Author: shelleys

Thirty high school students who were forced to evacuate from their homes in northern Israel due to the current war recently arrived at the Technion for a week of academic studies and enrichment activities, and enjoyed a fulfilling experience on campus under full-board conditions. It is the first cycle of the Robophysics program offered by the Atidim NGO that was adapted to the current situation. The participants are 11^th and 12^th graders from schools in Kiryat Shmona, Shlomi and Kibbutz Dafna who were evacuated from their homes as a result of the fighting near the Lebanese border.

Prof. Idit Keidar, Dean of the Andrew and Erna Viterbi Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, told the participating students: “These are not the ideal conditions for learning, and it’s hard for all of us to concentrate these days, but I hope this program will give you a chance to take a break from the news and to gain important knowledge in an immersive and enriching manner. Graduates of the program receive academic credit points, and of course we would be delighted if you decide to continue your studies here in our Faculty as the result of the program.”

Robophysics is a scientific field that explores the physical principles of how robots move in the real world. The Technion’s program uses this field to teach software, hardware, artificial intelligence, physics, and other related fields, in an experimental and enjoyable way. The program is recognized by the Ministry of Education and Yale University in the U.S.

The Robophysics program was founded a decade ago by the entrepreneur Ofer Danino, who completed two degrees at the Technion (Electric and Computer Engineering, and Education in Science and Technology), and is sponsored by the Viterbi Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering. When the current war broke out, the program’s management decided to make it accessible to students who were displaced from their homes. The Atidim NGO, which is devoted to maximizing the potential of the human capital in Israel’s geographic and social periphery, agreed to head the project.

According to Meital Shaked, director of the Atidim Youth program, “In just four days, Atidim and the Technion designed an emergency program in response to an urgent need affecting the population with which Atidim has been working for over 20 years. The ultimate goal is for outstanding students from communities that were evacuated to achieve their full potential with regards to their high school matriculation exams and the positions they will have in the army – despite the current crisis and the difficult situation we are all facing these days. The cohort we are currently hosting includes the maximum number of students – 30. In the next few days, we will finalize a second cycle, also consisting of evacuees from the north, and we are working on recruiting additional cycles that will also include students evacuated from communities near the Gaza Strip. The Technion has opened its heart and its campus, enabling the program’s participants to enjoy everything that this excellent institution has to offer, and we greatly appreciate this partnership. I have no doubt that we will continue to collaborate in the future.”

Shalom,

Given the Home Front Command’s instructions, which remain unchanged, the activities tomorrow, Thursday, 16.11.23, will continue as planned.

In light of a need for blood donation, MDA and ASAT will hold a blood donation event next Sunday (19.11.2023) between 10:00-15:30, in the Student Union Building. If you wish to give blood, please register here >> https://bd.mda.org.il/#/org-schedule/ac765063-6f96-46b5-b36e-fbed3a675d58

Wishing you a pleasant evening!

The Technion has announced a series of adjustments to the academic calendar for the upcoming academic year that will benefit the entire student body, as well as more extensive adjustments for students who were mobilized and are taking part in the war. Currently, 30% of the Technion’s students (both men and women) are serving in the army reserves, as are many members of the academic and administrative faculty and the teaching staff. This morning, the presidents of Israel’s research universities announced that the 2023-24 academic year will be postponed until soldiers in the reserves start to be demobilized, but not earlier than December 24^th, 2023.

The events of October 7^th and the subsequent war have impacted all Israelis, including the entire student population. The Technion is committed to supporting its students in a variety of ways during these difficult times, such as financial assistance for rent for dorm rooms, special financial aid, scholarships, and personal academic support.

The 2023-24 academic calendar will consist of two semesters, and the summer semester will be cancelled. Final exams for the spring-summer semester will take place near the beginning of the 2024-25 academic year. During the two weeks that precede the opening of the current academic year and during the first week of classes, a “getting back on track” program will enable students, and especially those serving in the reserves, to return to a normal routine and readjust to civilian life as seamlessly as possible.

The new academic adjustments announced by the Technion are intended for four groups:

1. The general student body;
2. Students currently serving in the reserves who will be demobilized by the beginning of the academic year;
3. Students who will continue to actively serve in the reserves after the start of the academic year;
4. Students who were affected by the war in a substantial and concrete manner, such as those who were harmed or were evacuated from their homes or whose loved ones were affected.

The initiative was headed by Senior Executive Vice President Prof. Oded Rabinovitch, Dean of Undergraduate Studies Prof. Hossam Haick, and Dean of the Graduate School Prof. Uri Peskin, together with faculty deans and associate deans, Dean of Students, undergraduate studies teams, and the Technion Student Association.

