JANUARY 1ST 1998

IN ISRAEL

CONFERENCES

TAU hosted the third Howard Gilman International Colloquium on "The Spanish-Jewish Cultural Interaction," with the participation of the conference directors Prof. Francisco Marquez Villanueva of Harvard University; Prof. Carlos Carrete Parrondo of the University of Salamanca; Prof. Angel Saenz Badillos of Complutense de Madrid; and Prof. Marcelo Dascal, Dean of TAU's Lester and Sally Entin Faculty of Humanities. A special session was held on Prof. Ben Zion Netanyahu's book, The Origins of the Inquisition in 15th Century Spain, chaired by President of TAU, Professor Yoram Dinstein. Prof. Netanyahu of Cornell University spoke on "The Hidden Conflict Between the Inquisition and the Conversos." A special session was held on Americo Castro, a pioneer scholar of the Jews and Conversos and their part in the history and culture of Spain. The Colloquium was moderated by Prof. Dascal and coordinated by Dr. Aviva Doron.

TAU hosted the annual conference of the Zoological Society of Israel, held under the auspices of the Department of Zoology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences. As 1998 was declared the Marine Year, two guests were invited to deliver special lectures: Prof. Andreas Demetropoulos, Department of Fisheries, Cyprus, talked on "Turtles and Turtle Conservation in Cyprus," and Prof. Erdal Ozhan, of Middle East Technical University, Turkey, talked on "Coastal Protected Areas in Turkey and Their Management."

Prof. John Deutch of MIT, former Director of the CIA, delivered the inaugural lecture of the Joshua Rotenstreich Memorial Lectures, on "Global Threats."

Prof. Deutch also delivered a special lecture entitled "Managing Global Warming" and a seminar on "Dynamic Catalysis" as a guest of the Joshua Jortner Distinguished Lectures in Chemistry of the Raymond and Beverly Sackler Foundation. Prof. Abraham Nitzan, Dean of the Raymond and Beverly Sackler Faculty of Exact Sciences, is the coordinator of the Lectures.

Liberalization in the Aviation Industry was the subject of the annual Mordechai Ben-Ari symposium of the Transportation Management and Research Institute sponsored by El Al Israel Airlines, of the Faculty of Management -- Leon Recanati Graduate School of Business Administration. Benno Gitter, Chairman of the TAU Board of Governors, spoke in memory of Mordechai Ben-Ari. Dr. Gabriel Handler, the Head of the Institute, and Prof. Israel Zang, Dean of the Faculty, delivered opening remarks. A panel discussion moderated by Prof. Yossi Berechman of the Program of Public Policy followed a lecture by Joel Feldschu, President of El Al. Dr. Tomer Goodovitch of the Department of Geography moderated the symposium.

The Issai Schur Memorial Lectures, the conference "Entire Functions in Modern Analysis," and the Raymond and Beverly Sackler Distinguished Lectures in Mathematics took place concurrently at the School of Mathematical Sciences, the Raymond and Beverly Sackler Faculty of Exact Sciences, organized by Prof. Vitali Milman and Prof. Michael Sudin.

Prof. Sergei Novikov of the University of Maryland and the Steklov Institute, Moscow, and Prof. Leonid Pastur of University of Paris VII and the Institute for Low Temperature Physics, Kharkov, Ukraine, delivered the Raymond and Beverly Sackler Distinguished Lectures in Pure Mathematics, coordinated by Pro-Rector Prof. Dan Amir.

The Herczeg Institute on Aging and the Israeli Gerontological Society held a conference entitled "The Rights of the Aging Patient: Law, Ethics and Treatment," under the auspices of ESHEL, the Society for Planning and Developing Services for the Aged in Israel. Opening remarks were delivered by Prof. Arie Nadler, Dean of the Gershon H. Gordon Faculty of Social Sciences, and Prof. Haim Hazan, Head of the Herczeg Institute.

