August 1, 2001

IN ISRAEL

TAU signed a multi-year research, license and development agreement with Elan Corporation and American Home Products Corporation (AHP) to collaborate on the research and development of novel immunological approaches for the treatment and prevention of Alzheimer's disease. Prof. Beka Solomon of the TAU Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology at the George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences is the head of the team developing the technologies. The agreement was signed by Ramot, the technology transfer arm of the TAU Economic Corporation.

TAU is establishing the Tel Aviv University Press, headed by Dr. Aviad Kleinberg, Head of the General and the Interdisciplinary Studies Program. The TAU Press will function in the framework of the TAU Economic Corporation.

A new continuous camera (CONCAM) was acquired by the TAU George S. Wise Observatory. The camera, which is one of three in the world (the other two are in the observatories at Mauna Kea, Hawaii, and Kitt Peak, Arizona), was built by Prof. Robert Nemiroff of the Michigan Technological University, and funded by the USA National Science Foundation. The CONCAM site can be found at http://www.concam.net

CONFERENCES

The Malka Mozes Hall, dedicated to Mrs. Meir Mozes; the Malka Golub-Mozes Hall; and the Student Lounge were inaugurated in the presence of the family. Dov Lautman, Chairman of the TAU Executive Council, delivered greetings. Prof. Daniel Tsiddon of the Eitan Berglas School of Economics delivered a lecture entitled "Economic Inequality." The moderator of the event was Daphna Cohen-Mintz, Executive Director of the TAU Israeli Friends.

"Between Terrorism and War Crimes: Historical, Legal, Political and Security Perspectives" was the title of the international seminar held by the Prof. Dr. Raphael Taubenschlag Institute of Criminal Law at the Buchmann Faculty of Law. The Seminar was co-chaired by Prof. Asher Maoz, Director of the Institute, and Prof. Yonah Alexander, Director of the Inter-University Center for Terrorism Studies, USA. Faculty Dean Menachem Mautner delivered greetings.

Israeli Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Shlomo Aharonishky delivered the Shimon Sirkin Annual Lecture under the auspices of Paul and Annie Yanowitz, entitled "How the Police Force Copes with Internal Security Problems in Israel." The event was chaired by Prof. Shai Feldman, Director of TAU's Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies.

For the first time, TAU is conducting the Youth Summer University for gifted high-school students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Fifty 11th and 12th graders from economically depressed areas are participating in two to three academic courses alongside University students, while receiving academic and financial support. Students who later attend undergraduate studies at TAU will be granted credits for courses passed in the program. The program was initiated by Gideon Chitayat, President of GMBS and a lecturer at the TAU Faculty of Management.

The Media as an Element of Strategy: The Israel-Palestinian Conflict was the title of a conference of the Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies. Welcoming remarks were delivered by President Itamar Rabinovich and Center Director Shai Feldman. Two former Prime Ministers, Ehud Barak and Binyamin Netanyahu, delivered lectures. President Rabinovich announced the establishment of a media research project at the Center.

Appointments and Awards

Outgoing US Ambassador to Israel, Martin Indyk, was awarded the TAU President's Award when, as guest of the Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies, he delivered a lecture entitled "US Policy towards Israel and the Arab-Israel Conflict." The lecture was his final public appearance in Israel prior to his departure. Moderator of the event was TAU President Itamar Rabinovich.

Prof. Noga Alon of the of the School of Computer Science and Dr. Gideon Bohak of the Department of Jewish Philosophy and the Religion Studies Program were awarded the Bruno Memorial Award given by the Rothschild Foundation.

Dr. Martin Kramer, Director of the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies, was appointed the editor of the Middle East Quarterly.

The film Late Marriage, directed by TAU graduate Dover Kosashvilli and co-produced by TAU graduate Marek Rosenbaum, won the Wolgin Award for best feature film at the Jerusalem Film Festival.

Two TAU research groups, Itsik Pe'er of the TAU School of Computer Science together with Tal Pupko of the George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, directed by Dr. Nir Friedman of the Hebrew University, and Avigdor Scherz of TAU and Ilan Samish of the Weizmann Institute of Rehovot, each won the best poster award (two out of four awards) at the annual Israeli Bioinformatics Symposium which was hosted by TAU.

Prof. Ruth Shalgi of the Department of Embriology and Teratology at the Sackler Faculty of Medicine was elected Head of TAU's Switzerland Institute for Developmental Biology, replacing Prof. Yehuda Ben-Shaul who has completed his term of office.

ABROAD

The Second Joint Meeting of the TAU Cancer Biology Research Center and the Institute of Cancer Research of the Medical Faculty at Vienna University took place at the General Hospital in Vienna. The meeting was devoted to experimental and clinical Research. Greetings at the opening session were delivered by Prof. Michael Higatsberger, Vice President of the TAU Austrian Friends; Prof. W. Schuz, Dean of the Medical Faculty, Vienna University; and R. Schulte-Hermann, Head of the Institute of Cancer Research, Vienna University. The TAU Austrian Friends sponsored and administrated the meeting, which was organized by Prof. Isaac P. Witz, outgoing Head of the TAU Center, and Prof. Michael Micksche of Vienna University.

The French Ambassador in Israel, Mr. Jacques Huntzinger, delivered a lecture on "The Position of France in the Middle East" at a dinner held in his honor by the French Friends Committee.

Ambassador of Israel to France, TAU's Prof. Eli Bar-Navi, and French Ambassador to Israel, Jacques Huntzinger, were hosted by TAU Governor David Birene of the French Friends Association to dinner in the presence of Knesset Member Colette Avital.

COMING EVENTS

The Fifth North American Conference will be held at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York from October 11 to 14, 2001.

The 11th European Regional Meeting will be held in St. Moritz, Switzerland from January 24 to 28, 2002.

The 2002 Annual Board Meeting will take place from May 24 to 31, 2002.