Tag: Collaborations

TAU and Goethe University Establish a Joint Center for the Study of Religious and Interreligious Dynamics

Written by AUFTAU on 19 December 2022. Posted in Newsroom.

Academic collaboration between Israel and Germany is growing, and for the first time, Tel Aviv University in Israel and Goethe University in Frankfurt will establish a joint center for with a focus on interfaith studies. The center will promote research on religion, in particular the monotheistic faiths – a field in which both institutions specialize – with special attention to their mutual interactions at all levels of religious life. The two universities will conduct joint research, hold academic conferences, and train students and researchers in this field.

The agreement for launching the new center was signed in December 2021, during a dedicated “Germany Week” organized at TAU by TAU International and the Student Union of Tel Aviv University. The signing was attended by the German Ambassador to Israel Susanne Wasum-Rainer, TAU President Prof. Ariel Porat, and the President of Goethe University, Prof. Enrico Schleiff.

Twelve months later, the full agreement was signed during an inaugurating two-day international conference at TAU entitled “Thinking Interreligiously.”

“This collaboration includes hundreds of joint research projects as well as hundreds of German students who come to our campus each year. The joint center expands this collaboration in an important new direction and tightens our existing partnership with Goethe University Frankfurt, one of the leading universities in Germany.” Prof. Milette Shamir

Thinking Interreligiously, Together

The conference comprises six working sessions in which six leading scholars in the emerging field of interreligious dynamics will present papers outlining their specific approach to the subject. Each paper will be responded to by pre-assigned expert commentators, followed by an additional hour-long discussion. World-renowned classicist and long standing partner to the interreligious studies initiative, Prof. Simon Goldhill of Cambridge University will deliver a keynote lecture on “The Christian Invention of Time.” The conference concludes with a forward looking round-table discussion on how interreligious studies might impact the study of religion in general.

“Tel Aviv university has a wide network of collaboration with German universities, more than with any other country in Europe,” says Prof. Milette Shamir, TAU’s VP in charge of international academic collaboration. “This collaboration includes hundreds of joint research projects as well as hundreds of German students who come to our campus each year. The joint center expands this collaboration in an important new direction and tightens our existing partnership with Goethe University Frankfurt, one of the leading universities in Germany. We hope that in the near future the two universities will expand collaboration to several other areas of common strength.”

Prof. Menachem Fisch and Prof. Christian Wiese (Photo: Tel Aviv University)

“What we are agreeing upon today is, as far as I am aware, unprecedented – at least in the humanities in Germany. It is not merely a formal cooperation between a German and an Israeli university, but rather the development of a highly visible, joint institutionalized international research center.” Prof. Enrico Schleiff

Even Closer Cooperation

Prof. Menachem Fisch, who heads the initiative at TAU says, “I am thrilled to be part of the establishment of a unique, first-of-its-kind center for the study of the monotheistic faiths and their mutual development. This is a worthy initiative, and one more building block in the academic collaboration between the two countries.”

Prof. Enrico Schleiff, President of Goethe University remarked at the initial signing of the agreement in December 2021: ”What we are agreeing upon today is, as far as I am aware, unprecedented – at least in the humanities in Germany. It is not merely a formal cooperation between a German and an Israeli university, but rather the development of a highly visible, joint institutionalized international research center.”

“The center is cross-departmental on both sides and working in an area of study that is most relevant to the German and the Israeli society alike: the history of and the present challenges in religious diversity, difference and conflict in pluralistic societies. It will focus on questions regarding inter-religious dialogue, religious fundamentalism and conflict, but also on the rich cultural heritage and the potential inherent in religious traditions. This center is the start of an even closer cooperation.”

Prof. Christian Wiese, who leads the initiative at Goethe University concludes, “In the framework of German-Israeli academic relations and the close connection between the cities of Frankfurt and Tel Aviv, we’re creating something very special here – an international research hub in the field of interreligious studies that looks at topics both from historical and contemporary perspectives that challenge both of our societies, German and Israeli, each in different ways.”

