Tag: General

Prof. Hilla Dotan breaks down what it takes to negotiate like a pro

Negotiation is a skill that touches every part of our lives, from deciding who drives the kids to school or what to pay for a product, to high-stakes deals like selling a startup or resolving court disputes. A poignant example today is Israel’s national negotiation for the return of hostages from Gaza. At its heart, negotiation is about communication to resolve conflicts and find solutions. Whether in everyday decisions or major crises, effective preparation, planning, and evaluation are key to success. Prof. Hilla Dotan Dykstein, a senior faculty member at the Coller School of Management at Tel Aviv University, specializing in business and international negotiations, shares practical tools to help us become sharper, more strategic negotiators.

1. Dr. Dotan, how would you define a successful negotiation?

Many believe that obtaining one’s desired outcome is an indication of a successful negotiation. From my perspective, this is not necessarily an indication of success. First, it could be that the outcome we set was wrong, and second many more factors should be considered when we evaluate a negotiation. One, is indeed that we reached the correct outcome, Second, we should evaluate the process that we led toward that outcome. For example, if two negotiators reach the same deal—one in a year, the other in a month—the latter’s approach is clearly more efficient.  Thus, the process we lead, the resources spent, time, cost, risk and most importantly, the relationships that we build along the process with the other negotiator as well as the reputation that we build or enhance, are critical factors to take into account in evaluating a negotiation and it’s success.

Moreover, the success of a negotiation should be evaluated over the long run, not today as there are consequences for what we close not only in the short run but over time. We can see the consequences of the Gilad Shalit deal in the current hostage negotiation. Success in negotiation goes beyond just achieving the desired outcome, it is balancing achieving your goal while maintaining efficiency and considering lasting impacts.

2. When is the right time to make your first offer in a negotiation? Does making the first offer provide an advantage?

The question of whether to be the first to provide an offer in a negotiation- or whether to anchor the negotiation- is an often debated question. Some suggest making the first offer, while others advise against it. My perspective is that it depends.  It depends on the context, the type of negotiation, the parties involved and more. However, my key takeaway is that anchoring is not a game. When you make your first offer, consider mostly what you would like to signal to the other side. Your offer even if it’s simply a price, can send various messages, and people may interpret it differently.

For example, in a job interview, if you propose a salary of 15K (when the industry range is 20-25K), you may signal that you don’t know the market or are undervaluing yourself. Alternatively, asking for 30K signals a higher expectation, which could lead to different perceptions and interpretations about your candidacy and even your alternatives.

In general,  if you make a specific offer, be prepared to justify it. For instance, if you ask for 30K, you should have a valid reason for that request, such as another offer from a competitor. Having a strong alternative (BATNA) provides leverage, as it also gives you the option to walk away if needed.

My personal tendency is to hear the other side’s offer first. Mostly because this allows me to gather more information about the other side, read their signal before responding with a counter-offer.

3.What are the most common mistakes people make in negotiations?

The biggest negotiation mistake is lack of proper preparation. People often make assumptions instead of asking questions. They often let ego or overcommitment cloud their judgment, and overlook long-term consequences of their decisions and agreements. Many forget that reputation matters even in one time interactions and fail to consider the impact of their actions in the long run. Sometimes the best choice is to avoid the negotiation or delegate it to someone more suited.  Awareness of your own abilities and pitfalls is critical for preparing and planning an effective negotiation process including who is best to conduct it.

4. How do you handle a situation where the other side refuses to compromise?

When the other side refuses to compromise, it often relates to their power in the negotiation. My advice is to always analyze the source of power in a negotiation. However, remember that power is relative. Sometimes, we focus so much on our weaknesses that we overlook the fact that the other side might be just as constrained making us more powerful than we actually anticipated

A key way to strengthen your position is by having a strong BATNA (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement). A solid alternative gives you the ability to walk away if necessary, which reduces dependence on the other party’s willingness to compromise.

If the other side seems unwilling to compromise, it might be because they truly can’t. In such cases, introducing new issues to the negotiation—things that matter to them but are less significant to you—can help break the deadlock. For example, an employer might not be able to meet your salary expectations but could offer to fund your MBA or MA studies, which typically come from a separate budget. Similarly, offering benefits like vacation days, stock options, or a signing bonus could help move the negotiation forward. In general, when you feel you have reached a “dead-end” regarding one issue, adding additional issues that may be important to the other side and hold less weight for you (and vice versa) is the way to deal with the difficult issues.

