Following Israel Hayom's revelation about the planned "Nakba Week" at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem starting Monday, the "Dror" student group affiliated with the Religious Zionism party sent a strongly worded letter Sunday evening to University President Professor Asher Cohen and University Rector Professor Tamir Shefer. The letter demanded they prohibit all "Nakba Week" events from taking place on campus. According to students enrolled at the Hebrew University, this letter marks the first sign of organized resistance that is expected to intensify significantly in the coming days.

The student group began their letter by referencing various social media posts shared throughout Sunday that invited university students to participate in what was described as an enrichment week. They continued, "According to the publication in Israel Hayom, student groups at the university will hold a 'Memorial Week commemorating the Nakba,' scheduled to continue until Saturday and featuring multiple events under the heading 'Ongoing Genocide.' Unfortunately, this is not the first time such inflammatory events have been permitted on campus."

"We, members of the 'Dror' student group, are approaching you with an unambiguous demand to cancel this provocative week planned to take place within the university grounds," they emphasized. "This event, featuring one-sided political messages, contradicts the spirit of unity in the State of Israel. While we certainly respect freedom of expression, freedom of expression does not extend to freedom to incite."

In their continued statement, the group members added pointed criticism regarding the university administration's handling of the issue, which, as of Sunday evening, had not issued any public response on the matter. "Academia is intended to be a place for research and the deepening of knowledge, not an arena for disseminating one-sided political propaganda. Introducing divisive political messages to campus disrupts learning, creates tension between students, and undermines the sense of security for many of us. Moreover, this represents a deliberate attempt to damage the spirit of the IDF through accusations such as 'genocide' and similar inflammatory rhetoric."

"Given these circumstances," they concluded, "we demand the immediate cancellation of this inflammatory week and action to maintain a campus environment free from incitement." In a conversation with Israel Hayom, one student revealed that the letter serves as just the beginning of a series of planned actions that a coalition of students intends to organize across campus in response to the controversial event. Among these planned actions is a sustained counter-protest throughout the coming week, during which opponents will demand that university authorities prohibit the various scheduled events, representing a direct continuation of the concerns outlined in their letter to the institution's senior leadership.

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Israeli universities have once again demonstrated their world-class caliber, with three institutions ranking among the top 100 academic institutions globally. The Weizmann Institute of Science, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa have all clinched positions in the 2024 Shanghai Ranking, widely regarded as one of the most authoritative global university rankings.

Leading the Israeli contingent, the Weizmann Institute secured the 69th spot worldwide, slipping just one place from last year's ranking. It's noteworthy that the Weizmann Institute exclusively offers graduate programs, setting it apart from its peers.

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem made significant strides, climbing to 81st place in the ranking of the world's best universities. This advancement crowns it as the highest-ranked Israeli institution offering undergraduate degrees. Last year, the Hebrew University stood at 86th place, trailing behind the Technion in the rankings.

This year, the Technion holds the 85th position on the list of the world's best academic institutions, a slight drop from its 79th place last year. However, it maintains a strong 11th place among the world's leading technological universities. The Shanghai Ranking is widely acknowledged as the gold standard for assessing higher education institutions globally.

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem has climbed five places this year, now ranking 81st among the top 100 universities worldwide according to the 2024 Shanghai Ranking!

Professor Asher Cohen, President of the Hebrew University: "The presence of three Israeli universities in the… pic.twitter.com/0UGfSRGQET

— Hebrew University (@HebrewU) August 15, 2024

The top three spots were claimed by US powerhouses: Harvard University, Stanford University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, respectively. Published annually, the Shanghai Ranking is revered for its reliability in academic circles. The rankings evaluate the quality of research at academic institutions based on various indicators, including the number of faculty members and graduates who have clinched Nobel Prizes and Fields Medals, as well as the scope and quality of publications in leading journals. The comprehensive ranking covers approximately 2,500 universities. Among the top 100 institutions, 38 hail from the US, 14 from China, 8 from the UK, 5 from Australia, 4 each from France and Germany, 3 from Canada, and, as highlighted, 3 from Israel.

Professor Asher Cohen, President of the Hebrew University, celebrated this achievement while also voicing concerns about the current state of Israeli academia. His remarks come against a backdrop of strained relations with Education Minister and Chair of the Council for Higher Education, Yoav Kisch, and looming budget cuts. "The presence of three Israeli universities in the list of the world's top 100 universities is an extraordinary feat, especially in such a challenging and complex year. The Hebrew University's rise to 81st place in the most prestigious international ranking is a testament to our unwavering commitment to groundbreaking research and pursuit of excellence," Professor Cohen stated.