Featured image:

Prof. Ariel Porat, President of Tel Aviv University and Prof. Enrico Schleiff, the President of Goethe University (photo: Tel Aviv University)

TAU Students Continue to Work on Solving the Water Crisis in Northern Tanzania

Written by AUFTAU on 6 December 2022. Posted in Newsroom.

The delegation “Africa Group, Engineers Without Borders Israel – Tel Aviv” went to Tanzania during the country’s worst droughts in history

Tel Aviv University students from The Iby and Aladar Fleischman Faculty of Engineering and the Raymond & Beverly Sackler Faculty of Exact Sciences recently returned from the Babati district in northern Tanzania, where they worked to supply safe drinking water to the local rural population. The students are part of a team of 20 volunteers from various fields and degree levels, called “Africa Group, Engineers Without Borders Israel – Tel Aviv”.

The solution TAU students bring to Tanzania’s water shortage problem is simple and sustainable: through hefty use of the roofs of the regional schools, water can be stored in low-cost rainwater harvesting containers to meet the needs of the children throughout the dry season. The team uses several simple filters and chlorine tablets for storage.

Throughout the year, when TAU volunteers are in Israel and busy with their studies, they still find time to manage all the different aspects of the project, including its fundraising and marketing needs as well as the systems’ construction and implementation. This time around, the students were in Tanzania while the country experienced a severe drought, which resulted in a water crisis and severe hunger.

“During the expedition, we preserved and upgraded our water systems, which at this point provide water to 5,000 children in six schools. We also conducted several pilots for water purification systems; cultivated relationships with organizations that operate in the Babati district; and delivered an extensive educational program on water and sanitation issues together with our local partners. We also visited the area’s new water laboratory (together with the local water authorities). The new lab will be carrying out water tests for us, including in new areas where we are looking to operate in,” say delegation members Aviv Avinoam, Yaeli Benovich, Dan Komiserchick, Sharon Berkovich and Offir Inbar.

Children who get to drink clean water and participate in an extensive educational program on water and sanitation issues

A New Meteorological Station and Empowering School Management

According to Dan Komiserchick, more accurate meteorological data is needed in the Babati district. The team, therefore, together with the local community, installed the first automatic meteorological station in the region, which will be helpful for the planning of future water systems. The station measures parameters such as rain, wind, humidity, and temperature, and the information gathered is transmitted to the water authorities and local farmers and organizations.

One of the highlights of the delegation was organizing a first-of-its-kind executive seminar for all school principals in Babati. “Investing time and resources in training and empowering school principals is critical for the success of the project, as the school principals are very involved in all aspects of the operation of the water purification systems,” explains Aviv Avinoam. “The main topics discussed were maintenance of the systems; insights and suggestions for improvements; educating the students about water safety and training the teachers. The discussions were very enlightening and productive, and it was decided (in agreement with the regional director of education) that the seminar will be held on an annual basis going forward.”

“We also expanded the existing educational program by collaborating with local organizations and creating instructive content on topics like ‘How is rain created?’, ‘Seasons of the year’, ‘How to build water systems’, ‘What pollutants are present in water?’ and more.”

Principals’ Seminar, October 2022

No Room for White Elephants

The team is also conducting a comprehensive academic study to examine the impact of the water systems on the local communities throughout the years, in terms of health, nutrition, entrepreneurship, and more.

The research is led by Yaeli Benovich, who is writing a thesis on the subject with the guidance of Prof. Dror Avisar, Head of the Water Research Center at Tel Aviv University, and Dr. Shira Bookchin from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, who researches interdisciplinary aspects of sustainability in the developing world.

As part of the research, hundreds of students and educators answered questionnaires aiming to ensure that the activities of Engineers Without Borders are not causing any harm, and making sure that the water project does, in fact, benefit the community. The research adds a professional and academic dimension to the ongoing project and examines the impact of the systems in a broad perspective.

