Ammonia production is vital for future sustainability, in areas from agriculture, to alternative energy. Yet clean, effective and safe storage and transport of ammonia is critical. In November 2017, a confluence of global experts will gather at Technion to address present challenges and future needs.
On November 15-16, a conference on “New and Old in the Ammonia World” will take place at the Technion. The event is hosted by Technion president, Peretz Lavie, and organized and chaired by the Technion Chemical Engineering professors Gideon Grader and Danny Lewin. Global experts will cover topics that include: safety and risk assessment; ammonia transport in the atmosphere; ammonia production; and the global market. The conference includes a virtual reality 3D presentation of an ammonia production plant developed by the German company Linde.
Modern agriculture would be impossible without ammonia, which increases yields by hundreds of percent, as it is a fundamental source of nitrogen. About 90 percent of ammonia produced today is for crop fertilization. The conference will address the important topics of ammonia import and storage, featuring five international experts in the field.
Prof. Thomas Spicer, Head of the Chemical Hazards Research Center (CHRC) at the University of Arkansas – on the safe storage and risk assessment of ammonia
Norman Olson, Director of the Iowa Energy Center (IEC) – on the effective use of ammonia for propulsion, fertilizer, and energy storage
Balan Karthikeyan of Madras, India – A global expert on HAZOP analysis and process safety in chemical plants.
Robert Tikovsky of Linde, Germany – on the safe and effective design of ammonia plants
Kent Anderson, USA – and expert on ammonia accidents and former president of the Ammonia Refrigeration Association
Data modeling is the way we, scientists, believe information should be explained and handled. Indeed, models are central in almost every task in signal and image processing and machine learning. Sparse representation theory (Sparseland) presents a highly effective and universal model, which has been shown to lead to state-of-the-art results in numerous applications.
We are delighted to announce a new Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on sparse representations, constructed byProf. Michael Elad from the Technion’s Computer Science Department. This new edX course is made up of two sessions, each running five weeks: the first session presents basic theoretical ideas of sparse representations, and the second connects this model to applications in image processing.
If you are interested in advanced topics in signal and image processing, please join us in this course. Note that registration has already opened, and the course will begin on October 25. In a format that is unique worldwide, we plan to run this edX course in parallel to a formal academic Technion’s course that will be taught in this winter semester.
Technology in the Service of the Future of Banking
Technion and Bank Hapoalim inaugurate TPADS, a joint research center
“This is a definitive and optimistic occasion, in which a major bank partners with a leading technological university to connect the world of economics with the digital domain,” said Prof. Boaz Golany, Technion’s Vice President for External Relations and Resource Development, at the inauguration of the Technion-Poalim Data Science center (TPADS).
The new Center was established by Bank Hapoalim and Technion’s Davidson Faculty of Industrial Engineering and Management, with the aim of harnessing new technologies for the development of the bank of the future. Researchers from Technion and bank analysts collaborate to address the major challenges of the technological-banking world. According to Prof. Golany, “This pairing between Bank Hapoalim and Technion may be strange at first glance, but it is based on the innovation that characterizes both partners. The digital revolution changes perceptions that we have become accustomed to and will cause banks to look completely different within a decade. Academia, like the financial world, must adapt itself to the digital revolution.”
The cooperation between Bank Hapoalim and Technion is carried out by the bank’s innovation division, and as part of a joint initiative with the Technion’s Davidson Faculty of Industrial Engineering and Management led by the Dean of the Faculty, Prof. Avishai Mandelbaum.
Avi Kochva, Deputy CEO of Bank Hapoalim and the Head of the Innovation Division, said at the ceremony, “A year ago we announced this collaboration and I am pleased that we have reached this festive day of inauguration. The bank of the future is a proactive one, committed to understanding customers’ needs and adapting to them. A key part of this is the development of information and data analysis, and therefore we partnered with Technion – to strengthen these capabilities of ours.”
“This is an innovative project based on intra-organizational entrepreneurship and creativity on both sides,” said Prof. Mandelbaum. “This is a partnership between equals – the bank provides data and full partnership in analysis and Technion develops advanced theories and related data analysis tools, so as to apply to the bank’s data. Progress made in the past year has been significant, and we continue along the delineated path to benefit from the fruits of our joint research.”
