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Interview
Israel-India
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2017
A
s India and Israel celebrate 25 years
of friendly relations, we spoke to Tel
Aviv University President Prof.Joseph
Klafter, who also chairs the Committee of
University Heads in Israel,about the benefits
of binational academic collaboration.
What is the current state of Indian-Israeli
academic relations?
The India-Israel relationship is of strategic
importance tobothcountries and the affiliation
has significantly warmed up and become
more public in the past few years.Academia is
increasingly playing a role in expanding and
enhancing relations, but has yet to achieve
its full potential. A major step forward was
taken this winter when President of Israel
Reuven Rivlin dedicated his first state visit
to India to furthering bilateral academic ties.
Aren’t the cultures anduniversity systems
vastly different, though?
Actually,the commonalities between our two
cultures and university systems are greater
than the differences.First,India and Israel share
a deep reverence for education.Second,we
have a mutual ambition for technological
prominence.Third,we have a large percentage
of science and technology graduates – our
two countries are among the top 10 in the
world. Fourth, each country’s universities,
which rely heavily on public funding, must
do their utmost to stretch the research dollar
andwhat they lack in funding theymust make
up in sheer ingenuity.And last but certainly
not least, our countries’ top universities are
truly world-class.
So we have a great deal in common and a
shared desire to collaborate – now we just
have to take some more active steps.
What could those steps be?
For one,our two governments should invest
more resources in academic exchange,more
joint research,and post-doc fellowships.The
possibilities for collaborative R&D in areas
of national importance to both countries
are boundless; we could work together in
healthcare, clean-tech, water, agriculture,
energy, communication, cyber, educational
technologies, and much more.
A practical move for exchanging post-docs
has already born fruit. At my institution, Tel
Aviv University (TAU),Indians make up about
25% of all post-docs and they’re making
thrilling advances in nanotechnology, drug
development and renewable energy,among
other fields. The resulting personal and
professional networking will be invaluable
for future collaboration as well.
Tel Aviv University President Prof. Joseph Klafter
Another step would be for India to send
more students to Israel for degree studies.
At TAU we currently offer 16 undergraduate
or master’s-level programs entirely taught in
English. These include a BSc in Electronics
and Electrical Engineering that is particularly
attractive to Indian students.
What about the business sector?
I see them as important partners as well.
Companies have much to gain by engaging
in and financially supporting India-Israel
academic ties because universities provide two
things they need:well-trained scientists and
inventions that have industrial applications.
In this spirit,TAU has spent a decade building
ties with Indian corporations and universities
through the India-Israel Forum in partnership
with the Confederation of Indian Industry
(CII) and Ananta Aspen Centre.
What our ownTAU activity in India has shown
is that,whenworking hand-in-hand,academia,
government and industry can do much in
empowering the next generation of Indian
and Israeli researchers and entrepreneurs.We
need both if we are to compete as knowledge
economies on the world stage.
At Tel Aviv University, Indians make up 25% of all
post-docs and they're making thrilling advances in
nanotech, drug development and renewable energy
Academic Bridge to
a Shared Future
The commonalities between our university systems
are greater than the differences.Tel Aviv University