“Visiting the schools and building the water purification systems is only half of the job,” emphasizes Yaeli Benovich. “A lot of projects initiated in Africa quickly turn into so-called ‘white elephants.’ Typically, some foreign organization arrives, pours some money out and leaves the country. Shortly thereafter, the project is abandoned and terminated. We seek to avoid such a situation, by involving the local authorities and the communities as part of the planning and construction of the systems already from an early stage. We are very clear from the start that the local community is responsible for the project.”

Over the years, the Engineers Without Borders delegations have conducted dozens of meetings with the local authorities, including village leaders, heads of the districts and members of parliament. Additionally, they’ve cultivated a close relationship with the local water authorities.

“We signed a contract this year, a memorandum of understanding (MOU), which clearly outlines the role each party has for the success of the project. This contract guides our cooperation with the local representatives,” explains Yael. “The document lists all the responsibilities of our team, as well as those of the local authorities and community – before, during and following the construction of any water purification system. Introducing these written agreements has had a very positive impacted on the contributions by the local authorities and community. There’s no doubt that this is the right way to work. It is a necessary step that will help the community to maintain the project over the years.”

Members of the delegation during a tour of the new water laboratory of Babati district

Offir Inbar shares that in this type of projects, the team’s presence on the ground is critical: “It is only when you physically present and meet with people face to face that you fully understand the situation, the people involved, the challenges at play and in what direction one should be heading.”

“It is hard to bridge various gaps over Zoom conversations or messages. Close relationships are formed by sitting down and talking together at eye level. When you sit down and talk everything seems much simpler – opportunities emerge, you meet with organizations and key people who may lead you to form new connections. It is the only way to fully grasp the challenges facing the local community. Sometimes the challenges on ground are different from what we imagine from afar.”

Close relationships are formed by sitting down and talking together at eye level. An educational activity with school children on the importance of hygiene

Help Ensure the Supply of Water to an Additional 1,000 Children

The drought that hit Africa during the past nine months has emphasized the importance of creating a variety of water solutions. “On our next expedition to Tanzania, planned for April 2023, we will install two new water purification systems to provide clean water to a thousand more children,” says Sharon Berkovich.

“One of the systems will be based on rainwater and the other on the use of filters. The filter system will provide a solution for areas where groundwater or surface water sources exist, but where these are contaminated by bacteria that harm the health of the local community.”

The project is funded mainly by donations from Tel Aviv University, private companies and individual businessmen, philanthropic foundations, and the Embassy of Israel in Kenya. A significant fundraising operation is currently taking place for the upcoming expeditions.

Featured image: Local women collecting water from a polluted water source, drying up in Tanzania

TAU Launches Manufacturing Research Center in India

Written by AUFTAU on 13 April 2022. Posted in Newsroom.

Tel Aviv University and Thapar Institute of Engineering & Technology (TIET) in India have agreed to jointly build a collaborative research establishment to explore advanced production technologies.

The Future of Cutting-Edge Production

The new Thapar-Tel Aviv University Center of Excellence in Advanced Manufacturing will draw knowledge from multidisciplinary teams from TAU and TIET with expertise in all fields of engineering and sciences. As such, it aims to promote cutting-edge research with industry applications in disciplines including biomedicine, automotives, space and defense.

TAU Vice President for International Collaboration Prof. Milette Shamir and Prof. Prakash Gopalan, Director of TIET, on April 4 signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding at TIET’s main campus in Patiala, India, in the presence of Mr R R Vederah, Chairman of TIET’s Board of Governors.

Speaking at the signing, Prof. Shamir said “TIET is an important partner for TAU in India and the new Center will bring cooperation between our two universities to a new level.” Noting that 2022 marks 30 years of diplomatic relations between Israel and India, she added that “academia plays a special role in the bilateral relationship. Through the advancement of knowledge, bridges are built between students and researchers that can generate substantial benefits for both countries.”