The Center is led by Profs. Avigdor Gal and Oren Kurland of the Faculty of Industrial Engineering and Management at Technion, together with Noam Zeigerson, Director of Information and Analysis at Bank Hapoalim’s innovation division.
Dedication of the joint Center at the Faculty of Industrial Engineering and Management at Technion. Left to Right: Prof. Avishai Mandelbaum, Avi Kochva, Prof. Boaz Golany and Noam Zeigerson.
Avi Kochva, Deputy CEO of Bank Hapoalim and the Head of the Innovation Division
The most sought-after faculties for undergraduate degrees are medicine, electrical engineering, computer science, civil engineering, and mechanical engineering
For the first time at Technion: 40% of undergraduate students are women
The 2017-18 school year began at Technion on Sunday (22.10). This year, 14,000 students will study at 18 faculties on campus in Haifa, of which 9,236 will be undergraduate students and the rest graduate students, of whom 1,142 will be doctoral students. This year, Technion also commenced the academic year at its international branches in New York and China. Last month, the permanent campus of the Joan & Irwin Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute for applied scientific-engineering research in Manhattan was inaugurated.
At the same time, 220 students began their studies at the Guangdong-Technion Israel Institute of Technology (GTIIT) in China. The Technion-Guangdong Institute, the first Israeli university in China, will be officially inaugurated this December. Established near the Shantou University campus in the Guangdong province of southeastern China, the Institute will be a research university, and teaching and research programs in the initial years will focus on environmental protection.
In the past decade, there has been a significant increase in the percentage of female students who choose to pursue academic studies in the sciences and engineering, and this year the percentage of women among undergraduate students at Technion is 40%. The rate of new female students is particularly high among minorities – 53%.
Karina Pletoshin from Ashkelon begins her studies at the Faculty of Biology this year. “I chose Technion because of its international reputation and the opportunities its degrees provide. I hope to make new friends, earn high grades, and complete my degree successfully. I don’t know what I’ll do as a career but I plan to complete a Master’s degree.”
For Michal Dubzik from Kfar-Saba and Gal Sidi from Modi’in, this is the first day of computer engineering studies at the Faculty of Computer Science. Both are excited about their first day at Technion. Michal said, “I chose Technion because of its prestigious status and top-notch curriculum. I know that it will be difficult but I hope I’ll manage.”
“Today you join the Technion family, a strong family that has thrived for four generations,” said Technion’s Senior Executive Vice President, Prof. Adam Shwartz, at the opening ceremony. “Technion was founded with the goal of training engineers who would build this country, and later expanded its activities based on the realization that basic engineering training is not sufficient and that strong scientific foundations are needed. Thus, Technion became a leading research university both nationally and globally.”
“A new world needs new tools,” added Prof. Shwartz. “This is a digital world in which computers are essential in every field, not only in computer science, and success in the technological world is based not only on talent but also on a wide variety of human capital. The essential resources we will give you are the ability to think, cope with problems, and the drive to spend all night on something you have not yet been able to solve. Technion is home to thinking and curious people who will lead the Israeli economy and the world at large. It is true that you are only at the beginning of your Bachelor’s degree, but I urge you to begin thinking about graduate studies. Each year, about half a million people complete engineering studies in China and India. Many of them are just as smart as you, but our added value is the graduate degrees that provide deeper research and broader comprehension – advantages reflected in the labor market.”
The ceremony was mastered by Prof. Orit Hazzan, Technion’s Dean of Undergraduate Studies, who told the students, “Today an important chapter in your life begins, not only in the academic sense but also in many other ways. You have joined an academic institution which leads the world in engineering and the sciences, and here you will receive the best training. We have found that students prefer to study at Technion for three main reasons: its reputation, level of study, and the atmosphere on campus. It’s important to us that you focus on your studies, but occasionally look away from the computer, enjoy the range of activities offered, and consider where you can contribute.”
The Dean of Students, Prof. Benny Natan, said, “You come to a Technion that is different from what it used to be. Today’s Technion offers a diversity of activities other than the academic ones, and a social life. It is important that you remember that we at the Dean’s office are here for you. True wisdom includes knowing when to ask for help, and if you need help with any issue – dormitories, scholarships and loans, academic support, personal counselling, etc. – you are welcome to come to us.”