Adjustments for the entire student body:

• For undergraduate students: a grade of 55 or more can be converted to a “Pass” grade for two subjects studied during the spring and summer semesters of the 2022-23 academic year. In addition, individual consideration will be given in cases when this is the last grade of the degree.
• For graduate students: additional dates for English exams; the option to waive one course in their final transcript instead of the requirement to improve a grade; and the option to replace a grade of 65 or above with a “Pass” grade in one subject studied during the spring or summer semesters of the 2022-23 academic year.

Additional academic adjustments for students serving in the reserves and for students who have children and whose spouse is serving in the reserves:

• Option of receiving more credit points for military service than what was customary until now.
• Converting a numeric grade into a “Passing” mark for courses studied during the spring or summer semesters of the 2022-23 academic year; for four subjects for those serving in the reserves who are demobilized before the beginning of the new semester, and for an unlimited number of courses for those demobilized after the start of the new semester.
• Concessions regarding the attendance requirement during the week prior to testing during reserve duty.
• Extra classes to catch up and reinforce the material, offered by the teaching staff.
• Special time extensions of 25% for all exams.
• For students in advanced degree programs: postponing the semester to complete the English exam requirement.

These academic adjustments join a series of benefits that the Technion already offers students serving in the reserves during the last month since the war broke out:

• A NIS 6,000 grant to every student serving in the reserves, intended for tuition, rent in the Technion dorms, or other expenses related to tuition.
• A complete exemption from rent for the months of October and November 2023, for students in the reserves living in campus dorms, as well as for their partners.
• Emotional aid and counseling to provide relief and support.
• Special financial aid to students serving in the reserves and their families (in addition to deferring tuition payments and continuing to receive scholarships for advanced degrees).

The academic departments, Dean of Undergraduate Studies and Office of the Dean of Students will provide support and solutions on a personal basis for students who were significantly and concretely affected by the war; those who were harmed or whose loved ones were harmed, those who were evacuated from their homes, etc., as well as those who continue to serve in the reserves after the start of the new semester and require additional assistance.

Click here for the complete list of adjustments for undergraduate students.

Shalom,

Given the current assessment of the situation, which remains unchanged, the Technion campuses will continue to operate under the emergency routine protocol, which was established in the past week. We are adhering to the Home Front Command’s guidelines, while also allowing flexibility for the approval of remote work by supervisors as necessary.

As a result of the “Iron Swords” War, the Technion has today announced a set of academic accommodations for the 2023-2024 academic year, aimed at supporting all students on campus. This includes extended provisions for reservists who have been called up under Order 8. Additionally, the academic calendar for 2024 will consist of two semesters, and the summer semester is cancelled. At the start of the academic year, we will implement a “Back to Track” program designed to assist students, particularly reservists, in smoothly transitioning back to their routine. This program aims to provide an opportunity for students to reacclimate and bridge any gaps in the process of returning to studies.

Wishing you a pleasant evening.

Shalom,

In light of the recent events in the Krayot area earlier tonight, we have engaged in comprehensive situation assessments. Adhering to the ongoing directives from the Home Front Command and considering the typical activity in the Haifa region, we confirm that the Technion will operate tomorrow, Monday, 13.11.23, following the same procedures as today.

We will maintain flexibility for remote work, to be granted on a case-by-case basis by managers, in the event of specific circumstances that necessitate such arrangements.

Should there be any new developments this evening, we are committed to providing further updates promptly.

Wishing you a pleasant evening.

Shalom,

With great sorrow, we announce the death of Master Sergeant (res.) Dov Moshe Kogan Z”L. He was a graduate student in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. He was killed in battle in the Gaza Strip last Thursday; at the age of 32. The Technion family mourns his loss and shares in the profound grief of the family. May his memory be blessed.

Following a careful evaluation of the current situation, which remains largely unchanged at this time, the Technion campuses will resume regular operations in line with the Home Front Command’s guidelines. This includes the possibility of remote work, subject to the approval of department heads.

There is a strong focus on active and socially contributive engagement. The Center for Community Involvement is open and continues to warmly welcome participants.

For more information, please visit (Hebrew): https://technion.my.canva.site/

Shalom,

In light of the Home Front Command’s instructions, which remain unchanged, the activities tomorrow, Thursday, 9.11.23, will continue as planned.

• For our reservists – The Technion announced today that it will provide assistance of NIS 6,000 to students who were drafted by “Order 8” for “Operation Iron Swords” and have served for more than 30 days. The grant is intended for tuition fees, Technion dormitory rent, and ancillary tuition payments.

