Bar-Ilan University has signed a collaboration agreement with the United Arab Emirates’ Gulf Medical University to promote medical research and improve public health in Israel and throughout the Middle East. The signing ceremony took place with the two universities on January 11 via Zoom.
“One of the most significant achievements of the Abraham Accords is the opportunity for academic collaborations between universities in Israel and the UAE,” said Bar-Ilan University President Prof. Arie Zaban.
“Research and education in both countries will advance dramatically thanks to our human capital, who were, until now, unable to join forces for a common goal. We, at Bar-Ilan University, are proud to pave the way for such collaborative efforts in the fields of medical science and public health, fields in which we already play a leading role in Israel through our innovative Azrieli Faculty of Medicine in the Galilee.
“I have no doubt that additional Bar-Ilan University faculties will soon follow suit and widen the scope of collaboration between Bar-Ilan and universities in the UAE,” he said.
Bar-Ilan University celebrates the signing of the collaboration agreement. (L-R) Prof. Amnon Albeck,
Rector; Prof. Arie Zaban, President; Shlomo Zohar, Chairman of the Permanent Committee;
Zohar Yinon, CEO, and Prof. Moshe Lewenstein, Deputy President
The agreement calls for the exchange of researchers and students at the undergraduate and graduate levels; joint academic programs in the fields of medical science, medical education, and health-systems administration; and the publication of joint academic studies.
Prior to the signing of the agreement, researchers from the Azrieli Faculty of Medicine met in the United Arab Emirates with the heads of Gulf Medical University, which is considered one of the leading private medical universities in the region.
“The meeting here in Ajman between our researchers and researchers from the Azrieli Faculty of Medicine was incredibly exciting, as is the signing of this agreement, which will at last allow us to move forward with our ambitious plans for collaboration,” said Prof. Hossam Hamdy, Chancellor of Gulf Medical University.
“We have waited for this moment for a long time, and as soon as the Abraham Accords were signed, our management seized the chance for a mutually-beneficial cooperation with our counterparts in Israel. We hope to visit Israel shortly and that the management of Bar-Ilan University will likewise visit us here,” he said.
Prof. Hossam Hamdy, Chancellor of Gulf Medical University, with a colleague
According to Prof. Karl Skorecki, Dean of the Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, in the fields of medical science and public health, Gulf Medical University is considered a top university, both in the UAE and the region at large.
“They are very interested in learning from our work with the diverse populations that live in the Galilee, and I am honored that they have chosen the Azrieli Faculty of Medicine as a partner in their research and educational efforts,” said Prof. Skorecki.
In attendance at the Zoom signing ceremony were representatives from the management of both universities, including BIU President Prof. Arie Zaban and GMU Chancellor Prof. Hossam Hamdy.
Other representatives from BIU included Shlomo Zohar, Chairman of the Council of Trustees; Prof. Amnon Albeck, Rector; Prof. Moshe Lewenstein, Deputy President; Prof. Shula Michaeli, Vice President for Research; Zohar Yinon, CEO; Prof. Karl Skorecki, Dean of the Azrieli Faculty of Medicine; Prof. Eric Shinwell, Associate Dean; Prof. Chaim Putterman, Associate Dean for Research; and Prof. Mina Teicher, BIU’s Ambassador for Research in the United Arab Emirates, and Yael Toledano from BIU’s International School.
