News

 Despite advances in increased food production, half of all world’s harvested food is lost due to rot caused by microorganisms.  Plants emit various volatile organic compounds into their surrounding environment, which can be monitored for early detection of plant disease and prevent food loss.

When it comes to the world’s climate, in the past decade, planet Earth keeps sending us its summer siren’s call. According to NASA, nineteen of the hottest years have occurred since 2000, with 2016 and 2020 tied for the hottest on record. This summer is already making worldwide headlines, with England scorching beyond 40 degrees Celsius.

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HU) climbed 13 places to rank 77^th among the world’s top universities and number one in Israel, according to the 2022 Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), published today (Monday).  Topping the list were Harvard, followed by Stanford, MIT, Cambridge, and UCLA Berkeley.  Two other Israeli universities placed in the top 100, as well—the Technion and Weizmann Institute both shared the 83^rd spot.  This is a major achievement for Israel’s higher education at large and for Hebrew U., specifically.

As the world grapples with the cataclysmic events associated with climate change, it is increasingly important to have accurate climate models that can help predict what might lie ahead. 

With a Constant Renewal of Cell Vitality in Diseased Tissues, This New Drug Will Hopefully Lead to the Treatment or Prevention of Diseases, Such As Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s

Archaeological Excavations Near Temple Mount Also Unearth Pool Built by Soldiers From Rome’s 10th Legion and Byzantine Lamp Inscribed “The light of Christ Shines for All”

2022 Academic Ranking of World Universities Ranks Hebrew University 17^th Worldwide in Mathematics and Communications, and #1 in Israel in Earth Sciences, Food Sciences, Water Resources, Economics, and Public Policy

Hebrew University & Hadassah Medical Center Researchers Attribute Discrepancy in Pain Med Prescriptions at Emergency Rooms in US and Israel to Reduced Empathy

Researchers at Hebrew University Have the Answer  

Findings will Help Develop New Strains for Medical Cannabis Users and Increase Crop Yields

From the Middle Bronze Age, Egypt played a crucial role in the appearance of calcite-alabaster artifacts in Israel, and the development of the local gypsum-alabaster industry. The absence of ancient calcite-alabaster quarries in the Southern Levant (modern day Israel and Palestine) led to the assumption that all calcite-alabaster vessels found in the Levant originated from Egypt, while poorer quality vessels made of gypsum were local products.

Hebrew University Team Finds People Overestimate the Presence of Minorities Around Them, Impeding Efforts to Build a more Equitable and Inclusive Society

The horrific attack by Hamas on Israeli civilians on October 7, sparked the Iron Swords War and led to a widespread mobilization effort to support Israel. New survey revealed that 83% of the NGOs’ ability to provide assistance and social services was negatively impacted by the war, only 35% of organizations sought government assistance during the war, and 35% of the NGOs reported an increase in philanthropic support from abroad.

The Hebrew University has appointed Prof. Orly Sade as the new Dean of the School of Business Administration. Prof. Sade brings extensive experience and expertise to her new role, with a focus on analytical and experimental finance, financial market structure, fintech, and crowdfunding.

Today, the European Research Council (ERC) declared that six researchers from the Hebrew University secured grants at the Consolidator Grant level. These individual grants, ranging from one and a half to two million euros each, cumulatively amount to 11.5 million euros (47 million shekels). This achievement positions the Hebrew University at the forefront among Israeli research universities, boasting the highest number of winners in this category.

The "German Science Foundation" (DFG) has approved the financing of an innovative joint school for doctoral students, an international collaboration between the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the University of Leipzig, and the Dubnow Institute in Leipzig. This groundbreaking academic initiative marks a significant step towards fostering international collaboration in the field of humanities.

 The President of Israel, the President of the Hebrew University, the Mayor of Jerusalem, and art collector Jose Mugrabi
laid the cornerstone of a house to display Einstein’s legacy

President Isaac Herzog of Israel, Hebrew University President Prof. Asher Cohen, Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Leon, and Mr. Jose Mugrabi, a prominent art collector, laid the cornerstone for Einstein House, at the Hebrew University’s Edmond J. Safra campus, on Givat Ram, in Jerusalem.

Hebrew University researchers have identified the factors affecting the likelihood of extreme rain events and have developed a tool that can improve the forecasting of such events. This tool will be made available to the Israel Meteorological Service and its counterpart agencies throughout the world.

For the first time a new study led by Dr. Haitham Amal and his team from the School of Pharmacy in the Faculty of Medicine at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, discovered a direct connection between levels of nitric oxide (NO) in the brain and autism. The study was published today in the prestigious Advanced Science journal.

– Researchers from Safra Center for Neuroscience and the Institute for Life Sciences at Hebrew University published a study in Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association[EJ1]  uncovering a molecular mechanism that leads to accelerated cognitive deterioration in females living with Alzheimer’s.