5. What tools or methods would you recommend for successful negotiation?

Negotiate ethically
Never resort to lying, threatening, or using unethical tactics. Preparation is key, and with it, there’s no need for extreme measures. Your reputation follows you everywhere—sometimes it’s better to lose a small battle today to protect your long-term relationships. reputation and integrity.

Build Trust and Relationships

Every negotiation is an opportunity to build trust and partnerships. You never know when you will meet again. I don’t believe in one-time interactions or the short-term. We live in a global world and everyone knows everyone. You never know when you will meet again.

6. If you had to give one tip about negotiations, what would it be?

The most important tip about negotiations is: PREPARATION and AWARENESS. 

One of the key lessons I’ve learned from years of conducting and guiding complex negotiations and especially from over 18 years of teaching, is that preparation is crucial, but it’s equally important to know how to prepare and how to evaluate a negotiation afterward. 

Even skilled negotiators may struggle in unfamiliar contexts or with different parties. It’s important to know your strengths and weaknesses—whether you perform better with strangers, colleagues, or specific groups, cultures and types of negotiations. Preparation and awareness of your abilities in different contexts is key. Moreover, after the negotiation, review whether your goals were met, the process was efficient, whether you reached the correct outcomes and whether your reputation was enhanced.

Prof. Hilla Dotan Dykstein is a senior faculty member at the Coller School of Managementt at Tel Aviv University, specializing in business and international negotiations. An internationally recognized speaker and advisor, she also heads a private consulting firm where she advises governments, global executives, and intelligence officials on complex negotiations.

Prof. Hilla Dotan.

What would you say to someone who wants to improve their negotiation skills?

I recommend joining my course Managing Negotiations or other courses and workshops, which are highly practical and provide valuable tools that can enhance both your professional and personal life.

From Steinways to the sea: the TAU’s Buchmann-Mehta School of Music is the perfect place for musicians to thrive

What do you get when you combine world-class faculty of the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music, excellent rehearsal and concert facilities featuring beautiful Steinway pianos, and full-tuition scholarships for international students? For Illia Ovcharenko, a talented pianist from Ukraine, this harmony did not just bring education–it created a home where the notes of classical music danced to the pulsing rhythm of Tel Aviv, preparing him for success on the global stage.

Ovcharenko’s career as a performing pianist was kickstarted with a Bachelor’s of Music degree from the International Music program offered at Tel Aviv University. The program was established in 2008 to attract outstanding musicians from all over the world. 

“The School of Music offers multiple scholarships for international students, which make life so much easier–we can focus on music instead of worrying about finances,” says Ovcharenko, who joined the program in 2018 to study in the Piano Department.

Illia Ovcharenko (Photo courtesy of Vere Music Fund)

He first heard about this opportunity when Dmitry Yablonsky, conductor and cellist, came from Tel Aviv to Kyiv to hold auditions at the Central Music School where Ovcharenko was studying at the time:

“I always dreamt of studying with TAU’s Professor Arie Vardi. He’s truly one of the best professors in the world in our field.”

Ovcharenko also greatly appreciates how multicultural and open TAU is: “The international program at Tel Aviv University is full of diversity, and everyone feels welcome and does not feel alone.”

Music Paradise at TAU

Ovcharenko has been playing the piano since the age of six. “I really cannot imagine my life without music—without performing on stage. I haven’t considered any other path since I was 12,” he says. 

Being a musician requires a lot of focus and dedication. Having the right guidance and supporting environment means a lot during a musician’s formative years. Ovcharenko found all of this, and so much more at TAU’s School of Music:

“It was such a warm and welcoming environment, I wanted to stay there all day.”

“I’d come, sit on the couch, talk to everyone passing by, practice a little, then rest for two hours,” he reminisces. Having the opportunity to relax after rehearsing is invaluable for music students, who can unwind by the sea under palm trees on one of Tel Aviv’s many beaches.

Ovcharenko on stage (Photo courtesy of Monique de St. Croix)

Ovcharenko looks back fondly on all the staff and professors who were friendly and supportive: 

“Whether it’s advice, permissions, or just a warm hello, they were always there for us.” 

