TECHNION PRESIDENT'S REPORT
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TECHNION PRESIDENT’S REPORT 2019
presidentsreport.technion.ac.il www.technion.ac.il Cover: Superconducting Quantum Circuits Lab in the Helen Diller Center for Quantum Science, Matter and Engineering
I PRESIDENT’S REPORT 2019
REVIEWING A DECADE OF THE TECHNION
ETHOS OF ANTICIPATING THE FUTURE
In recent years, a new spirit has pervaded
all areas of life, from academia to industry,
through to the new technologies on which our
lives depend. This is the spirit of innovation.
In the 21st century, innovation is Israel, is
Technion. As a nexus in the global ecosystem of
progress, we are proud to offer the 2019 Technion
President’s Report under the banner iTechnion.
#iTechnion
F r o m Te c h n i o n
President
Prof. Peretz Lavie
W elcome to the 2019 President’s Re-
port, in which we review a decade of
speech laying out the goals and priorities
for my presidency. This strategic vision
Strategic Goal:
Replenishing the Faculty
progress and look forward to continu- arose out of an intimate knowledge of In 2009, Technion’s faculty had been
ing fruition of the Technion vision. the university since joining the faculty in reduced due to a wave of retiring baby
1975. Prior to my presidency, I was dean boomers. The departure of a large cohort
When I received the tremendous honor of of the Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of professors affected the quality of the
becoming Technion President ten years of Medicine for six years and Technion education and research. Consequently,
ago, I felt that I was handed an enormous Vice President for Resource Development a top priority was to refill the faculty’s
responsibility: not only to maintain Tech- and External Relations for seven years. ranks with first-rate young professors.
nion’s status as Israel’s first and lead-
ing university but to steer it onward and This year’s President’s Report has a dual I was personally involved in recruiting
upward to new levels of excellence and role. As always, it relates Technion’s candidates, meeting with the most prom-
global standing. The challenges along the development since the last Board of ising men and women in their fields to
way were numerous, but now that I am Governors meeting, but this year, we also persuade them to join Technion. The only
completing my tenure, I look back at the summarize the progress of the entire last way to replenish the faculty with outstand-
last decade with satisfaction. Technion’s decade. It is an opportunity to revisit our ing educators and scientists would be to
role at the forefront of science and tech- strategic vision of 2009 and compare it provide up-and-coming stars with cut-
nology is indisputable, both in Israel and to what actually unfolded. ting-edge laboratory facilities on a par
around the world. with those at top universities around the
At the time, I divided my strategic vision world. Consequently, during my tenure
When I became President, the global fi- into fields which I deemed critical to the dozens of state-of-the-art labs were built
nancial crisis of 2008 was fresh and Israeli university’s development: recruiting new and renovated throughout the campus
higher education was in an existential crisis, faculty, improving the student experience, in order to accommodate incoming new
caused by the proliferation of new private advancing the level of research conducted faculty – most of whom were moving back
colleges and by the diminished status of on campus, developing the campus, and to Israel after spending years at the finest
academia within Israeli society in general. strengthening Technion’s global role. institutions in the world. A large share
of the campus development budget was
At the beginning of my tenure, I presented allocated to these projects every year.
a vision to the academic assembly in a
PRESIDENT’S REPORT 2019
3
Orientation day for new faculty, 2018
Approximately half of Technion’s current other important steps. The Students As- All these efforts have begun to bear fruit,
faculty was hired in the past ten years. See sociation has been involved in the ongoing and we have made a quantum leap in
page 6 to meet some of these impressive efforts to improve the student experience recent years. Technion has now been
young professors. at the university. voted the top Israeli university for student
satisfaction for three consecutive years!