Expanding Existing Partnership

As part of the agreement, TIET has committed to establish a TAU Chair Professorship who will lead the Center. Prof. Noam Eliaz, the founding Chair of TAU’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the Iby and Aladar Fleischman Faculty of Engineering is due to serve as the new Center’s inaugural chair professor.

“I’m excited and proud to be chosen by Thapar University as TAU’s representative to serve as the new chair professor and take part in establishing one of six centers of excellence for advanced production technologies, including 3D printing and unprecedented resource investment,” he said. He added that he aims to turn the Center into a leader in its field in India and in the world.

The new Center expands the existing partnership between TAU and TIET, which includes initiatives such as the TAU-TIET Food Security Center of Excellence headed by Prof. Yossi Shacham, along with joint degree programs in life sciences and engineering, and other forms of academic cooperation.

Featured image: TAU Vice President of International Collaboration Prof. Milette Shamir (front left) and Prof. Prakash Gopalanat (front right), Director of the Thapar Institute of Engineering & Technology, at the April 4 signing ceremony in Patiala, India

First Israeli Research Book Published in Abu Dhabi

Written by AUFTAU on 3 April 2022. Posted in Newsroom.

First Anniversary of Morocco-USA-Israel Agreement

Written by AUFTAU on 29 December 2021. Posted in Newsroom.

Tel Aviv University hosted a celebration of the first anniversary of the signing of the Tripartite Agreement between Morocco, USA and Israel. The event was attended by Mr. Abderrahim Beyyoudh, Head of the Liaison Office of the Kingdom of Morocco to the State of Israel; Amos Elad, Vice President for Resource Development, Tel Aviv University; Prof. Milette Shamir, Vice President for International Academic Collaboration, Tel Aviv University and representatives from the U.S. Embassy. The Israeli Andalusian Orchestra performed at the event.

Special Breakthrough in Ties with Northern Africa

Prof. Milette Shamir, Vice President for International Academic Collaboration, Tel Aviv University: “Exactly a year ago, Morocco and Israel opened a new chapter in their long and complex relations. This new chapter brings to the forefront diplomatic, economic, and technological cooperation, and it is one in which universities in Israel and Morocco can play a lead role. We at TAU see great potential in promoting academic collaboration with Moroccan universities including through students exchange. In fact, next month we will be inaugurating a new scholarship fund intended to support talented young Moroccans who want to come study at Tel Aviv University”.

Prof. Uzi Rabi, Director of the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies: “Morocco is a very unique country in the African and Middle Eastern landscape. Morocco had non-formal relations with Israel throughout the years, but the tripartite agreements are a remarkable achievement, which mark a special breakthrough in the ties with Northern Africa. Morocco and Israel are single minded in the belief that there is a need for a change in the Middle East. This conference is an indication that a cooperation can be achieved in various fields.“

Mr. Abderrahim Beyyoudh and the The Israeli Andalusian Orchestra

Mr. Abderrahim Beyyoudh, Head of the Liaison Office of the Kingdom of Morocco to the State of Israel: “The Morocco-Israel-USA agreement has indeed laid the foundations for the resumption of Moroccan-Israeli bilateral relations, and triggered an all-out development of cultural, socio-economic and human ties. This dynamic, which is reflected in a myriad of cooperation agreements and initiatives of economic operators and civil society, draws its strength from secular relations and the attachment of the Jewish community of Moroccan origin to the Kingdom and to the person of HM King Mohammed VI, Commander of the Faithful.

The tripartite agreement also reaffirmed the importance of promoting a more peaceful and prosperous future in the Middle East on the basis of a just and lasting peace between Palestinians and Israelis. This important component reflects the constant commitment of HM King Mohammed VI, Chairman of the Al Quds Committee, in favor of the Palestinian cause and for peace and stability in the region.”