The Marcel and Annie Adams Institute for Business Management Information Systems Club held its first 1997-98 meeting, hosting Yigal Kashtan who delivered a lecture on "Help Desk as an Efficient Tool in the Organization." Prof. Phillip Ein-Dor, the Head of the Institute, eulogized Mrs. Annie Adams and announced the establishment of a fellowship in her name to be awarded to outstanding students in the field of Information Technology.

A three-day research workshop of the Israel Science Foundation entitled Cognitive Theories was held at TAU, under the auspices of the Porter Institute for Poetics and Semiotics; the Shirley and Leslie Porter School of Cultural Studies; and the Lester and Sally Entin Faculty of Humanities. Greetings at the opening ceremony were delivered by Porter Institute Director Prof. Ziva-Ben Porat; Dean of Humanities Prof. Marcelo Dascal; and Vice Rector Prof. Judah M. Eisenberg. The keynote address was delivered by Prof. Michael Riffaterre of Columbia University.

Prof. Boaz Ronen of the TAU Faculty of Management -- Leon Recanati Graduate School of Business Administration and General Ami Sagis, Head of the IDF Technology and Logistic Department, were guest lecturers of "Shiluvim," the alumni club of TAUEngineering. Their lectures were on "Efficiency and Quality in Organization and in Industry." Moderator was Moshe Horev, Shiluvim Chairman.

The Department of Philosophy, Lester and Sally Entin Faculty of Humanities, has launched a lecture series in philosophy presenting approaches based on concepts of the mind.

The Tami Steinmetz Center for Peace Research is offering a weekly seminar entitled "Contacts and Tension Among Cultures: Within Israel and in the Middle East."

"Milestones in the Art and Culture of Egypt" was the title of a seminar of the Yolanda and David Katz Faculty of the Arts and the Hannelore Kipp Chair in the Study of Art History. Greetings were offered by Prof. Eli Rozik, Dean, and Prof. Asher Ovadiah, incumbent of the Chair.

The annual conference in memory of Prof. Eitan Berglas was dedicated to "the State of Israel's Budget : Growth, Defense and Welfare." Lectures were delivered by Prof. Jacob NeGovernor of the Bank of Israel; and Prof. Haim Ben-Shahar.

Prof. Yoram Dinstein, TAU President, was the speaker at the dedication of the Advocate Daniel Jacobson Room at the David J. Light Library, Buchmann Faculty of Law, in the presence of Mr. Jacobson.

TAU--General Federation of Labor in Israel held a joint conference, entitled "The First Hope," chaired by Knesset Member and Histadrut Chairman, Amir Peretz. Guests at the opening ceremony were President of the State of Israel Ezer Weizman; the Mayor of Tel Aviv, Roni Milo; and Prof. Yoram Dinstein.

The Department of Political Science, Gershon H. Gordon Faculty of Social Sciences, and the TAU English Speaking Friends hosted Byrganym Aitimova, Ambassador of Kazakhstan, as guest speaker of the International Forum, chaired by Prof. Aharon Klieman.

The Department of Hebrew Language, Lester and Sally Entin Faculty of Humanities, held a memorial evening for Dr. Rivka Yarkoni, chaired by Dr. Moshe Florentin, Chairman of the Department. Lectures were delivered by Prof. Yair Hoffman, Chairman of the Bible Department and Dr. Haim Cohen of the Hebrew Language Department.

Two exhibitions opened at the Sourasky Central Library: "Ancient and Modern -- Oil Color and Mixed Technique," of Dr. Dalia Hakker-Orion, and "From the Devil(Gottdiener).

The Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies and the Turkish Foreign Policy Institute, Ankara, held their third annual joint seminar, entitled "Turkey and Israel: Turkish and Israel Perspectives." Participants were Dr. Meliha Altunisik and Dr. Ihsan Duran Dagt of the Middle East Technical University, and Dr. Alon Liel and Zvi Elpeleg, former Ambassador to Turkey, both of the Dayan Center.

The Prof. Dr. Raphael Taubenschlag Institute of Criminal Law at the Buchmann Faculty of Law held a panel discussion on "Amnesty During the 50th Anniversary of the State of Israel?" moderated by Dr. Asher Maoz, the Head of the Institute.