He added, "We're immensely proud of and grateful to our researchers and administrative staff. Their dedication to advancing excellent research persists daily, despite internal and external challenges, in an era where some segments of society view scientific truth and human progress as arbitrary occurrences. We remain steadfast in our role as the preeminent civilian institution for Jerusalem, a cornerstone for the State of Israel, and a source of international pride."

Professor Uri Sivan, President of the Technion, echoed these sentiments: "Our consistent standing in the Shanghai Ranking reaffirms the Technion's position among the world's finest technological universities. The Technion, like its Israeli counterparts, competes on the global stage with universities that are often older, larger, and better-funded. Our success, even in this latest index summarizing 2023 – one of our most challenging years – is remarkable. The inclusion of three Israeli academic institutions in the world's top 100 universities list is a resounding endorsement of Israeli science and academia and a source of national pride."

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The Hebrew University came under fire this week due to a pro-Palestinian event held on campus that featured singing and waving flags of the PLO terror organization. 

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The event was organized by the university's Arab students in honor of the end of the academic year. Some even took pictures with the flag, also associated with incitement against Israel, on stage. 

Video: Free usage under Israeli copyright law (Section 27A)

Right-wing organizations Im Tirzu and Lach Yerushalayim criticized the establishment, saying in a joint statement, "It's shameful and disgraceful that the Hebrew University allows for such an event to be held on university premises, where the flags of the PLO terror organization are featured. How can coexistence be promoted when such an event is allowed to be held? Instead of promoting coexistence, the Hebrew University promotes a separatist and nationalist narrative through such events. Shame."

The Hebrew University explained in a statement that the event was organized by an independent student cell. 

There are "30 student cells that are active at the university and represent the entire political and social spectrum. They maintain independent activity throughout the year and do not receive a budget or any support from the university, and their activity is protected by freedom of speech." 

Over the years, the Hebrew University has been involved in several controversies, the most recent of which involved the inclusion of the so-called Nakba Day – a day Palestinians mark as the "catastrophe" of the establishment of the State of Israel – on the university list of holidays and special occasions. 

Earlier, Hebrew University lecturer Prof. David Enoch was blasted for publishing an article in a US outlet calling for the boycott of settlements and the Netanyahu government. 

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Israeli academia once again made it into the prestigious Shanghai Ranking of World Universities with flying colors.

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The three Israeli universities that were included in the 2022 report are the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, which ranked 77th globally; the Technion–Israel Institute of Technology, which was placed lower at 83; and the Weizmann Institute of Science, which was also ranked 83.

For the Hebrew University, this was a jump of 11 spots compared to 2021 and the best since 2018. The other two also improved their position, with the Weizmann Institute getting its best score ever since the ranking first began publishing in 2003.

All three institutions improved their standings compared to 2021, attesting to Israel's rising status as an academic powerhouse.

Tel Aviv University, Bar-Ilan University, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, and the University of Haifa were included in the non-ranking part of the report (i.e. beyond the first 100 places).

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Yissum, the Technology Transfer Company of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, published this week its 2021 Portfolio of 15 promising new startups.

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Founded in 1964, Yissum (which means "implementation" in Hebrew) serves as a bridge between academic research and entrepreneurs, investors, and industry.  Yissum has registered over 10,900 patents globally; licensed over 1,140 technologies and spun out more than 200 companies.

"Yissum has long been considered Israel's leading technology transfer company, but our recent successes along with the unprecedented level of portfolio companies, investment partners, and highly promising early-stage tech serve as a real-life testament to that fact," said Yissum CEO Dr. Itzik Goldwaser.

"While this group of startups shows promise when it comes to commercial success, they are also poised to change millions of lives and we will continue to help foster and scale these technologies in order to achieve their full potential," Goldwaser said.