Featured image: From left to right: Abdel Allali, Amos Elad, Mr. Abderrahim Beyyoudh and Prof. Milette Shamir (Ofer Amram, Tel Aviv University)

TAU and Goethe University Establish Joint Center for Interfaith Studies

Written by AUFTAU on 20 December 2021. Posted in Newsroom.

Academic collaboration between Israel and Germany is growing, and for the first time, Tel Aviv University in Israel and Goethe University in Frankfurt will establish a joint center. With a focus on interfaith studies, the center will promote research on religion, in particular the monotheistic faiths – a field in which both institutions specialize. The two universities will conduct joint research, hold academic conferences, and train students and researchers in this field.

The agreement for launching the new center was signed during a dedicated “Germany Week” organized at TAU by TAU International and the Student Union of Tel Aviv University, the first is a series of international events led by TAU International and the TAU Student Union, promoting internationality and a global campus by focusing on the cultures of different countries and bringing them to the TAU community.

The signing was attended by the German Ambassador to Israel Susanne Wasum-Rainer, TAU President Prof. Ariel Porat, and the President of Goethe University, Prof. Enrico Schleiff.

“This collaboration includes hundreds of joint research projects as well as hundreds of German students who come to our campus each year. The joint center expands this collaboration in an important new direction and tightens our existing partnership with Goethe University Frankfurt, one of the leading universities in Germany. We hope that in the near future the two universities will expand collaboration to several other areas of common strength.”

German TAU Students celebrating the International “Germany Week” on Tel Aviv University campus (Photo: Raphael Ben-Menashe)

The Start of an Even Closer Cooperation

Prof. Enrico Schleiff, President of Goethe University notes that, ”What we are agreeing upon today is, as far as I am aware, unprecedented – at least in the humanities in Germany.”

“It is not merely a formal cooperation between a German and an Israeli university, but rather the development of a highly visible, joint institutionalized international research center. The center is cross-departmental on both sides and working in an area of study that is most relevant to the German and the Israeli society alike: the history of and the present challenges in religious diversity, difference and conflict in pluralistic societies. It will focus on questions regarding inter-religious dialogue, religious fundamentalism and conflict, but also on the rich cultural heritage and the potential inherent in religious traditions. This center is the start of an even closer cooperation.”

Susanne Wasum-Rainer, Germany’s Ambassador to Israel says, “Academic exchange and cooperation is not only a constitutive pillar of German-Israeli relations. It is also a contribution to strengthening research and scientific progress as a global endeavor, in science as well as in the humanities. By declaring their will to establish a joint Center for the Study of Religious and Interreligious Dynamics, the Goethe University Frankfurt am Main and the Tel Aviv University address one of the urgent questions of our time, the role of religious communities in a changing and conflictual world.“

“This MOU marks a new milestone in the special relationship between the two universities and is also another bridge of understanding between Frankfurt and Tel Aviv. The new center will for sure contribute to a better inter-religious dialogue from different angles and perspectives,” concludes Uwe Becker, President of the German Friends Association of Tel Aviv University

TAU Ventures Raises $50M to Boost Israeli Startups

Written by AUFTAU on 12 December 2021. Posted in Newsroom.

Tel Aviv University’s own investment arm, TAU Ventures, recently announced that it has secured $50 million for a new fund to invest in startups, with the potential to top-up to $70 million. According to Prof. Ariel Porat, President of Tel Aviv University, “TAU Ventures provide entrepreneurs with a platform for significant opportunities in innovation and extends the power of academia beyond the campus boundaries.”

TAU is consistently ranked as a top university producing entrepreneurs, its alumni ranked 5th globally and 8th in the world for entrepreneurship. The fund intends to invest in 15 to 25 companies founded by Israeli entrepreneurs, and – as part of TAU Ventures’ mandate – all the companies will be run by at least one TAU alumnus/a or TAU student.

