Bar-Ilan University hosted the Israeli Ambassador to Canada, two dozen Canadian university presidents, and representatives from Canadian Jewish Federations and Foundations in its Nanotechnology Center at the end of August. The group was participating in a mission to Israel led by the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) in Canada with the aim to foster relationships and form partnerships.
Bar-Ilan University believes in interdisciplinary collaborations and multidisciplinary academic studies and research. By breaking down barriers between faculties and departments, government and business in Israel and abroad, the university is opening the doors to new research possibilities.
“Interdisciplinary research and partnerships beyond academia are essential for future scientific breakthroughs and, at Bar-Ilan, the spirit of interdisciplinary research is paramount,” Prof. Arie Zaban, BIU President, told the Canadian delegation.
Canadian delegation with Bar-Ilan University representatives
Dylan Hanley, Chief Operations Officer at the U15, an organization that advocates for university research to the federal government in Canada, said that the delegation was visiting Israel to learn from the country’s innovation ecosystem and to build, enrich, and deepen research partnerships between Israeli and Canadian research universities.
Bar-Ilan Research Projects and Initiatives
With the CIJA mission’s goal in mind, the delegation was briefed by senior Bar-Ilan officials on a variety of impact-driven research projects and initiatives within and beyond the university’s walls. Prof. Zaban noted that Bar-Ilan has been chosen to lead Israel’s national genome bank, the “Mosaic” project, a database of genomic, clinical, and community information that will identify the genetics of new diseases and accelerate advancement in personalized medicine.
Speakers (L-R): Prof. Arie Zaban, BIU President; Dylan Hanley, Chief Operations Officer, U15; and Yael Toledano, Director of International Relations, BIU’s International School
Additional initiatives presented during the visit include two in the health and medical arena and one focusing on energy and sustainability.
Project “949” is a joint platform that aims to establish personalized medical initiatives. It is run by Bar-Ilan’s entrepreneurship center, UnBox Ventures, with Sheba Medical Center and the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design. Read more about it here.
The Russell Berrie Galilee Diabetes SPHERE, created by Bar-Ilan’s Azrieli Faculty of Medicine and The Russell Berrie Foundation, will tackle diabetes and reduce healthcare disparities in the Galilee region of Israel and beyond. Read more about SPHERE here.
Speakers (L-R): Prof. Doron Aurbach, Head of the Center for Energy and Sustainability, spoke about the center; Prof. Karl Skorecki, Dean of the Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, presented SPHERE; and Prof. Shulamit Michaeli, BIU’s Vice President for Research, presented Project “949”. Find out more about the projects and the professors here.
The Center for Energy and Sustainability is a network of more than 50 Bar-Ilan University research groups across multiple disciplines, industry, government, and startup companies, which is collaborating on comprehensive solutions in the fields of energy, ecology, smart cities, smart mobility, security, the environment, and more. Read more about the center here.
Collaboration is Key
During the gathering, Prof. Zaban and Prof. Graham Carr, President and Vice-Chancellor of Concordia University in Montreal, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the two universities. Click here to read the full article.
According to the Israeli Ambassador to Canada, Dr. Ronen Hoffman, this gathering and the signing of the agreement are part of leading cooperation of research and development between Israel and Canada.
“We continue to strengthen relations with Canada on many levels. Academic cooperation is at the forefront of our efforts since Israel is a powerhouse of innovation for good and there is huge potential for cooperation in many fields from nanotech and aggrotech to renewable energy and many others,” he said.
At the networking session following the presentations, the Canadian university presidents expressed their interest in the fact that so much of Bar-Ilan’s outlook and focus on research aligned with their own and they look forward to exploring possible collaborations.
If you’d like to read more information about the projects mentioned above and Bar-Ilan University’s impact centers, please click here to see the booklet that was created for the event.