“For instance, Professor Asaf Zohar, the head of the piano department, was always approachable. You could talk to him about music or life, and it was always a pleasure,” says Ovcharenko.

What also sets TAU apart are the recording and performance facilities, like Claremont Hall and Targ Hall, which students can use freely. And not every school in the world can boast Steinway Model D pianos, the Stradivarius of pianos, unrivalled in tone and craftsmanship.

Classical Music Reflects Life Itself

“Classical music doesn’t die; it’s always there for those who seek it and it will always stay relevant. Even today, concert halls are full and music continues to inspire,” says Ovcharenko. He adds that music pieces such as Beethoven’s symphonies are eternal:

“These pieces are profound statements about life, death, and the human condition. It’s an incredible skill to convey such depth without words.”

For Ovcharenko, music is a reflection of the composer’s life and emotions: “Knowing what a composer was experiencing—whether they were at the peak of life or nearing death—is deeply moving,” he shares. 

Illia Ovcharenko performing at the Hilton Head Competition. Photo courtesy of Hilton Head Competition

His favorite music period at the moment is Romanticism, with composers like Schumann and Schubert at the top of his list. However, he notes that for professional musicians, preferences often change, mirroring the events and emotions that shape their lives.

“Playing a new piece of music is like discovering an unfamiliar route in a city,” says Ovcharenko. “At first, you need Google Maps. But after walking it a few times, you just know the way. It’s the same with music. At first, you need the score, but then you start to memorize the journey. You recognize landmarks in the music, like harmonies or key changes, and they guide you.”

A Pianist’s Journey

Currently, Ovcharenko performs almost every week, and sometimes even daily, travelling across North America and Europe. Israel is also present on his concert itinerary–he performed with Haifa Symphony in March 2024 and is set to return in June 2025 to play Rachmaninov’s First Piano Concerto with the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra, a tour he is very much looking forward to.

In the future, he would like to follow in Prof Vardi’s footsteps and combine a performance career with teaching: “I’ve started giving masterclasses and found it very fulfilling.” The message he shares with the participants of his masterclasses resonates far beyond the music world:

“Confidence is so incredibly important for us musicians. Once we believe in ourselves, everything’s possible.”

If you are ready to take the music stage with confidence, Tel Aviv University’s Buchmann-Mehta School of Music is the perfect place to turn your dreams into reality.

Apply now and sign up for auditions!

An outstanding milestone in economics and computer science research.

Professor Michal Feldman, a leading expert in Algorithmic Game Theory from the Blavatnik School of Computer Science at Tel Aviv University, has achieved a remarkable milestone: she has been awarded the prestigious European Research Council (ERC) grant for the third time. Recognized for her groundbreaking achievements, she was also named LaIsha magazine’s “Woman of the Week”, celebrating her exceptional contributions to science and academia.

Third Time’s a Charm

Winning an ERC grant three times is an extraordinary achievement, reflecting Professor Feldman’s exceptional contributions to research at the crossroads of economics and computer science.

The European Research Council (ERC), one of the most competitive and prestigious funding bodies globally, recognizes visionary researchers who push the boundaries of knowledge and innovation.

This €2 million grant will support Professor Feldman’s latest project, which explores the theoretical foundations of “Algorithmic Contract Theory.” This emerging field bridges economics, game theory, and computer science to develop algorithms that incentivize cooperation while balancing economic and computational efficiency. Her work addresses critical challenges and opportunities in digital platforms, including e-commerce, online advertising, carpooling, and freelancing.

Prof. Michal Feldman. TAU Excellence.

Exploring the Frontiers of Algorithmic Contract Theory
Professor Feldman’s third ERC grant will fund her latest project, which explores the theoretical foundations of “Algorithmic Contract Theory”. This emerging field bridges economics, game theory, and computer science, focusing on developing algorithms that incentivize cooperation while balancing economic and computational efficiency. Her research tackles real-world challenges in digital platforms, including e-commerce, online advertising, carpooling, and freelancing.

A Global Leader in Research
A globally renowned researcher, Professor Feldman is the President of ACM SIGecom, a member of both the Israeli and Global Young Academies, and a recipient of numerous prestigious awards, including the Bruno Award and the ACM SIGecom Mid-Career Award.