Combining Forces between Academia and Industry

Housed in the Miles S. Nadal Home for Technological Innovation and Entrepreneurship, TAU Ventures invest much more than money in their portfolio companies, creating value for entrepreneurs by offering unique TAU resources, including:

A Global Network – High-quality and sizeable network across the globe
Expert Knowledge – Connecting entrepreneurs with relevant sources of knowledge across campus
Man Power – In shape of TAU students who are interested in either joining the startups as interns (for which they earn credits for their studies) or as full time workers
Free Office Space – In close proximity to the TAU Venture team, who are comfortably seated in a 1000m² offices near the campus.

“It enables students to integrate practical experience with leading startups during their studies, and at the same time, it enables entrepreneurs to enjoy the diverse qualities of the campus,” says Prof. Porat.

“I’m happy about the given trust of the investors in TAU Ventures and I’m sure that combining forces between academia and industry will provide in the near future significant technological achievements that will benefit the entrepreneurs, the university and society at large.”

TAU Takes Leading Role in Early Stage Investments

TAU Ventures was established in 2018 by Managing Partner, Nimrod Cohen, together with Tel Aviv University, with the interest in taking a leading role in early stage investments across a wide range of sectors (fintech, foodtech, drones, etc.) in Israel. This is part of a successful trend in the United States of leading universities including MIT, Berkeley & Stanford establishing venture investment arms.

“Many investors prefer to operate in A or post-seed stages, as they would rather see a product that has already reached the market. We are covering the critical early stage, enabling new companies to emerge,” says Cohen.

Israel’s first university investment arm has proven to be a huge success: TAU Ventures’ first fund of $20 million began in 2018 and made 18 investments including: SWIMM, Xtend, Gaviti, MyAir, Castor, Medorion and more. The first fund IRR is in the top 10% compared to all US funds from the same size and vintage.

All investors from the previous fund have now reinvested in the current fund. Both funds were led by Chartered Group, which brings together leading entities from Japan, plus new investors, including Family Offices in the US, Canada and Europe.

Featured image: TAU Ventures Team, clockwise: Inbal Perlman, Jennifer Schwartz, Ella Iwler and Nimrod Cohen

Tel Aviv University and Rutgers University Strengthen Ties

Written by AUFTAU on 30 November 2021. Posted in Newsroom.

Tel Aviv University and Rutgers University have inked a deal to enhance the existing partnership between the two universities and establish a TAU presence at the New Jersey Innovation & Technology Hub. The Hub— an over 50,000-m², $665 million project—will house a new Rutgers Translational Research facility for applying scholarly findings into practical applications, and the university’s Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

Amplifying Existing Alliance

The agreement between the two universities comes amid a wave of new initiatives aimed at strengthening Tel Aviv University’s global ties. Other recent strides include a new dual master’s degree program with Johns Hopkins University and TAU’s launch of Israel’s first completely online MBA.

TAU and Rutgers University have previously collaborated on projects, including a monthly series of joint scientific symposia exploring research topics such as COVID-19, cybersecurity, gene therapy, nanomaterials, and ancient and modern identities in Yemen. The new agreement will amplify the universities’ alliance by establishing a research grant program to seed what are expected to be enduring collaborations across disciplines between Rutgers and TAU.

The grant program will provide seed funding for up to five collaborative research projects, each with two principal investigators—one from Rutgers and one from TAU—as determined by a selection committee.

No Limit to the Power of Partnerships

TAU President Prof. Ariel Porat and Rutgers President Jonathan Holloway signed the agreement in a ceremony last week at the Tel Aviv campus. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy joined the ceremony virtually.

The partnership between the two universities began in 2020 with a trip by a New Jersey business delegation to Israel to strengthen economic ties and deepen connections between the two nations. The latest agreement signing was a part of this year’s mission sponsored by Choose New Jersey, a nonprofit organization that helps companies and corporations expand their business into the US and New Jersey.

