10 Years for Technion International

A decade for the Technion International Center

42 students from 6 countries completed their studies at the Technion International Center; more than half are continuing to a master’s degree on the Haifa campus

The graduation ceremony for the bachelor’s degree graduates of the International Center took place this month at the Technion. 22 of the graduates will continue to pursue a master’s degree at the Technion. The ceremony was held amid the 10th anniversary of the founding of the Center, which is currently headed by Roknit Lis HaCohen. The Technion International Center opened in August 2009 with 22 students and has since become a global knowledge hub that attracts students from all over the world. To date, 2,953 students were enrolled from 73 countries. 7 couples married after meeting there.

Graduates of the Technion International Center at the ceremony (Credit: Yifat Yogev, Technion Spokesperson’s Office)

The Senior Executive Vice President of the Technion Prof. Adam Shwartz said that obtaining degrees is a great achievement not only for students but also for the families who supported them. He told the students, “You have worked very hard here, but you have gained extensive and solid knowledge that has prepared you for the road ahead in academia and in industry. We live in a very competitive world where diverse skills are required, one of which is working in a multinational, multicultural and multilingual team, and also this you acquired here. I estimate that in just a few years you will realize how important the tools are that you received at the Technion.”

At the ceremony, bachelor’s degrees were awarded to 42 students – 17 graduates of the first cycle in chemical engineering and 25 graduates from the seventh cycle in civil engineering. Most of the students (34) are Chinese, with the rest coming from Ethiopia, Mauritius, Italy, Slovakia and Turkey.

The diplomas in civil and environmental engineering (and a helmet for all graduates) were awarded by Profs. Rafael Sacks and Eran Friedler, and the diplomas in chemical engineering were awarded by the Dean of Faculty, Prof. Gideon Grader and Prof. Moshe Sheintuch.

“A decade ago, I established the International Center with Prof. Amnon Katz, the late Prof. Noah Galil and Ariel Geva,” said the founder of the International Center at the Technion Prof. Arnon Bentur. “We established that Center to share with the world the experience of Israel as a young state based on science and technology and to expose Israeli students to the wider world. It is very exciting to see here tonight, you and your families, and I hope you stay in touch with the Technion whether you stay here or live abroad.”

On behalf of the recipients of degrees in civil and environmental engineering, Dan Tercini spoke. Tercini, a 24-year-old Milan native, said he was not admitted to the Technion on the first try but insisted and succeeded the second time. “If there is something you can’t get through one day without thinking about – don’t give up on it. I didn’t give up and I tell you too: Believe in yourself, fight for what you want – and succeed.”

On behalf of the recipients of degrees in chemical engineering, Guyan Chen from China, talked about the difficult moments and the ability to overcome challenges together with classmates. She said that engineers had great moral responsibility and that they should take this into account.

The ceremony was hosted by Center Advisor Carrie Golan, who noted that 55 students from the new cycle of the International Center had arrived to begin their studies.