– In a new study [SJ1] published in Hebrew University’s Jerusalem Journal of Archaeology, Dr. Daniel Vainstub deciphered a partially preserved inscription that was found on the neck of a large jar dated back to the time of King Solomon.

In a new study published today in the journal Nature , a team of scientists led by researchers discovered that changes in the processing of RNA molecules – and not genetic changes in the DNA – drive pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) tumors to become metastatic.

Archaeological Excavations Near Temple Mount Also Unearth Pool Built by Soldiers From Rome’s 10th Legion and Byzantine Lamp Inscribed “The light of Christ Shines for All”

2022 Academic Ranking of World Universities Ranks Hebrew University 17^th Worldwide in Mathematics and Communications, and #1 in Israel in Earth Sciences, Food Sciences, Water Resources, Economics, and Public Policy

New Deans at the Faculty of Law, the Faculty of Social Sciences, the Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, and the School of Education

(Jerusalem, July 12, 2022) The Hebrew University of Jerusalem has announced the appointment of four new deans who will take up their posts at the beginning of the upcoming academic year in October 2022.

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Sheafer Replaces Prof. Barak Medina, HU Rector Since 2017

Professor Tamir Sheafer was chosen by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HU)’s Senate as the university’s new rector.  For the last six years, Sheafer has served as Dean of HU’s Faculty of Social Sciences.  His field of expertise is digital and comparative communications.  Over the past two decades, Sheafer has led several international research groups to study the impact of political systems and the strength of a democracy on that country’s political processes and communications.

On Eve of 4 Month Anniversary of Russian Invasion, Zelenskyy Asks the World, “How Can You Not Help the Victims of Such Aggression?”

Today, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HU) in a live speech from Kiev. The speech was broadcast on the university’s social media channels and followed by Q&A with students and staff.

In honor of Jerusalem Day, a special session of Israel’s Knesset, headed by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, was held at the Hebrew University (HU)’s Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences (ELSC) at the Edmond J. Safra Campus in Jerusalem.

Filmmaker Quentin Tarantino received an honorary degree--“Doctor Philosophiae Honoris Causa”--from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HU) at a festive ceremony during the 85^th Board of Governors (BOG) meeting.

MIT physics Professor Pablo Jarillo-Herrero has won the 2022 Dan Maydan Prize for Nanoscience Research for his pioneering work on two-dimensional nanomaterials.  The Dan Maydan Prize was established by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HU) in 2018, with the generous contribution of Dr. Maydan, who played a central role in establishing the Israeli National Nanotechnology Initiative (INNI).  The INNI helped position Israel as a leader in nanotech and led to the opening of 10 nanotech centers in the country, including HU’s Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology.

Ecuadoran President Guillermo Lasso became the 1st sitting president of his country to visit Israel.  He arrived with a 100-member delegation that will remain in country for two weeks to visit Israeli universities and innovative projects.

Today at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Lasso and his wife First Lady Maria de Lourdes Alcivar, inaugurated Ecuador’s Office for Technology and Innovation and held a business conference called “Ecuador Open for Business” to develop investments and public-private partnerships with key players in Israel’s ecosystem. 

Considering the threat on the lives of academics and university students in Ukraine, and in a show of solidarity, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HU) has offered academic hosting for Ukrainian academic staff and students.  To date, 18 such refugees have been accepted to continue their studies at the University and 10 have already arrived at our Jerusalem and Rehovot campuses. 

Dr. Moran Yassour at Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HU)’s Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, and Dr. Haitham Amal, at HU’s Institute for Drug Research and the School of Pharmacy, have been awarded the prestigious Krill Prize for Excellence in Scientific Research, which is administered by the Wolf Foundation. The Krill Prize is awarded each year to 10 outstanding young researchers who have not yet been granted tenure. Winners are chosen based on standards of excellence and on the subject of their research.

Israel’s academic cooperation with Morocco hit a high point this week with the visit of a senior delegation from Morocco’s Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI).

Seeking to establish a medical school and school of pharmacy, the UM6P representatives met with Professor Dina Ben Yehuda, Dean of the Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, to learn how HUJI prepares its future doctors for a medical career based on computational medicine and AI, while maintaining humanity and compassion for their patients.

New Hebrew U. Survey Probes German and Israelis Perceptions of One Another, Shows Bilateral Support for Germany as Middle-East Mediator

The visit to Israel on March 2^nd of Germany's newly-elected Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, heralds a new era in German-Israel ties.  On the heels of this visit, it is timely to announce the findings of a recent survey conducted in Israel and Germany by The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HU)'s European Forum, which reveals a complex picture regarding Israeli perceptions of Germany, as well as German perceptions of Israel. 

A joint Israeli-Italian nanosatellite has been launched into space – with a Hebrew University experiment on board!  

Why people with disabilities have trouble with dentists -

By Barbara Sofer, Israel director of public relations at Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America. Her latest book is A Daughter of Many Mothers.

How can boys and girls, or men and women with intellectual and physical disabilities carry them out? For them, just sitting in the chair amid the machinery for long periods is a hardship.