Professor Feldman underscores the vital role of academic freedom in driving scientific excellence, which serves as a cornerstone of Israel’s economic, cultural, and security resilience. Her triple ERC grant achievement cements her status as a pioneer in her field and a shining example of academic and scientific excellence.

Develops groundbreaking cancer treatment and files patent.

The student team from Tel Aviv University (TAU) achieved a remarkable milestone by winning a gold medal at the prestigious IGEM (International Genetically Engineered Machine) competition held recently in Paris. This renowned competition focuses on synthetic biology. The team conducted pioneering research aimed at developing a treatment for patients with currently incurable cancers, thereby introducing a new dimension to cancer therapy. They have also filed a patent application for their innovative work.

About IGEM

IGEM is a global competition in synthetic biology where teams conceptualize innovative ideas to address challenges in the field. These ideas are then realized through a combination of engineering, biological, and computational tools, akin to a startup development process. The judging panel consists of researchers and scientists with expertise in the field, many of whom are past IGEM participants or mentors. This year, over 400 teams from around the world competed.

Tailored and Engineered Cancer Therapies for Terminal Patients

This year, TAU’s IGEM team included outstanding students from diverse disciplines such as engineering, life sciences, medicine, and exact sciences. Working together, they conducted advanced research in synthetic biology. The team’s groundbreaking development, showcased in the competition, is an innovative method called Precise RNA Oncotherapy (PROtech). This approach enables the design of personalized cancer therapies for patients with currently incurable cancers.

The project aims to provide tailored treatments even for patients whose cancer cell mutations do not alter protein structures. Current treatments rely on identifying cancer cells based on altered proteins, making this a revolutionary approach with immense potential. The development incorporates advanced computational models with enhanced performance compared to prior leading research, and the team is working on a groundbreaking paper in the field.

Overcoming Challenges

Professor Tamir Tuller, the academic advisor of the team from TAU’s Faculty of Engineering, shared: “This past year was especially challenging. We began our work in November despite the academic year being delayed until January. Many team members were on military reserve duty, and there was significant uncertainty about our ability to complete the project on time”.

Promoting Synthetic Biology to High School Students

In addition to their research, the team aimed to make synthetic biology accessible to high school students across Israel. They organized a national synthetic biology competition for high school students and contributed to establishing a synthetic biology program within the ORT high school network, with plans to train hundreds of students in the coming year.

Interest from Biotech and Pharma Companies

“Our development has already sparked significant interest from biotech and pharma companies, and we’ve filed a patent application with the help of Ramot, Tel Aviv University’s technology transfer company”, Professor Tuller shared. He added: “In these challenging times, the students brought immense pride to Tel Aviv University and Israel. Beyond the gold medal, they also gained valuable academic experience and entrepreneurial skills that will benefit them in academia, industry, and society. I want to thank Startup Nation Central and TAU’s Entrepreneurship Center for the excellent training they provided our students in entrepreneurship”.

TAU’s IGEM 2024 Team Members:

• Shani Elimelech (Fleischman Faculty of Engineering, Wise Faculty of Life Sciences).
• Gal Schwartz (Wise Faculty of Life Sciences).
• Daniel Ben Harosh (Fleischman Faculty of Engineering).
• Rotem Gal (Fleischman Faculty of Engineering, Wise Faculty of Life Sciences).
• Oren Ben Moshe (Faculty of Exact Sciences).
• Netanel Erlich (Faculty of Exact Sciences, Wise Faculty of Life Sciences).
• Peleg Bezek (Fleischman Faculty of Engineering, Wise Faculty of Life Sciences).
• Tal Shemesh (Fleischman Faculty of Engineering, Wise Faculty of Life Sciences).
• Nav Zvi (Faculty of Medical & Health Sciences).
• Yoni Klein (Wise Faculty of Life Sciences).
• Itay Fabian (Faculty of Medical & Health Sciences)
• Marana Abboud (Faculty of Medical & Health Sciences).

The prestigious prize recognizes TAU innovations in statistical science.

On Dec. 3 the King Baudouin Foundation in Belgium awarded the prestigious Rousseeuw Prize in Statistics to Prof. Yoav Benjamini, Prof. Daniel Yekutieli, and Prof. Ruth Heller from the Department of Statistics and Operations Research at Tel Aviv University for their pioneering work on the False Discovery Rate (FDR). The $1 million prize, established as an equivalent of the Nobel Prize which does not include mathematical disciplines, recognizes outstanding contributions in statistics that profoundly impact science and society.