Strategic Goal: The Technion Center for Promotion of
Upgrading the Student Experience Learning and Teaching continues to play a Strategic Goal:
It is a delight to be part of the heightened key role in upgrading the quality of teach- Advancing Basic and
spirit on campus. Over the past decade, ing, which is a critical factor for improving Applied Research
the overall student experience at Technion student satisfaction. Intensive efforts are A fundamental part of the Technion found-
has changed dramatically. Despite being being made to introduce more dynamic ing vision is to empower Technion’s position
a first-rate teaching university, many as- and flexible learning environments, as at the front line of scientific and technologi-
pects of student life were not optimal ten well as innovative, non-traditional forms cal research and development. In joining
years ago, and this meant that a growing of learning suitable to the 21st century, the ranks of the world’s leading scientific
number of excellent potential students such as MOOCs, flipped classrooms and and technological research universities,
were choosing to study elsewhere. We video lectures. (See page 12) Technion is of service to the State of Israel
made it a top priority to empower a nur- and to all of humanity. In addition to hiring
turing and inspiring educational environ- Another initiative with a significant im- top researchers to join our faculty, the fund-
ment in which each and every student pact on teaching quality is the Yanai Prize ing of research labs and equipment has
can flourish. for Excellence in Academic Education. increased by 93 percent. Moreover, we have
Launched in 2011, the Yanai Prize recog- dedicated a great deal of energy to rais-
A committee headed by Prof. Yachin nizes faculty members who set an exam- ing funds for research. During my tenure,
Cohen was tasked with examining the ple through their valuable contributions sponsored research from external sources
student workload, and its findings led to to teaching, and who strive to improve has grown by 50 percent, from $61.7 million
important changes implemented as of student involvement which enhances the in 2009 to $92.8 million in 2018.
2013. These included shortening the se- sense of belonging. The prize is consid-
mesters and the exam periods, as well as ered prestigious and provides an incentive We have also encouraged collaboration
coordinating and balancing the workloads to improve classroom performance and between Technion scientists and industry.
of students in different faculties, among interaction with students. (See page 14) The new Center for Machine Learning
Construction of the new Susan and David Wilstein Gate Solar panels atop the Sara and Moshe Zisapel Nanoelectronics Center
and Intelligent Systems that was re- aged tissue, revolutionize information During the last ten years, three new build-
cently inaugurated, in partnership with processing and predict the effectiveness ings have been inaugurated: the Emerson
Intel Corporation, is just one example of antibiotic cocktails, among many other Family Life Sciences Building, the D. Dan
of a 21st century Technion platform that exciting advances. (See page 16) and Betty Kahn Mechanical Engineering
facilitates cooperation between Technion Building and the David and Janet Polak
faculties and high-tech companies, both Thanks to the hard work of T3, the Tech- Visitors Center. During this period, many
Israeli and multinational. (See page 20) nion Technology Transfer Unit, optimal older buildings underwent significant
alliances are being forged between sci- renovations, and labs were added and
Another focus has been to increase global entists, industry and investors in order to upgraded on a massive scale throughout
collaboration. Technion has academic bring Technion innovations to the mar- the campus.
collaboration agreements with 213 uni- ketplace. The new DRIVE accelerator pro-
versities in 41 different countries, and has gram for entrepreneurs who are part of The Technion is giving a whole new kind
submitted 15 cooperation projects within the Technion community and whose start- of welcome to visitors. All entrances to
the Erasmus+ program to strengthen ups are in the pre-seed or seed stages Technion City have been upgraded and the
cooperation with European universities. is also showing impressive results after new main gates and approach roads are
(See page 36) only 2.5 years. (See page 35) designed to ease traffic. Other large-scale
ongoing projects included accessibility,
Technion frequently makes headlines Strategic Goal: and the upgrading of basic infrastructure
thanks to the numerous, highly impres- Campus Development such as air-conditioning and water-saving
sive breakthroughs emanating from its We have invested heavily in state-of-the- systems, and improving campus safety.
labs. It is heart-warming that many of art facilities and increased accommodation
these groundbreaking discoveries are units on campus. Our priority has been to In addition, nearly 1,000 new dorm
improving the world and benefitting hu- develop our beautiful campus on Mount beds have been added thanks to sev-
manity. Just this past year, the work of Carmel to ensure that it keeps pace with eral major projects: the construction of
our scientists is expected to improve the the university’s growing needs. the Stanley Shalom Zielony Graduate
quality of brain scans, regenerate dam- Student Village, the new undergraduate
PRESIDENT’S REPORT 2019
5
Rededication of the Rosen Solid State Research Building Technion’s campus at CornellTech in New York City
student village, and substantial renova- student exchange programs has risen opened in 2017; and the Joan and Irwin
tions of the Canada Dormitory Village sharply. Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute, opened
and the Rifkin Dormitories. Two more in 2013 as a partnership between Cornell
14-story towers with 314 beds will be During my tenure, we have seen a sig- University and Technion. (See page 38)
ready in 2020. nificant increase in academic collabora-
tions in the global arena and particularly It is wonderful to share with you that we
See page 10 for a map of the campus with Europe. have made significant progress with each
that highlights the changes made in the of our strategic goals. Technion is an
past decade. On January 1, 2019, Technion became institution whose local and global con-
the sixth member of the prestigious tribution is considerable - in excellence,
Strategic Goal: EuroTech Universities Alliance, a teaching, innovation, and outstanding sci-
Globalization network of top-tier research-based entific and technological breakthroughs.