This financial grant is in addition to a series of benefits and concessions that the Technion has already granted to reservist students in the past month. For details >>  https://www.technion.ac.il/?p=55744

• We are here for you; in light of the situation, a special telephone hotline has been opened for the Technion family. You are invited to receive up-to-date information on campus events and to share with us volunteer initiatives and contributions to the community. Call: internal 5500, or 073-3785500.

Wishing you a peaceful evening.

The Technion will provide assistance of NIS 6,000 to all students who were mobilized by an emergency call-up order for ‘Operation Swords of Iron.’ The grant is intended for tuition fees, dormitory rent at the Technion, and other related payments to the tuition.

“2500 students left everything behind and were mobilized by an emergency call-up order, to ensure our right to a life of security and tranquility in this country,” said Technion President Prof. Uri Sivan. “It’s important that each and every one of them knows that the entire Technion community is mobilized and harnessed for their sake. For their benefit, we established a special assistance fund together with friends of the Technion in Israel and around the world, and today we announced that each of them will receive a grant of NIS 6,000. This assistance, which adds to a series of support measures we have already taken, will provide them with a financial envelope and some peace of mind during these tumultuous days. Also, from an academic standpoint, we are preparing to make their return to campus studies as smooth as possible. We are very proud of you, our reserve soldiers, we trust you and look forward to your safe return home.”

The financial grant will be given to those who served in the reserves following an emergency call-up order for at least 30 cumulative days, starting from October 7 until the beginning of the semester. It is intended for undergraduate and graduate degree students and for students who have been accepted to the Technion in the academic year 2023-2024.

The financial grant is in addition to a series of grants and benefits that the Technion has already provided to reserve soldier students in the last month since the outbreak of the war:

 

• Full exemption from rent payment for October and November for reserve soldier students residing in dormitories and their spouses.
• Postponement of the opening of the academic year 2023-2024: The academic year will only open when the release process of reserve soldiers begins and not before December 3, 2023.
• “Soft landing back in class” – a two-week organizational program before the opening of the academic year to make the return to routine as easy as possible, including gap bridging.
• A special package of academic exemptions for students serving in the reserves, which will be granted by the Undergraduate and the Graduate Schools.
• Emotional support and guidance counseling.
• Special financial assistance for reserve soldier students and their families (in addition to deferring tuition payments and continuation of fellowships for graduate degrees).

Reserve Soldiers –

To receive the grant, please fill out the form at the following link (Hebrew) and attach the draft order and proof of actual reserve duty days.

For further details or questions, please contact Dr. Janna Shainsky, Office Head for the Dean of Students, by email at dir-dean@technion.ac.il

Shalom,

Thirty solemn days of mourning have elapsed since that fateful Saturday, October 7—a day when everything came to a standstill. Today, the Technion held a memorial ceremony to honor the memories of those who were tragically murdered and to remember our fallen. You can view the ceremony at: https://youtu.be/YIXHFK83jk0.

Our hearts go out to the families grieving the loss of their loved ones, and to the families of those abducted or held captive, who await the hopeful news of their release.

In light of the current situation assessment and adhering to the directives of the Home Front Command, activities on the Haifa campuses on Tuesday, November 8, 2023, will proceed as they did today. This includes the provision for remote work, subject to managerial approval, where necessary.

• We continue to operate in an ’emergency routine,’ striving to maintain regular campus activities while being prepared for emergencies and responsive to any changes in the Home Front Command’s directives. In the coming days, emergency response drills will be coordinated with the campus security unit and conducted across various academic departments and units. It is crucial for everyone to familiarize themselves with the locations of the nearest protected spaces to their offices. We urge you not only to read the provided list but to personally visit the relevant areas to ensure you can reach them within the timeframes prescribed by the Home Front Command.
• For a directory of security rooms and shelters on campus, please visit: https://bit.ly/46geCBg.
• Today, the Technion emergency response team, along with a Home Front Command unit, conducted a rescue drill at a specialized training facility.
• The security unit’s call center is operational around the clock at 04-829-2222. For more information, visit: https://bitahon.technion.ac.il.

Wishing you a tranquil evening.

Shalom,

Following the events in the Kiryot area earlier tonight, we have conducted thorough consultations and situation assessments. In compliance with the Home Front Command’s ongoing directives and considering the normal activity in the Haifa region, we confirm that the Technion will operate tomorrow, Tuesday, 7.11.2023, under the same procedures as today.

We will retain flexibility for remote work, which will be granted on a case-by-case basis by managers, should specific circumstances arise that warrant it.

Should there be any new developments this evening, we will provide further updates.

Wishing you a pleasant evening.

The Public Affairs and Resource Development (PARD) division, in collaboration with Technion Societies worldwide, has launched a vital mission: a fundraising campaign to support our students and staff mobilized for service, their families, and enhance the security infrastructure on our Haifa campuses. We stand proudly with our student soldiers, their families, and all the staff affected by this war, offering our unwavering support.