The ceremony was held at the Catholic University of Leuven, where protests by students and faculty members have called for a full academic boycott of Israeli universities. Outside the building where the ceremony took place, students distributed flyers advocating for a comprehensive boycott, similar to the policies adopted by other Belgian universities. Prof. Benjamini delivered a speech at the ceremony, emphasizing the importance of science as a bridge between societies. He called for the preservation of scientific collaborations, avoidance of boycotts, and protection of science from political interference. He also shared the story of the brutal kidnapping and murder of family friend Carmel Gat, noting the ongoing protests in support of a deal to release hostages and end the war, so far to no avail.

The prize was awarded to the researchers for their work enabling the scanning of numerous experimental results to identify meaningful findings while limiting the number of false discoveries.  In their groundbreaking paper, Prof. Yoav Benjamini and the late Prof. Yosef Hochberg introduced the False Discovery Rate criterion. They expressed it mathematically, proposing a method to maximize the number of identified discoveries while maintaining a desirable FDR. Initially clashing with prevailing criteria, their paper remained unpublished for years, but today it is among the most cited papers in science. Prof. Yekutieli and Prof. Heller, former students of Prof. Benjamini, have continued to innovate and expand the FDR methodology independently and collaboratively. Their work has extended the applicability of the Benjamini-Hochberg FDR approach beyond the original paper, enabling its use for challenges in genomics and neuroscience and proposing methods to assess the reproducibility of scientific findings.

Prof. Yoav Benjamini commented: “The idea of the FDR originated from the need of medical researchers to examine numerous factors indicating treatment success. However, in statistics, once a new method is established in one research area, its impact can expand to others. Indeed, FDR methods are now widely applied in diverse fields such as genomics—where relations between tens of thousands of genetic markers of a specific disease are examined; neuroscience – testing which regions in the brain are activated when a certain task, such as face recognition, is performed; agriculture, economics, behavioral sciences, astronomy, and more. What these fields share is the need to scan massive amounts of possible results within mountains of data to identify significant discoveries”.

TAU researcher receives top honor for innovation.

Prof. Dan Peer Vice President of R&D at Tel Aviv University was elected as a Fellow of the United States National Academy of Inventors (NAI). The appointment to the rank of NAI Fellow is the highest recognition given by the Academy, awarded to innovators whose inventions have had a decisive impact on quality of life, economic development, and social welfare.

The National Academy of Inventors counts over 1850 Fellows in 260 different institutions globally. The National Academy of Inventors was established in 2010 to recognize and encourage inventions covered by US patents.

Prof. Peer is a trailblazing scientist and a pioneer in harnessing RNA molecules as molecular drugs. His groundbreaking research focuses on developing RNA-based therapies to treat a wide range of diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease, cancers of the blood, brain, and ovaries, and rare genetic disorders. Prof. Peer also explores the potential of RNA molecules as vaccines for infectious diseases and designs nanometric drug carriers capable of selectively targeting specific cells.

Among his many achievements, Prof. Peer and his lab were the first in the world to demonstrate systemic delivery of mRNA molecules in animals, as well as the use of short RNA sequences to silence genes in immune cells. Recently, his lab became the first to develop an mRNA vaccine against bacteria. Additionally, his team was the first to demonstrate efficient, systemic, and cell-specific gene delivery in cancer.

Prof. Dan Peer.

In addition to his innovative research, Prof. Peer serves in several leading positions: TAU’s VP of R&D, a member of the National Academy of Engineering (USA) and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Over the years, he has contributed to numerous groundbreaking inventions, with over 145 patents filed. Many of these have been commercialized through Ramot and licensed to various companies, some of which are currently in clinical trials. He has also founded several startups in Israel, the UK, and the USA.

NAI Fellow Selection Committee: “This prestigious honor recognizes Prof. Peer’s exceptional achievements as an inventor — his contributions have made a significant impact on innovation, economic development, and society’s welfare. Prof. Dan Peer’s election to the rank of Fellow reflects not only his accomplishments but also his dedication to advancing technology and fostering invention for the benefit of society”.