Omer Amit, chairman of Technion’s Student Union, said, “Technion is a wonderful place, as shown by a national student survey. Satisfaction at Technion is the highest in Israel, and it is also the institution most Israeli students recommend studying at. Technion’s sports teams come out on top at intervarsity competitions, we have the best gym in academia, and the only Olympic swimming pool in northern Israel. You are invited to enjoy the sports activities, music performances, pub at the Student Center, and the other wonderful things Technion has to offer you. Your studies will not be easy and occasionally you’ll experience failures, but you will learn to overcome them and succeed.
The gift is the largest ever to the Technion and one of the most generous in the history of Israeli higher education
(Tel Aviv, 29 September 2013) A new era of research and innovation in science, engineering, and life sciences is opening in China with a joint venture between Israel’s prestigious Technion – Israel Institute of Technology – and Shantou University (STU) to build a new academic facility in Guangdong Province.
The Technion Guangdong Institute of Technology (TGIT) – sponsored by the Li Ka Shing Foundation (LKSF) with a US$130 million grant – will represent unprecedented cooperation between the People’s Government of Guangdong Province and Shantou Municipal Government, Technion, and STU. Guangdong Province and Shantou Municipal Government will set aside RMB900 million (approximately US$147 million) to fund construction and initial operations, as well as 330,000 square metres for the campus to be located next to STU.
The US$130 million grant from LKSF is the largest ever to the Technion and one of the most generous in the history of Israeli higher education. It will be allocated for strengthening the Technion’s home campus in Haifa, for the benefit of its students and researchers, to enable the Technion to fulfil its leading role in TGIT.
Mr Li Ka-shing, Chairman of the LKSF, spoke at today’s ceremony in Tel Aviv to formalise the memorandum of understanding for the establishment of TGIT. The agreement was signed by Technion President Professor Peretz Lavie and STU Provost Professor Gu Peihua, and will soon be brought for the approval of the Technion’s and Chinese statutory authorities.
TGIT will begin offering undergraduate programmes in civil and environmental engineering and computer sciences in the 2014 academic year. The establishment of an innovation centre, connecting industries in Guangdong with Israel’s technological creativity, will bridge Israeli technology into China and promote joint research and innovation. The language of instruction at the TGIT will be in English and its faculty will be recruited from international researchers and scientists in universities around the world.
Beginning in 2014, TGIT will join STU to conduct life sciences research based on Big Data to tackle the pressing social and livelihood issues like inadequate healthcare system and services, as well as improvements of clinical diagnosis procedures.
By 2020, the institute will offer courses in other engineering-related fields, from mechanical to aerospace engineering.
The partnership between Israel and LKSF began in 2011, with a visit from LKSF executives to Technion and a reciprocal visit of the Technion President Prof Lavie to the LKSF headquarters in Hong Kong. That visit to Israel also resulted in an investment from Mr Li’s private venture capital company Horizons in Waze – a revolutionary GPS navigation technology. The profits from the recent sale of Waze to Google became part of the donation to Technion.
“In a world of fluid boundaries, the transformative power of technology waves like a magic wand, bringing new models and opportunities to many frontiers and generating new solutions to entrenched problems,” said Mr Li during today’s signing ceremony. “But we all know the wands are only as powerful as the wizards who use them, and the magic comes from the genius within. Our responsibility is to invest in education to unlock that genius and enable the continuing realisation of human potential, building a society rich in knowledge and securing a sustainable quality of life for all.”
Professor Gu said Technion had shown the world what the future university should do in order to deliver values of regional, national and international significance.
He said economies in Guangdong and China are undergoing structural changes, to which industrial and technological innovations were critical factors for success.
“What Technion has done to advance the Israeli economy through student and staff research and innovation is an example for Chinese universities to follow,” Professor Gu said. “If many universities in Guangdong and China do the same as Technion has been doing in Israel, an innovation-based economy will emerge.”
Professor Gu forecast that in 10 years’ time, TGIT will become the best technological school in Guangdong Province, and in 20 years, one of the best in China, with a number of new technologies and associated start-up companies being developed by TGIT’s staff and students.
In 30 years, TGIT will be recognised internationally for excellence in education and research, with special characteristics of technological innovation and entrepreneurship, and will have become the high-tech powerhouse in Guangdong Province, he predicted.