“I traveled to Tel Aviv to sign this memorandum of understanding in person because this is an important initiative that reflects Rutgers’ commitment to excellence and our recognition that there is no limit to the power of partnerships,” Holloway said. “Our growing partnership will advance educational and scientific exchanges that will not only benefit our students and faculty but our local economies and the people in our communities.”

Porat added, “TAU and Rutgers share the strategic goals of enhancing research through global collaboration and of strengthening the ties between academia and industry.”

Featured image: TAU President Prof. Ariel Porat and Rutgers President Jonathan Holloway at the signing ceremony on TAU campus

Feeling at Home in Tanzania

Written by AUFTAU on 13 November 2021. Posted in Newsroom.

Six TAU students who volunteer with Engineers Without Borders tell us about their project in Tanzania, where they are working to provide clean drinking water for local communities.

TAU students Yaeli Benovich, Shir Halevi, Sharon Berkovich, Dvir Ginzburg, Offir Inbar and Shir Aviram volunteer with the Engineers Without Borders – Tel Aviv (EWB-TA) chapter, and recently returned to Israel after a three-week delegation to Tanzania. The EWB team has been working for eight years at the Babati district in northern Tanzania, helping the locals develop sustainable solutions for making drinking water accessible to the local communities.

The students have installed unique low-cost rainwater harvesting systems in eight regional schools. The systems purify and conserve rain water during dry seasons and provide drinking water for thousands of students annually. During the recent trip, the group returned to two elementary schools and one high school to do maintenance and upgrades on existing systems. They also met with local authorities to discuss further development and expansion plans.

– How did this specific project within the EWB organization come into existence?

“The Tanzania project started after an Israeli traveler was exposed to the medical problems and daily difficulties facing children and residents in the villages. In the Northern part of Tanzania, drinking water is scarce, and, when found, contains an extremely high concentration of fluoride. High fluoride concentration in drinking water causes severe medical issues, especially in children, such as skeletal deformities, dental problems, and more,” explains Dvir, a PhD student from Tel Aviv University’s Faculty of Egineering and a long-time program volunteer.

– What solution(s) did you come up with?

“We developed a unique low-tech rainwater harvesting system that can be easily installed and implemented in regional schools, providing clean drinking water for more than 3,000 children. The solution is simple and sustainable. With proper use, the school’s roof can store enough water to meet the needs of the children and staff throughout the dry season. Filters and chlorine tablets ensure that the children drink clean water,” shares Dvir.

The EWB team also partnered with the local Arusha Technical College engineering department to perform quarterly water quality testing and maintenance of the systems. During the last visit, the team returned to the College to discuss current collaborations, the College’s projects and further cooperation and directions for joint research.

In addition to developing the water purification systems, EWB students put a lot of effort into educating schoolchildren about the importance of consuming clean water. “We come to the schools and build the systems together with teachers and students. Our vision is that the principal and staff will be responsible for maintaining the system. For this purpose, we have written a system manual in English and Swahili and performed technical training for the staff,” says Sharon, a BSc student of TAU’s Faculty of Exact Sciences and Faculty of Engineering.

The team builds the water systems together with the schools’ staff and students

The group also presented the schoolchildren with a colorful book that explains the importance of clean water and shows how to maintain the installed water systems. The students wrote the book themselves and had it translated into Swahili. At each school they visited, the team presented the teachers with the book, and organized an educational activity with the children, reading together and discussing the importance of clean drinking water in the tanks.

The team teaches local students about the importance of drinking clean water

What’s Next?

The team held dozens of meetings with village leaders, district heads, local water authorities and members of the parliament. “We want to cooperate with the water authorities to reach the areas with the most significant water challenges. The water engineers have told us which areas lack large water projects. We hope that we’ll have the resources and that’s where we’ll be heading next,” says Sharon.