The following companies are now part of Yissum's portfolio:

RNAWay, which has developed a platform to deliver siRNA to plants

Immunyx Pharma, which has developed technology relating to a platform to allow neutrophil-specific targeting, a mode of immunotherapy

Lipovac, a company developing a liposome-based vaccine to treat different illness indications including, but not limited to, viral infections such as COVID-19

ExoNavis Therapeutics, which is harnessing the exosome, an extracellular vesicle, as a multi-drug delivery vehicle

NexoCarp: Pickering solid dispersion and particles for the delivery of agents

PSYRX, which is developing tissue culture protocols to produce and isolate psilocybin and ibogaine psychedelic compounds in bioreactors for the treatment of various central nervous system diseases

MyComed Super Foods, which uses medicinal herbs and Spirulina Algae mixed in foods to improve skeletal quality and prevent osteoporosis

Cavos: Develops new diagnostic, prognostics, and treatment options for a wide array of diseases and conditions using different genomes with artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning-based tools

Noga3D, which has developed epoxy-based 3D printing materials

I-Red Pharma, which offers novel treatment for diseases using new small and multi-property molecules (Superdopa and Superdopamide)

SOLRA, which has developed fully screen-printable Perovskite Solar Cells

Sea2Cell: A technology for raising cultured fish by growing fish cells in vitro

EverBlue Labs: Produces zero-discharge fish aquariums

Bountica: Anti-Fungal Peptides

RNABLE which has technology comprising a novel target for the treatment of rare genetic diseases and cancer caused by nonsense mutations

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Two independent research teams, among them one co-led by Israeli physicist Dr. Shlomi Kotler, were awarded this week the 2021 Breakthrough of the Year prize by the magazine Physics World for advancing humanity's understanding of quantum systems.

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The research led by Kotler, from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem's Department of Applied Physics, along with John Teufel from the US National Institute of Standards and Technology, was praised for their breakthrough of entangling two macroscopic vibrating drumheads. 

Their efforts "could open the door for entangled resonators to be used as quantum sensors or as nodes in quantum networks. As a result, this work deserves its place as the first quantum-related Breakthrough of the Year since 2015," Physics World said. 

The second research team was led by Mika Sillanpaa and colleagues at Aalto University, Finland, and the University of New South Wales, Australia.

"I'm very happy and excited about this award," Kotler said. "We've been at it a long time and took quite a few risks along the way. If it went right, we would have the rare chance to see macroscopic entanglement. If it didn't, four years of research would have gone down the drain.

"Fortunately, we saw entanglement, and the rest, as they say, is quantum history. I very much appreciate the fact that Hebrew University and the Department of Applied Physics and the Quantum Center believed in my research over the years."

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Health experts were cautiously optimistic on Friday that the latest COVID wave, propelled by the highly contagious Delta variant, showed signs of receding.

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The Health Ministry reported Friday morning that of the 133,423 Israelis screened for COVID on Thursday, 8,078 (6.71%) tested positive, in contrast to just a few days ago, when almost 10,000 Israelis tested positive for the virus.

On Friday, there were 76,323 active or symptomatic cases in the country, and 1,086 Israelis were hospitalized. The hospitalized included 191 in critical condition and 149 who were on ventilators.

Since the pandemic hit Israel early last ear, Israel has identified 1,031,810 confirmed cases, and its death toll stood at 6,943 on Friday.

Meanwhile, the start of the school year, scheduled for Sept. 1, continued to be clouded by the resurgence of the coronavirus. On Sunday, the Coronavirus Cabinet said that the school year would begin on Sept. 1, as scheduled, however, it is expected to convene again on Sunday – after Prime Minister Naftali Bennett returns from Washington – to discuss the controversial decision.

"We will reassess the opening of the school year in the next few days," Head of the Public Health Services Headquarters at the ministry Ilana Gens said. "We will try our utmost to go ahead with the opening as planned."

Optimism was also expressed by experts from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, who advise the government on COVID, who published an analysis this week – based on COVID data gathered up until Aug. 28 – saying that while some disruptions to the beginning of the school year could be expected, the wave was unlikely to spike again.

Researchers said that the booster shot campaign had already brought down the number of seriously ill patents, and estimated that the infection rate would continue to decline.

Assuming all COVID restrictions remain in place and Israelis continue to get vaccinated, experts estimate the reproduction rate – which relates to the number of people each confirmed carrier infects – will go down to 0.85 by Rosh Hashanah, which starts on Monday, Sept. 6. A reproduction rate under 1 means an outbreak is subsiding.

"The current infection wave has been reined in thanks to the booster campaign and mild restrictions," they noted.

Since the launch of the booster campaign, 1,860,227 Israelis have received a third COVID jab.