Professor Lavie described the partnership as “a major breakthrough and an opportunity to strengthen ties between Israel and China.”
“When you combine the innovation and entrepreneurial spirit of Israel with the unbelievable scale of China, you have a great partnership,” he said. “We hope that by combining our research methodologies with the scale and resources of China, we will create a major research institute that will help not only China and Israel, but also mankind in general.
“We believe in globalisation. We believe that cross-cultural dialogues are essential. Opening up Technion and Shantou to these cultural dialogues is very important,” Professor Lavie said.
During the campus construction phase, the inaugural group of TGIT students will spend the first two years of studies at Technion in Israel, and will all come back to Shantou in their third year, in order to cultivate the culture of innovation locally.
Founded in 1912, Technion has earned a global reputation for its pioneering work in nanotechnology, life sciences, stem cells, water management, sustainable energy, information technology, biotechnology, materials engineering, aerospace and industrial engineering. It is one of the top 100 universities worldwide, based on the prestigious Shanghai ranking, and one of the only 10 universities in the world that have built and launched satellites. Three Technion professors have won Nobel Prizes in the past nine years. A year ago, together with Cornell University, the Technion won an international competition to establish a research institute in the heart of New York.
In the photo: Technion President Peretz Lavie and Shantou University Gu Peihua sign the agreement
About the Li Ka Shing Foundation
The Li Ka Shing Foundation was established in 1980 by global entrepreneur and philanthropist Li Ka-shing. Mr. Li considers the Foundation to be his “third son” and has pledged one-third of his assets to it. To date, the Foundation has granted over HK$14.4 billion (US$1.86 billion) in charitable donations, approximately 90 per cent in support of education reform initiatives and medical services in Greater China region.
The Foundation supports projects that promote social progress through expanding access to quality education and medical services and research, encouraging cultural diversity and community involvement. For more information, please visit: http://www.lksf.org .
About Shantou University
Established in 1981 in Guangdong Province in Southeast China, Shantou University is a university co-developed by the Ministry of Education, People’s Government of the Guangdong Province, and the Li Ka Shing Foundation. It is a key comprehensive university under the “Project 211” program of Guangdong Province. Shantou University has 10 Schools and Colleges, five affiliated hospitals and 21 academic departments, offering 36 undergraduate programs, 84 Master’s programs and 25 PhD programs. The University hosts a student population of 9,448 undergraduate and graduate students, nurturing over 70,000 talents for different industries and various organisations thus far. Shantou University is the only public university in the world that receives long-term funding from the Li Ka Shing Foundation, which has committed and donated more than HK$6 billion to the University to date.
Israel’s emergence as a world leader in high-tech can be largely credited to the Technion, a global leader in cutting-edge research, innovation and entrepreneurship. Three Technion scientists have won Nobel Prizes in the past decade, and Technion researchers have made countless contributions to science, technology and medicine. Technion’s highly-trained graduates are the engine that drives Israel’s “Start-up Nation” economy. Technion’s powerful synergy with the tech sector in Israel has created an ecosystem of technological innovation, attracting numerous international tech giants such as Google, Apple and Microsoft, and inspiring hundreds of start-up enterprises in Israel and throughout the world. Together with its ranking as one of the world’s best sci-tech universities, it was the Technion’s success in driving Israel’s high-tech sector that convinced New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to choose the Technion-Cornell partnership to establish a new, innovative applied science campus in New York, aimed as being a “game changer” for the city’s tech sector. Technion’s 13,000 students and researchers study in 18 academic departments and 52 research centers and institutes. As an increasingly globalised university the Technion is developing a variety of international programs, and a growing number of foreign students are attracted to the Technion for its outstanding reputation.
For inquiries, please contact:
Technion – Israel Institute of Technology
Ms Doron Shaham
Tel: +972-77-887 1992
Email: dorons@dp.technion.ac.il
Li Ka Shing Foundation
Mr Jeremy Lau
Tel: +852-2128 1207
Fax: +852-2128 1766
Email: jeremy.lau@lksf.org
The Hong Kong philanthropist Li Ka-shing, came for a special visit to Technion for the signing of the historic agreement to establish a technological institute in Guangdong Province, China. As part of the agreement, the Li Ka Shing Foundation will donate 130 million dollars to Technion – the largest donation in the university’s history, and one of the largest in the history of Israel. The contribution will go towards developing the Technion Campus in Haifa and towards the welfare of its students and researchers.