“We’re determined to expand our activity, and are already preparing our next journey. Our recent trip to Tanzania highlighted the great impact that our projects have for the locals. In our upcoming delegation, we’ll upgrade the water systems in selected areas and execute additional projects in other areas where people are suffering from a lack of access to clean water,” concludes Dvir.

The students have warm feelings about the country and its people: “We feel at home in Tanzania. Over the past few years, we have built close friendships with the community. We stay in touch via phone calls and messages, even when we’re back in Israel,” says Sharon with a smile.

Meeting with the directors of the water authorities

Companies and people interested in contributing and partnering with the project are invited to contact the team: [email protected]

Website: www.ewbta.com

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/afria-engineers-without-borders-tel-aviv

Featured image: Dr. Musa Chacha, Rector of Arusha Technical College, visits the water projects

Britain and Israel Team Up on Challenge of Healthy Ageing

Written by AUFTAU on 11 November 2021. Posted in Newsroom.

A new collaboration between Israel and the UK aims to promote joint research projects related to ageing. As part of this collaboration, Tel Aviv University recently held a hybrid conference on the multidisciplinary aspects of ageing research. Furthermore, a new £1.6 million (₪7 million) grant program was launched for funding collaborations between Israeli and British researchers in the field of ageing research and the call for proposals is now open.

Israel and the UK are sharing knowledge in many fields, and according to Prof. Karen Avraham, Vice Dean for Pre-Clinical Affairs of the Sackler Faculty of Medicine and the Chair of the conference from TAU, gerontology is one of the most important among them. The conference is the harbinger of collaboration between Israel and other progressive western countries around these topics, and Prof. Avraham believes we will see more such conferences in the future.

Quality of Life in Old Age

The conference, which dealt with the multidisciplinary aspects of ageing research, among them: molecular ageing, social ageing, age-dependent diseases and interventions and life quality, constitutes a fruitful joint initiative of the Britain-Israel Research and Academic Exchange (BIRAX) partnership, Tel Aviv University, the British Council in Israel and the UK Embassy. It is the 5th BIRAX conference since its launch 10 years ago.

“I am happy and excited for the unique opportunity given to us, leading researchers from Israel and the UK, to share our knowledge arm in arm. The pandemic has made it clear how old age can be precarious and forlorn, and I hope that gerontological and geriatric topics will gain more public awareness. In a world in which our lifespan is getting longer and longer, we shall make sure that life quality will be conserved also in old age, and we are here to discuss that,” said Prof. Karen Avraham. Prof. Avraham has, among else, developed an innovative treatment for deafness, a novel therapy that could lead to a breakthrough in treating children born with various mutations that eventually cause deafness.

One of the World’s Great Challenges

Among the participants of the conference were the British Ambassador to Israel, Mr. Neil Wigan OBE, Chairman of the British Council, Mrs. Stevie Spring CBE, and Lord Robert Winston of Hammersmith, along with leading researchers from Israeli and British universities.

Ambassador Neil Wigen and TAU’s Dr. Mira Marcus-Kalish

Ambassador Neil Wigan, said: “Scientific collaboration between the UK and Israel is one of our most important fields, and we are working to expand it dramatically in the future. It’s always exciting to see the groundbreaking research proposals coming out of BIRAX – in ageing research and other academic areas – that have real potential to impact the future of us all”.

“Over the decade of its existence, BIRAX has promoted UK-Israel scientific collaboration allowing both countries to complement each other’s strengths in research, science and medicine. The British Council is proud to be enabling both countries to join forces on one of the world’s great challenges – healthy ageing,” added Stevie Spring CBE.

Conference participants

Featured image: Photo (from left to right): TAU Governor and benefactor Mr. Sami Sagol, British Ambassador to Israel, Mr. Neil Wigan and Prof. Karen Avraham at the conference.

Tag: Collaborations

TAU and Goethe University Establish a Joint Center for the Study of Religious and Interreligious Dynamics

TAU Students Continue to Work on Solving the Water Crisis in Northern Tanzania