This assistance goes beyond financial aid; it signifies a collective outpouring of love, compassion, and unity. Your generous contribution to this emergency fund not only supports these exceptional students but also strengthens campus safety, renovates shelters and safe rooms, and provides essential equipment.

We are orchestrating a comprehensive range of support for our students, staff, and the entire Technion community. This includes immediate assistance, such as rent subsidies and food packages, along with counseling services for reservists, their partners, and all members of the Technion’s student body. Additionally, academic tutoring and emotional support are being provided to help everyone cope with the pressures they face. We are also offering essential economic support, through special grants, for students in need. To enhance the safety and security of our campus, we are hiring additional security personnel and supporting on-campus childcare services. Furthermore, we are proactively stocking campus bomb shelters with emergency provisions and allocating funds for immediate renovations of existing shelters.

Support this urgent campaign by making a tax-deductible gift through your local Technion Society:

American Technion Society (ATS)

Israel Friends of Technion

Technion Canada

Technion France

Schweizer Technion Gesellschaft

Technion UK

If your country is not listed here, or if you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us directly at laurag@technion.ac.il

Last week, the Technion was privileged to host Dr Qanta Ahmed, physician specializing in sleep disorders, journalist, and public commentator. Dr Ahmed first visited the Technion in 2013, after contacting then-Technion President Peretz Lavie. In 2015, she was awarded a Technion Honorary Fellowship “in tribute to her tireless and courageous battle for human rights in the Muslim world, and to her vigorous opposition to radical Islam and to antisemitism, and in gratitude for her friendship to the State of Israel and the Technion”.

“I came here not in a professional capacity, but as a human being, to show solidarity, and to bear witness to the atrocities committed by Hamas,” Dr Ahmed said. “We have a responsibility to bear witness, so no doubt can be cast that these crimes happened.”

Wearing blue and white, Dr Ahmed spoke for a full hour of what she had witnessed: in Kibbutz Be’eri, one of the Kibbutzim where Hamas massacred citizens; in Shura Base, where bodies of the victims are still being identified; and in the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute, where experts are examining fragments of teeth and bone so as to be able to update families not knowing whether their loved ones were abducted or killed.

“This was not ‘yet another terrorist attack’,” she recounted. “I saw bodies restrained with zip ties and electric cords, I saw multiple modes of death on single bodies, I saw remains of people burnt at temperatures over 700°C – temperatures only achievable with chemical accelerants. These are crimes against humanity. Hamas came prepared, with plans carefully laid out, to commit genocide against the Jewish people. They went systematically, house by house, murdering men, women, and children, and they filmed it all to cause additional psychological pain.”

“If there is anything more barbaric than what I saw, it is the denial of the event,” she continued.  “I’ve read about Holocaust denial, but now I’m seeing it firsthand. The more evidence is shown, the more vehement the denial is. When we saw such crimes in Bosnia, we called it genocide. When we saw such crimes in Rwanda, we called it genocide. When we saw ISIS committing such crimes against the Yazidis, we called it genocide. Why is it then, that when Jews are the victims, people feel the need to ‘contextualise’, to justify Hamas? It staggers me that the same communities that were horrified by ISIS, are now providing legitimacy to Hamas. I can give it no other name, but antisemitism.”

“There is a Hadith,” Dr Ahmed told, “it says, if you see injustice, you must fight it. If you cannot fight it with actions, speak out against it, fight it with words. If you cannot speak out, at least bear witness to it, carry it in your heart. But never turn back on injustice. I could not live with myself if I turned my back on this.”

“Hamas is an Islamist organisation, same as ISIS, more malignant and better funded, in fact. Islamism pursues cosmic, religionised lethal antisemitism as one of its central tenets. If there is genocide being committed in Gaza, it is committed by Hamas, who uses its own fellow Muslim population in service of its political aims. We know that Hamas uses medical infrastructure to shelter its centres of operations, uses Palestinians as human shields. Islamism isn’t Islam. I cannot describe how repugnant it is to me to hear the Shahada, the declaration of my faith, cried by terrorists murdering innocent people.”

“Your friendship is particularly dear to us in these trying times, some of the hardest moments in Jewish history,” Technion President Prof. Uri Sivan thanked Dr Ahmed.

When one suffers an unspeakable tragedy, it is incredibly meaningful to know that one isn’t alone, but has friends who will see their grief, share their pain, stand with them, and support them. We are grateful to have such a friend in Dr Ahmed. We hope that there are others who, like her, will dare to stand with us against the radical deranged hatred that we are facing.