In his first visit to Israel, Mr. Li was clearly moved at his visit to the Technion. Mr. Li expressed delight about the cooperation with the Technion and said, “as many of you know, I have often referred to my own commitment to making a difference as being like having a “third son”. Ladies and Gentlemen, my third son and I are honored to be counted among your company today.”
Technion President, Professor Peretz Lavie, thanked Mr. Li and recalled the first time they met in September 2011, which led to the momentous agreement being signed today. “Most dreams never come true,” said Professor Lavie, “but this dream has, and will no doubt be realized because of the amazing similarities between the vision and values of the Technion and of the Li Ka Shing Foundation.”
Mr. Li Ka-shing met with Technion’s three Nobel Prize Laureates, Professors Avram Hershko, Aaron Ciechanover, and Dan Shechtman, and was given a model of the ubiquitin-protein ligase system – the scientific discovery made by Professors Hershko and Ciechanover for which they were awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 2004. Mr. Li Ka-Shing was also presented with a special exhibition of eight innovative technological developments conceived by Technion researchers and graduates, among them a snake robot developed for search and rescue operations, with uses for marine and medical applications, by Professor Alon Wolf from Technion’s Faculty of Mechanical Engineering; a miniature robot for back surgery, developed by Professor Moshe Shoham, also from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering; the “Rewalk” exoskeleton that enables paraplegics paralyzed from the waist down the ability to walk up and down stairs, developed by Technion alumnus Dr. Amit Goffer; The Pillcam, by Given Imaging, developed by a Technion alumnus, which when swallowed by a patient, provides an image of his/her digestive system; and the technology by NanoSpun developed by Professor Eyal Zussman from the Technion’s Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, which uses patented nano-technology processes, for the development of advanced biological water and sewage treatment; “Z-Scan Technology”, presented by Prof. Ron Kimmel of the Faculty of Computer Science and a leading expert in geometric image processing; Ultra-filtration membranes for water purification and desalination, presented by Prof. Raphael Semiat, Dean of the Wolfson Faculty of Chemical Engineering and a top expert in water technology; and Image2Text technology for real-time translation of images to concepts, presented by Prof. Yehoshua Zeevi, director of the Technion’s Ollendorff Minerva Center for Vision and Image Sciences.
The ceremony at the Technion was hosted by Professor Boaz Golany, Technion’s Vice President for External Relations and Resource Development. Professor Golany said, “Albert Einstein brought to the Technion an educational culture whose motto is to learn from yesterday, live for today and hope for tomorrow. Within one hundred years, Technion built advanced technological foundations and transformed the land of Israel from a remote province in the Ottoman Empire to a scientific and technological powerhouse.”
In the photo: Li Ka-shing meets with Technion Nobel Laureates. From left to right: Prof. Aaron Ciechanover, 2004 Nobel Prize Laureate in Chemistry; Prof. Dan Shechtman, 2011 Nobel Prize Laureate in Chemistry; Mr. Li Ka-shing; Technion President Prof. Peretz Lavie; Prof. Avram Hershko, 2004 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry
The Li Ka Shing Foundation
The Li Ka Shing Foundation was established in 1980 by global entrepreneur and philanthropist Li Ka-shing. Mr. Li considers the Foundation to be his “third son” and has pledged one-third of his assets to it. To date, the Foundation has granted over HK$14.4 billion (US$1.86 billion) in charitable donations, approximately 90 per cent in support of education reform initiatives and medical services in Greater China region.
The Foundation supports projects that promote social progress through expanding access to quality education and medical services and research, encouraging cultural diversity and community involvement.
The Bloomberg financial news network has released a new university ranking: “Top 10 Colleges for Tech CEOs” of companies worth $1 billion or more. The Technion is tied for 7th place with three other American universities; Technion is the only university outside the United States placed in the top 10.
If you’re a Technion graduate, you have a good chance of becoming the CEO of a top technology company, according to a new university ranking released by Bloomberg Financial News network last weekend. The ranking was based on the academic backgrounds of 250 CEOs of leading U.S. technology companies with a net worth of over one billon dollars each.
