir delivered greetings.

The Institute for German History and the School of History, Entin Faculty of Humanities, held a conference entitled "Heldenplatz" and Other Tales from Austria, on the Austrian writer Thomas Bernhard. Opening remarks were delivered by Prof. Moshe Zuckermann of the Institute.

The School of History, the Porter School of Cultural Studies, and the Institute for German History, Entin Faculty of Humanities, celebrated the publication of the Hebrew translation by TAU Dr. Nitza Ben-Ari of Die Rauber (The Rubbers) by Friedrich Schiller.

"Human Rights - Historical and Contemporary Aspects" was the title of the third Raoul Wallenberg Symposium chaired by Prof. Dina Porat, Chairperson of the Department of Jewish History. Greetings were delivered by Rector Nili Cohen and Ambassador of Sweden Anders Liden. The Raoul Wallenberg Prize was presented to Esther Webman of the Stephen Roth Institute for the Study of Contemporary Anti-Semitism and Racism and the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies.

"The Head, the Government and the Governance" was the title of the second meeting on governance and societal issues held by the School of Government and Policy in the shadow of the upcoming elections for Prime Minister. The opening lecture entitled "The Head and the Body" was delivered by Prof. Michael Harsgor.

The Department of Middle Eastern and African Studies held the Ilan Gal-On scholarship-awarding ceremony, chaired by Prof. Yekutiel Gershoni, Chairperson of the Department. Prof. Gideon Biger, Chairperson of the Department of Geography and the Human Environment delivered a lecture entitled "Historical and Political Borders in the Middle East."

Prof. Larry E. Holmes of the Department of History at the University of South Alabama delivered a lecture entitled "Stalin's School: Moscow's Model School No. 25, 1931-1937 (A Personal Journey) ." Prof. Holmes was a guest of the Cummings Center for Russian and East European Studies. Opening remarks were delivered by Prof. Gabriel Gorodetsky, Director of the Morris E. Curiel Center for International Studies.

The Distant Learning Project in Medicine of the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, a remote learning project taught by TAU Medical Faculty professors to hospital doctors throughout the country, was inaugurated by Dean of Medicine, Prof. Menahem Fainaru.

Prof. Jeffrey D. Sachs of Harvard University delivered the annual lecture in memory of Prof. Eitan Berglas entitled "Globalization and Economic Development in the Middle East", chaired by Amiram Sivan, CEO, Bank Hapoalim. Opening remarks were delivered by Prof. Manuel Trajtenberg.

A conference entitled "100 Years Since Bialik's Poem Shirati" of the Katz Institute for Research in Hebrew Literature celebrated the publication of two books on the poet. Greetings were delivered by Prof. Aharon Dotan, Director of the Cymbalista Synagogue and Jewish Heritage Center.

A new lecture fund in honor of advocate Dr. Amnon Goldenberg was inaugurated at TAU. Greetings were delivered by Rector Nili Cohen, a former student and assistant of Dr. Goldenberg.

APPOINTMENTS AND AWARDS

President Itamar Rabinovich was appointed Chairman of the Israeli Association of University Heads, the body representing the seven Israeli research universities.

Prof. Avner Holtzman was elected the Head of the Katz Research Institute for Hebrew Literature of the Rosenberg School of Jewish Studies, replacing Prof. Ziva Shamir.

Dr. Yair Sharan was appointed the Director of the Interdisciplinary Center for Technological Analysis and Forecasting.

Prof. David Horn of the School of Physics and Astronomy was appointed Chairman of the Interdisciplinary Center for Technological Analysis and Forecasting.

Prof. Avner Itay of the TAU Rubin Israeli Academy of Music was awarded the Ministry of Science's Culture and Sports Prize for Lifetime Achievements in Music.

VISITS

Rudolf Dressler, Ambassador of Germany to Israel, accompanied by Dr. Henning Eikenberg, Scientific Attache, visited TAU. They met with President Itamar Rabinovich; Vice President Yehiel Ben-Zvi; Vice President and Dean for Research Yair Aharonowitz and Dr. Yair Sharan, Director of ICTAF; and visited the Wiener Library.

ABROAD

The 10th European Regional Conference of the TAU Board of Governors took place at the Carlton Hotel, St. Moritz, Switzerland. Lectures were delivered by Thomas Friedman of the New York Times on globalization; TAU visiting Professor Eli Kapon, Director of the TAU Project of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology on "Nano Systems: A New Frontier of Science and Technology"; Prof. Yosef Shiloh of the Sackler Faculty of Medicine on "From the Patient's Bedside to the Human Genome - And Back"; Isaac T. Kohlberg, CEO, TAU Economic Corporation Ltd., on "The Promise of Technology Transfer at TAU"; Dr. Astrith Baltsan, musicologist, on "Chopin and the Israeli Dream"; President Itamar Rabinovich on "TAU: Science, High-Tech, Public Policy and Social Responsibility"; and Rector Nili Cohen, on "Equal Opportunity in Higher Education." Vice President Yehiel Ben-Zvi delivered introductory remarks.

Social events featured an opening dinner hosted by Dr. h.c. Karl-Heinz and Hannelore Kipp; Shabbat dinner hosted by the TAU Swiss Friends; a luncheon hosted by Sonia and Zvi Abramovitz; an open house hosted by Dr, h.c. Norbert and Paulette Cymbalista; a festive dinner sponsored by Credit Suisse Private Banking; and the farewell dinner sponsored by Dr. Wilfried and Ursula Bechtolsheimer.

"Between Melancholy and Cheerfulness" was the title of an event sponsored by the Ceskowski and Turbiner families and held in the International Theater in Frankfurt. Participating in the event, which opened the activities of the 30th anniversary of the German Friends Association, was singer, songwriter, author and painter Stephan Sulke who presented old and new songs.

The annual meeting of the TAU Friends in Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil took place in Punta del Este, Uruguay, entitled "The Israeli-Palestinian Dispute and the World Media," in the presence of Ambassador Benjamin Oron and Yosef Arad of Argentina and Uruguay, with the participation of 700 people. Panel discussion participants were Gadiel Baltiansky of the Foreign Ministry, Uruguayan journalist and Jerusalem Prize laureate Ramiro Rodriguez Villamil, and other members of the media. Receptions were hosted by Adolfo and Miriam Smolarz and Paula and Leon Arazi.