Prof. Peer: “I am very touched by the recognition of my work. The United States National Academy of Inventors is one of the most prominent bodies dedicated to encouraging inventors in academia, which gathers under its roof the best inventors, and the decision to choose me as a fellow is a great honor for me”.

Encouraging independent learning through an AI songwriting competition.

The Jaime and Joan Constantiner School of Education at Tel Aviv University recently hosted the SRL-VISION Competition, a groundbreaking event focused on creating songs using generative AI to explore innovative ways of fostering independent learning in education. This unique initiative was part of a course led by Prof. Anat Cohen, aiming to merge self-regulated learning (SRL) with the creative potential of generative AI tools. Students delved into research literature, developed practical ideas, and transformed them into imaginative songs.

And the Winner Is: “Positive Reinforcement”

The winning song, “Positive Reinforcement,” was chosen by a majority vote among the students. It emphasizes the importance of providing positive reinforcement in independent learning—benefiting both learners and educators.

This creative competition was part of the EffecTive Project, a collaborative initiative involving European universities to design programs that strengthen digital skills for teachers and teaching students. Guy Cohen, a PhD candidate assisting with the course, highlighted its purpose: “Our goal is to equip teachers and students with the tools they need to thrive in today’s digital world”.

Prof. Cohen elaborated: “The primary aim of this course is to promote meaningful and innovative learning through critical thinking and AI-driven tools. Students actively engage in exploring the strengths and challenges of these technologies while developing creative approaches to teaching and learning.”

The first-ever SRL-VISION competition.

For research on electromagnetic impacts in molecular systems under strong light-matter coupling.

The European Research Council (ERC) has announced the results of the 2024 ERC Synergy Grant Call. Among the funded projects is an international collaboration, coordinated by Tel Aviv University researchers and titled “Unravelling the Mysteries of Vibrational Strong Coupling” (UNMYST). The prestigious ERC Synergy grants are awarded to leading researchers in their fields across all areas of science, and it is intended to promote groundbreaking interdisciplinary research.

The UNMYST project is an international collaboration between leading experimental and theoretical groups, including Dr. Tal Schwartz and Prof. Sharly Fleisher from the School of Chemistry at Tel Aviv University, Prof. Abraham Nitzan, an emeritus of the School of Chemistry at Tel Aviv University and a Donner Professor of Physical Sciences in University of Pennsylvania, Prof. Thomas Ebbesen and Cyriaque Genet from the University of Strasbourg, France, Prof. Angel Rubio and Dr. Michael Ruggenthaler from the Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter, Germany, and Dr. Dominik Sidler from the Paul Scherrer Institute in Switzerland.

According to the project coordinator Dr. Tal Schwartz, the UNMYST project will explore how tailoring the electromagnetic environment influences chemical and physical processes in molecular systems in the so-called “strong light-matter coupling” regime. The researchers anticipate that the results of the project will establish fundamental insights into such novel phenomena, which will lead to future breakthroughs with far-reaching implications for chemistry and materials sciences.

“May the hostages come back, the wounded heal, and the displaced return to their homes”.

This week, we begin the 2024-5 academic year, against the backdrop of the bloody war that rages on, and while we still lack a clear sense of how this war will unfold, particularly in relation to Iran.

The anguish over the hostages weighs heavily on us all. It’s hard to believe that over a year after the horrific disaster of October 7, many hostages are still languishing in the hellish tunnels of Gaza, with the bodies of many others held there as bargaining chips. We cannot win this war without bringing everyone home. Added to this is the daily sorrow and mourning for our soldiers, including members of our university community, who have fallen or been injured while defending us, as well as for the civilians who have fallen victim to terrorist acts across Israel. Our concern for the soldiers on the front lines and the tens of thousands of Israelis in the South and North–who either remain vulnerably in their homes or were displaced by circumstances–is unrelenting.

Yet, we have no other country, and fight for it we must. This is what the parents and grandparents of many of us did even before the establishment of Israel, and now it’s our turn. Our extraordinary young generation, with so many risking their lives on the battlefield, places a weighty responsibility on us, the older generation. What are we doing, as a university, and what more must we do in this crucial period?