The Theater Arts Department, Yolanda and David Katz Faculty of the Arts, held a conference dealing with the works of author and play director Nissim Aloni.

APPOINTMENTS AND AWARDS

Prof. Elhanan Helpman of the Eitan Berglas School of Economics was elected Second Vice President of the Econometric Society.

Prof. Sidney Strauss of the Unit of Human Development and Education, School of Education, incumbent of TAUChild Development and Education, was appointed Director of the new Center for the Advancement of University Teaching, which will evaluate faculty teaching, give workshops on improving teaching, and test new technologies for teaching.

Prof. Zev Levin of TAURaymond and Beverly Sackler Faculty of Exact Sciences, was awarded the prize "Environment and Living 1997" of the University of Konstanz and the Building Bank Societies of the State of Baden and Württemberg, Stuttgart, and the LBS Badisch Landesbausparkasse, Karlruhe, in honor of excellent scientific achievement in environmental research.

Prof. Yuval Ne'eman of the School of Physics and Astronomy, the Sackler Faculty of Exact Sciences, was awarded by the B. M. Birla Science Center, Hyderabad, India, the Award for Life Time Achievement in Science. The award was presented to him by Dr. V.S. Ramamurthy, Secretary, the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, in the B.M. Birla Science Museum at the opening ceremony of the international symposium entitled "Frontiers of Fundamental Physics." Prof. Ne'eman delivered a special lecture at the ceremony entitled "Beyond the Standard Model - Is It the Theory of Everything?"

VISITS

Minister of Science Michael Eitan accompanied by Dr. Nabeel Shaath of the Palestinian Authority were welcomed by Prof. Dinstein while visiting on campus. They met with Rector Prof. Nili Cohen, Vice Rector Prof. Judah Eisenberg and Dean for Research and Development Prof. Yair Aharonowitz for a presentation of joint projects of Israeli and Palestinian researchers.

A delegation from the University of Miami visited on campus and met with Prof. Tuvia Gilat, Director of Interacademic Affairs, and with faculty members.

ABROAD

An evening of literature and music benefiting the Karin Brandauer Fund was held in Stuttgart, dedicated to Schubert. Author Peter Härtling read passages from his Schubert novel and pianist Gerhard Oppitz performed his works. The event was organized by the Baden Württemberg Committee of the TAU German Friends, chaired by Dr. Dieter Blessing, and sponsored by Daimler-Benz AG Stuttgart and the Landesgirokasse Stuttgart.

Prof. Marcelo Dascal, Dean of TAUHumanities, and Prof. Yehuda Nini, Head of the Chaim Rosenberg School of Jewish Studies, participated in the 2nd Beryl Stone Symposium, "The Dual Image - The Other in the Literature of East and West," which took place at Al Akahawayn University in Ifrane, Morocco. The symposium was organized by the Rosenberg School, the Maimonides Foundation, the Islamic Civilization and Art Center of Al Akhawayn University, and the School of Oriental and African studies, University of London. Prof. Nini represented TAU on the coordinating committee.

COMING EVENTS

The annual meeting of the TAU Friends in Argentina will take place at Punta del Este on January 24-25, 1998.

The 7th European Conference of the Board of Governors will take place at the Carlton Hotel, St. Moritz, Switzerland, on 22-26 January, 1998. Mr. Samuel Pisar, noted French author of Of Blood and Hope will deliver the keynote address on Saturday, January 24, 1998, entitled "From Holocaust to National Revival." For more information contact Barbara Kandell, Secretary of the BOG, tel: 972-3-641-6464. Fax: 972-3-640-6257.

The TAU International Board of Governors' Study Cruise of the New World, will take place aboard the Royal Caribbean's Legend of the Seas from March 11-21, 1998. For more information contact Jules Love, Executive Vice President, American Friends of Tel Aviv University, Tel: (212) 687-5651; (800) 989-1198. Fax: (212) 687-4085.