Hebrew University of Jerusalem
From Freepedia
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (האוניברסיטה העברית בירושלים) is one of Israel's oldest, largest and most important institutes of higher learning and research. The Hebrew University is one of the eight universities in Israel.
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History
One of the Zionist movement's dreams was to establish a Hebrew university in the land of Israel. The establishment of the university was proposed as far back as 1884 in the Kattowitz conference. A major supporter of the idea was Albert Einstein, a Jewish physicist, who later bequeathed all his property and writings to the University.
The cornerstone for the university was laid in 1918, and, seven years later, on April 1, 1925, the Hebrew University campus on Mount Scopus of Jerusalem was opened at a gala ceremony attended, among others, by leaders of world Jewry including the University's chairman of the board, Chaim Weizmann, distinguished academic and communal figures, and British dignitaries including Lord Arthur James Balfour, Viscount Allenby and Sir Herbert Samuel. The university's first Chancellor was Dr Judah Magnes.
By 1947, the University had grown to become a large, well-established research and teaching institution. It comprised faculties or other units in humanities, science, medicine, education and agriculture, (the last at a campus in Rehovot); the Jewish National Library (later becoming the National Library of Israel), a University press; and an adult education center.
During the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, the Arabs repeatedly attacked the University, located to the north east of Jerusalem, and convoys moving between the Israeli controlled section of Jerusalem and the University. After the attack on the Hadassah medical convoy in 1948, the Mount Scopus campus was cut off from the Jewish part of Jerusalem. When the Jordanian government reneged on the 1949 Armistice Agreements and refused Israeli access to the Mount Scopus campus, the University was forced to relocate to a new campus in Givat Ram in western Jerusalem which was completed in 1953. A few years later, together with the Hadassah Medical Organization, a medical science campus was built in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Ein Kerem in southwest Jerusalem.
By the beginning of 1967, the students numbered 12,500, spread among the two campuses in Jerusalem and the agricultural faculty in Rehovot.
After the reunification of Jerusalem in the Six-Day War of June 1967, the University was able to go back to its original campus in Mount Scopus, which had to be reconstructed. In 1981, the construction work was completed, and the Mount Scopus campus again became the main campus of the University.
Campuses
As of 2003, the University has four functioning campuses - three in Jerusalem municipal boundaries and one in Rehovot - and nearly 23,000 students. It is considered by many as one of the world's leading universities.
Mount Scopus
Givat Ram (Edmond J. Safra)
Ein Kerem
Rehovot
Yissum - The Hebrew University Technology Transfer company
Yissum (the Hebrew word for "application") was founded in 1964 as a commercial company owned by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Yissum is located in the Hi-Tech Park on the outskirts of the Hebrew University campus in Givat Ram. Much of the work being done by Yissum revolves around what is known as technology transfer. Over the years Yissum has helped raise many start-up companies based on the scientific research conducted in various research areas in the Hebrew University. SENSOGENE, which among other things specializes in the fabrication of unique electronic DNA sensors and DNA-chips; BioCancell which specializes in the development of patient-oriented DNA-based therapy, and CBD Technologies which focuses on forest improvement and the development of biologically-based, clean processes for paper manufacturing.
Over the past few years Yissum has had a number of high profile successes. Among the most famous ones are the development of cherry tomatoes by Prof. Nachum Kedar and Prof. Haim Rabinowitch from the Faculty of Agriculture. These tiny tomatoes sold 40 million dollars worth around the world in 2004. Another success story is the Doxil, this ovarian cancer drug helped save many lives and toghter with the Exelon for the treatment of Alzheimer’s and Dementia is considered highly beneficial and lucrative. [1]
Distinguished faculty
- Louis Guttman social scientist and statistician
- Michael Rabin computer scientist and mathematician
- Avi Wigderson computer scientist and mathematician
Alumni
In 2004, three graduates of the University received the Nobel Prize (David Gross in physics, Aaron Ciechanover, and Avram Hershko in chemistry).
- Presidents of Israel: Yitzhak Navon, Moshe Katsav
- Prime Ministers of Israel: Ehud Barak, Ariel Sharon
- Deputy Prime Ministers of Israel: Yigael Yadin
- Members of the Knesset:
- Archaeologists: Amihai Mazar, Eilat Mazar, Yigael Yadin
- Activists: Yael Dayan
- Writers: Amos Oz
Related articles
- List of universities in Israel
- Adolf Fraenkel
- Albert Einstein
- Daniel Kahneman (2002 Nobel Prize winner in Economics)
- David Gross (2004 Nobel Prize winner in Physics)
- Aaron Ciechanover (2004 Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry)
- Avram Hershko (2004 Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry)
- Robert Aumann (2005 Nobel Prize winner in Economics)
- Abraham Z. Joffe
- Saharon Shelah
- Menachem Magidor
- David Diego Ladowski
- Martin Buber
External links
- Hebrew University web site
- Einstein Archives at the Hebrew University
- Hebrew University Technology Transfer company - An article