One of our primary tasks, both last year and this year, is to do everything in our power to ensure that the reservist soldiers studying with us, as well as students who are spouses of soldiers, can complete the academic year successfully. Last year, we provided financial, academic, and emotional support and we will continue to do so this year as well. The emergency fund we established with the help of friends of the university in Israel and around the world has greatly assisted us in this endeavor.

Second, we succeeded last year in containing tensions on campus triggered by the war while maintaining a democratic space and protecting the human and civil rights of everyone. Members of our university community, Jews and Arabs, left-leaning and right-leaning, are equally dear to us. Open and free discussion on any topic is the essence of academia, and we will uphold this principle this year as well.

Third, a primary mission we are focused on is bringing as many Israeli researchers studying abroad back to Tel Aviv University as we have done in previous years. These researchers represent the next generation of academia; they embody the scientific and humanistic pursuits without which we have no future. Israel may seem less attractive to some of them at present, but I am confident that we will weather this crisis and emerge stronger.

Fourth, the growing boycott of Israeli academia worldwide (BDS) affects us all. Universities across the country have united and are working collaboratively to mitigate the impact of the boycott through legal and other means. We’ve had some successes, but there is still a long way to go.

Fifth, from October 7 to this day, the university–as an institution and as a community–has been involved in numerous volunteer activities. Days after October 7, our community members volunteered in the South and North, both in their areas of expertise and in agriculture and other manual work. We will continue to do so this coming year, hopefully in collaboration with local authorities in the South and North. A few months after the war broke out, we established the Post-Trauma Center, treating hundreds of people, both civilians and soldiers. Here, too, the generous financial support of our friends in Israel and abroad has been invaluable.

Sixth, we will continue to defend academic freedom and the autonomy of universities in Israel against those who seek to harm them. Academic freedom is essential for free thought, intellectually challenging education, and groundbreaking research. Without these, we will become a third-world country. I assure you that I will protect our academic freedom as one of my most cherished values.

These are the special missions that characterize this period. But equally important:  last year, we carried on teaching and doing research as if – or almost as if – there were no war. We, the university and Israel as a whole, do not have the privilege to stop “producing” doctors, engineers, psychologists, social workers, scientists, and humanist intellectuals. Nor do we have the privilege to stop advancing research. This is the source of our resilience, the safeguard of our future, and we cannot forsake it, not in times of peace and certainly not in times of war.

I thank you all – academic and administrative staff – for your hard work this past year to meet the challenges we set for ourselves, and our friends in Israel and abroad – for your generous support of the University and Israel.  And to you, our students – thank you for your patience with us. We are doing our utmost so that you derive the maximum benefit, and hopefully some enjoyment, from studying at Tel Aviv University.

I wish you a successful year, and may peace and tranquility return to our land. May the hostages come back, the wounded heal, and the displaced return to their homes.

Yours always,

Ariel Porat

TAU President

Congratulations to Prof. Magaloni on winning the esteemed 2024 BMI prize.

The Faculty of Social Sciences at Tel Aviv University has announced that it is awarding the 2024 BMI Prize to Prof. Beatriz Magaloni from Stanford University, in recognition of her significant contributions to the study of authoritarianism. This esteemed prize is presented annually by the The Boris Mints Institute for Strategic Policy Solutions to Global Challenges and highlights the impact of a senior researcher’s work in specific academic fields.

Prof. Beatriz Magaloni is a distinguished scholar in political science, renowned for her groundbreaking research on autocratic regimes and their electoral processes. She holds the position of Graham H. Stuart Professor of International Relations and is a Senior Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University. Her work has become foundational in understanding multi-party autocracies, which are increasingly prevalent forms of governance globally.

Prof. Magaloni’s research addresses critical questions regarding why autocratic regimes opt for multi-party elections and the implications of these elections for democracy. She elucidates the nuanced threats posed by civilian leaders who ascend to power through electoral means rather than military coups, offering vital insights into electoral behavior and regime stability.

Throughout her career, Prof. Magaloni has published extensively in leading journals, including the American Political Science Review and World Development. Her work is widely assigned in graduate and undergraduate courses, shaping the academic agenda for studies in comparative politics.

The award will be presented to Prof. Magaloni at the joint BMI-University of Donja Gorica Conference in Podgorica, Montenegro, on November 25th.

For further information about Prof. Beatriz Magaloni and her research, visit her profiles on Stanford University and the Carnegie Endowment.