Topping the list is Princeton, Harvard and Stanford. Technion shares seventh place, with MIT, Rice University and the University of Texas (Austin); it is the only university outside of the United States to place in the top ten.
Bloomberg: “Israel is now home to one of the world’s top tech hubs, and Technion is where many of the country’s brightest go to train. To prove its commitment to technology, the school is collaborating with Cornell on a plan to build a $2 billion tech campus and startup incubator on New York City’s Roosevelt Island.”
As an example of a tech CEO who is a Technion alumnus, Bloomberg mentions David Reis, the CEO of Stratasys, which manufactures 3D printers. Mr. Reis previously headed Objet, a 3D print technology company based in Rehovot, Israel, and when Stratasys and Objet merged in 2012, he was appointed CEO of the merged company, which maintains its operation in Israel, with nearly 300 employees. Overall, Stratasys employs over 1,500 people worldwide, with a market value of $1.4 billion.
In response to the Bloomberg ranking, Technion President, Professor Peretz Lavie, said: “The high ranking given to Technion by the Bloomberg network and the complimentary ranking of Technion by the University of Shanghai are further indications of our university’s high academic level and its prominent status in the world. About a quarter of Technion graduates hold senior management positions. Technion has played a pivotal role in transforming Israel to a start-up powerhouse.”
The prestigious list was published in the MIT Technology Review
Dr. Kira Radinsky, who completed her doctoral studies at Technion, has entered the MIT Technology Review 2013 list of “young innovators.” Each year, 35 outstanding young innovators under 35 years old make this list. Dr. Radinsky (26), was chosen out of hundreds of candidates, and made the list as an “exceptional innovator for her outstanding work in the field of software.”
“Over the years we have chronicled success in the selection of women and men whose inventions and companies they established have made a deep impact on the different trends in human society,” said Jason Pontin, publisher and Editor in Chief. “Previous winners include Larry Page and Sergey Brin, the cofounders of Google; Mark Zuckerberg, the cofounder of Facebook; Jonathan Ive, the chief designer at Apple; and David Karp, founder of Tumblr. We are proud of all our nominees and the range of achievements they have made, and are proud to add Kira to this distinguished list.”
Dr. Radinsky began her studies at Technion at age 15, joined Technion’s Excellence Program and completed three degrees under the tutelage of Professor Shaul Markovitch from the Faculty of Computer Science. During her studies, she developed a new prediction method that can foresee events with 80% accuracy. This was done by means of scanning literature written over the last 500 years, including all the materials published in the New York Times from 1880 onwards, and finding strong correlations between various events. Among other findings, she discovered that the combination of droughts and storms is a good indicator to a potential cholera outbreak. Today, Kira networks with genocide prevention organizations and medical organizations for the purposes of implementing her research findings and provide potential solutions for suffering populations.
In the course of her studies, Dr. Radinsky went to work at the Microsoft Research Division in the US, headed by Eric Horvitz, and worked there with him and Susan Dumais. Eventually, she went on to found SalesPredict with Yaron Zakai-Or, which has already raised one million dollars. SalesPredict provides predictive analysis to foretell sales expectations, and some of its clients have already effectively grown their sales potential.
Dr. Radinsky’s research earned her awards from numerous organizations, including Google, Yahoo and Facebook.
“Kira is a brilliant researcher gifted with unique skills which support her inclusion on this list,” said Professor Shaul Markovitch from the Faculty of Computer Science at Technion. “Kira possesses intense intellect, creativity and curiosity – a rare combination typical of outstanding inventors. In her doctoral study, she tackled a problem that seemed to be unsolvable with the tools currently available – the development of algorithms capable of accurately predicting global events through the use of vast reservoirs of web-based information sources. Her boldness for taking on such a problem and scientific competence that demonstrated her successful solution is what brought her to be included on this list.”
Dr. Kira Radinsky said today in response to the publication: “This is a great honor for me to be nominated to the list of “young innovators” of MIT. I hope that it will encourage more Israeli researchers and scholars to study this field, to facilitate the building of an empirical superpower in Israel.”
Above: Dr. Kira Radinsky. Photographed by: Technion Spokesperson’s Office
This week, FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Israel became the leading pre-university program of Technion. The agreement, signed by Technion President, Professor Peretz Lavie, and the Chairman of FIRST Israel, Lieutenant General (retired) Avihu Ben Nun, specifies that the program will become an official educational project of the Technion.
