In the presence of the Defense Minister and the IDF Chief of Staff: The Technion awarded the Defense Minister’s Shield for its support of reserve-duty students

The Defense Minister’s Shield for 2025 was awarded to the Technion on Monday, December 29, in recognition of its outstanding support for military reservists. Technion President Prof. Uri Sivan and Vice President for Academic Affairs Prof. Oded Rabinovitch received the shield, which is granted to organizations and institutions that have demonstrated exceptional commitment to reserve-duty personnel. The award is intended to honor support for employees and students serving in the reserves, and to raise awareness of their contributions to society and the security of the state. The shield was presented to the Technion at the Reserve Forces Appreciation Ceremony, held in the presence of Defense Minister Israel Katz, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, and Chief Reserve Officer Brig. Gen. Benny Ben Ari.

The Technion delegation included senior management representatives and members of the academic and administrative staff, alongside students – both women and men – who have served hundreds of days in reserve duty since the outbreak of the Swords of Iron war, including officers, combat soldiers, and staff personnel.

Since the beginning of the war, thousands of Technion students – along with many members of the academic and administrative staff and teaching teams – have been called up for reserve duty under emergency order. More than 1,000 students served over 150 days of reserve duty in the past year, and over 500 served more than 250 days. Since the start of the war, the Technion has provided reserve-duty personnel with an extensive support system that includes academic accommodations, tutoring, personal mentoring, emotional support, and financial assistance—made possible with the help of the Technion’s friends, alumni, and supporters in Israel and around the world.

“We are happy and proud to receive this honor,” said Technion President Prof. Uri Sivan. “Since its founding, the Technion has acted out of a sense of national mission and historical responsibility to Israeli society, its security, and its economy. Receiving the Defense Minister’s Shield is official recognition of the Technion’s commitment to the reservists of the Technion family, of whom we are immensely proud. Thousands of students and academic and administrative staff reported for duty on October 7, and many have since served hundreds of days in reserve duty. We owe them an enormous debt and are doing everything in our power to ease their daily lives – at work and in their studies – and to support them and their families. It is a great privilege.”

Prof. Oded Rabinovitch, Vice President for Academic Affairs, who served throughout the war as the Senior Vice President to the Technion President, said: “Our deep commitment to students serving in the reserves is embedded in the very essence of the Technion. Just as the students stepped forward to serve, the entire Technion community stepped forward for them and did everything possible to ensure their success. We set ourselves the goal of reaching every reservist and providing whatever assistance was needed, while reducing dropout rates to nearly zero. We are proud of our students and of the hundreds of Technion women and men who did everything they could to ensure their success, even amid the complex reality imposed on us by the war.”