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Three Israeli schools have ranked among the world's 100 best universities, according to the renowned Academic Ranking of World Universities that every year names the globe's top 1000 academic institutions.

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The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, which did not make it into the top 100 last year, ranked 90th on this year's list, also known as the Shanghai Ranking. The Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot ranked 92nd, and Haifa's Technion - Israel Institute of Technology ranked 94th. The last time three Israeli universities made it into the top 100 happened in 2013. 

"The upward trend in the Shanghai Ranking is evidence of hard work and an uncompromising pursuit of academic excellence," President of the Hebrew University Professor Asher Cohen said. 

"I am delighted that three academic institutions have made it to the top 100," he said. 

Education Minister Yifat Shasha-Biton congratulated the schools on their achievement and called it "a reflection of Israeli excellence and a source of pride and success."

Several other Israeli institutions made it into the list. Tel Aviv University ranked in the top 200, and Bar-Ilan University and Ben Gurion University of the Negev made it into the top 500.

The winners of this year's list are Harvard University, Stanford University, and the University of Cambridge, which ranked first, second and third, respectively. 

The Academic Ranking of World Universities methodology is based on the quality of education (number of alumni as Nobel laureates and Fields Medalists), quality of faculty (number of staff members as Nobel laureates and Fields Medalists and highly cited researchers) and research performance (papers published in the leading scientific journal Nature and Science). 

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The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Amazon Web Services announced on Monday the establishment of a joint quantum computing research agreement.

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The agreement is the first of its kind between AWS and an Israeli academic institution, according to a statement from the university.

The AWS Center for Quantum Computing, created in 2019 and based at the campus of the California Institute of Technology, brings together quantum computing researchers and engineers for the purpose of accelerating the development of relevant algorithms and hardware. Its activities include collaborating with universities for sponsored research in "cutting-edge domains," according to the statement.

"The latest of these collaborations is funding a team of researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem's Quantum Information Science Center and Racah Institute of Physics to advance the understanding of quantum gates – fundamental building blocks of quantum computers," said the university.

Hebrew University professor and AWS principal research scientist Alex Retzker will lead the research group, and Yissum, the company in charge of commercializing new technology developed at the university, is coordinating the cooperation process.

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Hebrew University views the field of quantum information as "one of the key areas in the world of science and technology in the 21st century," the statement added.

"We are at a unique moment in the history of science when abstract theoretical ideas can progress quickly to become pragmatic technology accessible through on-demand cloud services, with potentially enormous impact on human society over time," said Retzker.

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

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The coronavirus pandemic has further exacerbated the rift between the secular and ultra-Orthodox sectors in Israel, a new study by the Hebrew University's aChord Center said.

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Some 1,000 secular and Haredi Israelis participated in the study. According to data published by the organization on Thursday, 85% of secular Israeli reported feeling animosity towards Haredim, 69% of those even reported feelings of aversion. In comparison, 33% of Haredim reported feelings of animosity towards secular Israelis, and 31% reported feelings of aversion.

Some 95% of secular Israelis and 71% of Haredim reported being exposed to at least one negative representation of the opposite group in the media at least once a week.

The poll revealed that Haredim see secular people in a much positive light than secular Israelis tend to think. Some 95% of them believed that Haredim feel an aversion towards them, and 93% responded that they believed Haredim harbor feelings of hatred against them, when in fact, both numbers constituted about a third of that.

Asked whether the police discriminates against the ultra-Orthodox sector, 95% of Haredim agreed with that assumption, while only 22% of secular Israelis said as much.

Some 92% of secular Israelis said that the government discriminates against them rather than the Haredi sector in terms of state budget appropriations. In contrast, 90% of Haredim said that the government was discriminating against them.

Some 99% of secular Israelis further believe that ultra-Orthodox lawmakers exploit their position of power. In contrast, only 33% of Haredi respondents said the same.

As for workplace discrimination, 90% of Haredim and 47% of secular Israelis said they thought their sector was discriminated against.

Nevertheless, 85% of secular Israelis and 86% among the ultra-Orthodox expressed hope for a better future for the relationship between them. Some 85% of secular Israelis and 64% of Haredim expressed willingness to foster the relationship.

"The findings of the study teach us that each side, Haredim and the secular, can be much more optimistic about the future of the relationship," aChord director Shimrit Barda said, expressing hope for future cooperation between the two groups.

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