FIRST is an international non-profit organization that hosts competitions and events in the area of robotics. Its mission is to motivate teenagers to engage in science, engineering and technology. The organization was established over twenty years ago by Segway inventor and founder Dean Kamen, an advocate for encouraging curiosity and exposure of youth to the challenges facing the engineering and scientific world.
FIRST initiatives in Israel began nine years, and since its founding has received support by the Technion and partially by the Israel Technion Society (ITS). Today, Technion has given the program its full patronage.
Over the past year, some 250,000 students participated in a variety of FIRST programs across the world, including 5,000 Israeli students between the ages of 6-18 years. These students were exposed to the fascinating world of science and technology through various robot building competitions.
Technion President Professor Peretz Lavie, welcomed the initiative and said, “Technion is the natural place for students interested in pursuing and advancing in the fields of engineering, technology and science.”
For more information on FIRST programs in Israel, see: www.firstisrael.org.il
For FIRST programs around the world see: www.usfirst.org
Students at a FIRST Israel Robotics program. Photographed by Avishy Finklestien and FIRST Israel
In computer science, Technion is #18 in the world and #1 in Israel
The Technion is among the 100 best universities worldwide, and #18 in computer science, according to the Shanghai ranking of universities, considered the world’s most reliable and comprehensive ranking system.
According to the The Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), conducted by researchers at the Center for World-Class Universities of Shanghai Jiao Tong University:
In Natural Sciences and Mathematics (SCI), the Technion is ranked #38. The Hebrew University is in 40th place, and the Weizmann Institute of Science is ranked between 51 to 75. Harvard University placed first in SCI.
In Engineering/Technology and Computer Sciences (ENG), Technion is in 46th place, and is the only Israeli university to place in the top 100 in the field of engineering. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) topped the global list.
In the field of computer science, the Technion is ranked #18 in the world, only one of two universities outside of North America to make the top 20 in this field. The Weizmann Institute of Science is ranked #23 in computer science, and the Hebrew University is #28.
In the overall global ranking, Technion is in 77th place. Last year it was in 78th place.
Following the publication of the 2013 ARWU, Technion President, Professor Peretz Lavie, said, “Indices and ratings should be treated with caution, especially when a fraction of a point either way can change the rankings of a university from year to year. Nonetheless, the Shanghai Ranking is the leading academic ranking of world universities and there is no doubt that it flatters Israeli science. The fact that it lists three Israeli universities in its top 100 list while including only four from countries such as France, Germany, Switzerland, and Canada, points to the quality of science in Israel and its world status. I am especially thrilled that Technion has been placed among the elite institutes in the fields of engineering and science, especially in computer science. It is critically important to ensure the continued advancement Israeli research universities.”
August 1st, 2013, Haifa, Israel. Sealantis Ltd., a private start-up, from the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology that develops alga-mimetic tissue adhesives, reports that it has received the CE Mark for Seal-VTM, its vascular sealant. Seal-VTM is a protein-free bioresorbable sealant, intended to achieve hemostasis by mechanically sealing areas of potential leakage in surgical reconstruction of large blood vessels such as the carotid, femoral, brachial and iliac arteries.
Seal-VTM commences a new generation in tissue sealing. Being alga-mimetic it has an intrinsic ability to bind strongly to both native blood vessels and synthetic grafts, even in wet and moist conditions. In addition, the protein-free composition relieves Seal-VTM from risks associated with the use of protein-based products. Unlike hemostats, which are designed to cause blood to clot, Seal-VTM is not dependent on the presence of blood in order to be effective, and can be used as a prophylactic sealant.
“We are excited to be able to introduce Seal-VTM to the European market and to provide surgeons with a new and better option for controlling bleeding from suture-lines.” says Mr. Tomer Fuchs, Sealantis CEO. Mr. Fuchs recently joined Sealantis, after serving over two decades in lead executive positions in global companies including Medtronic Ventor, Anorad and Vishay.
“Sealantis has been working closely with surgeons to leverage the extraordinary capabilities of its alga-mimetic technology and design products that will be strongly positioned in the multibillion dollars market of wound closure.” Says Dr. Zeev Gilkis, Sealantis Chairman.
In addition to Seal-VTM, Sealantis has a pipeline of advanced solutions for a variety of clinical needs. Among them is a gastro-intestinal sealant, designed to prevent leakage of intestinal content from anastomoses, a potentially fatal complication of GI surgery; an adhesive for space obliteration in esthetic surgeries, which can significantly reduce the recovery time from face and body lifts and innovative combination devices for site-specific drug delivery.
Sealantis is currently working on strategic partnerships towards the coming market launch of Seal-VTM.
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About Sealantis Ltd.
Sealantis Ltd. is developing a proprietary platform of alga-mimetic tissue adhesives, for a variety of applications and clinical needs in surgical leakage control, tissue adhesion and drug delivery. The Sealantis adhesives are protein-free, and have an extraordinary ability to adhere strongly to internal tissues even in wet environments. Sealantis was founded in 2007 by Prof. Havazelet Bianco-Peled from the Technion, and is funded by the Alfred Mann Institute at the Technion (AMIT).
They will take part in the Science-Engineering Summer Course supported by the Planning and Budgeting Committee of the Council for Higher Education
One-hundred and twenty outstanding students from leading universities in China and India started their summer course at Technion this week. The Science-Engineering Summer Course program, run by the Technion International School, will expose students to a range of fields, including electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, mathematic and aerospace engineering.
In addition to their studies at Technion, the students will also tour Israel’s major tourist sites, dabble in entrepreneurship, visit at Israeli high-tech companies, take a history course on Israel and the Middle East, learn about Israeli culture, and meet with Israeli writers and opinion leaders.
“I welcome the arrival of the students to Technion and the start of the Summer Course,” said Ariel Geva, Managing Director of the Technion International School. “The delay in the issuance of visas for the students was caused by employee sanctions at the Foreign Ministry last month,” he explains. “The Technion administration made great efforts with the various ministries to make possible the arrival of the students to Technion. I am confident that the students will enjoy their time in Israel and will serve as good-will ambassadors of the university and Israel in their home countries.”
Professor Anat Rafaeli, the Deputy Head of the International School and Deputy SVP for International Academic Relations at Technion, added, “The Summer Courseis an excellent opportunity for us to meet excellent students from India and China, and appeal to their interest in wanting to pursue advanced studies at Technion.
The students arrived to Israel with the support from the PBC (Planning & Budgeting Committee of the Council for Higher Education), which provided them with scholarships aimed at strengthening the connection between Israel and their home countries. In total, 210 students from China and India came to Israel to study at Israeli universities as part of this unique summer program.
Above: The students with the israeli author Eshkol Nevo. Photograph by Moran Maayan, Technion Spokesperson
On November 15-16, a conference on “New and Old in the Ammonia World” will take place at the Technion. The event is hosted by Technion president, Peretz Lavie, and organized and chaired by the Technion Chemical Engineering professors Gideon Grader and Danny Lewin. Global experts will cover topics that include: safety and risk assessment; ammonia transport in the atmosphere; ammonia production; and the global market. The conference includes a virtual reality 3D presentation of an ammonia production plant developed by the German company Linde.
The Hong Kong philanthropist Li Ka-shing, came for a special visit to Technion for the signing of the historic agreement to establish a technological institute in Guangdong Province, China. As part of the agreement, the Li Ka Shing Foundation will donate 130 million dollars to Technion – the largest donation in the university’s history, and one of the largest in the history of Israel. The contribution will go towards developing the Technion Campus in Haifa and towards the welfare of its students and researchers.
The Bloomberg financial news network has released a new university ranking: “Top 10 Colleges for Tech CEOs” of companies worth $1 billion or more. The Technion is tied for 7th place with three other American universities; Technion is the only university outside the United States placed in the top 10.
The prestigious list was published in the MIT Technology Review
August 1st, 2013, Haifa, Israel. Sealantis Ltd., a private start-up, from the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology that develops alga-mimetic tissue adhesives, reports that it has received the CE Mark for Seal-VTM, its vascular sealant. Seal-VTM is a protein-free bioresorbable sealant, intended to achieve hemostasis by mechanically sealing areas of potential leakage in surgical reconstruction of large blood vessels such as the carotid, femoral, brachial and iliac arteries.
They will take part in the Science-Engineering Summer Course supported by the Planning and Budgeting Committee of the Council for Higher Education