Our ambitious strategy of 2009 spoke universities known for their scien- It has been an honor to stand at the helm
of the critical importance of facilitating tific excellence and vibrant innovation of this venerable institution and I am
Technion’s expansion from the local to ecosystems. The combination with the confident that Technion will continue on
the global arena. To this end, I led several great strengths of the other members a course of excellence and success for
large-scale initiatives aimed at deepening of the alliance, an elite group of Euro- many more years to come. It is with deep
Technion’s ties with the international pean universities similar to Technion, will gratitude that I end my tenure as Tech-
scientific and academic community. help us ensure we are at the forefront nion President, passing on the beacon
of scientific research. of the Technion vision to my successor,
The Technion International School, of- Prof. Uri Sivan.
fering English-language degrees and The jewel in the crown of Technion’s glo-
numerous academic programs, has balization efforts, however, is the open-
grown from 39 students in 2009 to over ing of our two overseas campuses. The
1,000 in 2018. The number of Technion Guangdong Technion-Israel Institute of Peretz Lavie
students taking part in international Technology (GTIIT) in Shantou, China,
MY TECHNIO
MY TECHNION
IMPASSIONED, INDUSTRIOUS, INSPIRED
Meet some of the outstanding young
professors who are bringing fresh
energy and cutting-edge research to
Technion, Israel and the world.
STRATEGIC GOAL:
ATTRACTING THE
BEST AND THE
BRIGHTEST
NEW FACULTY
Asst. Prof. Ido Kaminer
A ND RE W A ND E RNA VI T E RB I FAC ULT Y
O F E LE CT RI CA L E NG I NE E RI NG
Ido Kaminer joined Technion as an assistant professor and
an Azrieli Faculty Fellow in 2018, when he returned to Israel
after a postdoc at MIT. He currently holds the Technion’s
Prof. Ashraf Brik Jacques Lewiner Career Advancement Chair.
S C HU L ICH FACU LT Y O F CH EM ISTRY MY TECHNION
“One major reason that brought me to Technion was the
Ashraf Brik, who is an Arab Israeli, received his PhD decision to invest in an ultrafast transmission electron
in Bioorganic Chemistry from Technion and was a microscope. This facility is unique in Israel and one of only a
research associate at the Scripps Research Institute few in the world, enabling powerful research capabilities.”
in California from 2002 to 2006. He returned to Israel
in 2007, joining Ben-Gurion University’s faculty before Prof. Kaminer’s research on applications of quantum
being recruited in 2015 by Technion’s Schulich Faculty mechanics and quantum electrodynamics applies ideas
of Chemistry as a Neubauer professor. from the field of light-matter interactions to nanophotonics
with 2D material platforms. His group is developing new
Brik is well known for his contributions to the microscopy techniques in novel materials using ultrafast
development of chemical approaches to prepare lasers and electron microscopes.
posttranslationally modified proteins for biochemical,
biophysical and functional analyses. In particular his During his PhD studies at Technion, Prof. Kaminer
group has developed chemical methods to prepare discovered new classes of accelerating beams in nonlinear
ubiquitin-based conjugates, which opened the door for optics and electromagnetism, for which he received the 2012
several studies that were not previously feasible. Israel Physical Society Prize and the 2014 APS Award for
Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation in Laser Science.
MY TECHNION
“The university has an excellent
environment for my type of research.” Kaminer, 33, lives in a faculty apartment on the Technion
campus. He has wide interests including sports, traveling,
Brik is an elected member of the Israel Young Academy hiking, and the history of Israel and Judaism.
of Sciences, and recipient of the ERC Advanced Grant. He
has over 120 publications in top journals, holds several
patents, and has received numerous prestigious awards.
He is 45, lives in Haifa and has two children.
ON PRESIDENT’S REPORT 2019
7
Assoc. Prof. Moran Bercovici Asst. Prof. Adi Radian
FAC U LT Y OF M ECH AN ICAL EN GIN EER IN G FAC U LT Y O F C I VI L A ND E NVI RO NMENTAL
E NG I NE E RI NG
Moran Bercovici, associate professor of analytical Adi Radian is an environmental chemist who, during her
chemistry at Technion, is one of three outstanding recipients post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Minnesota,
of the 2019 Blavatnik Israel Award for Young Scientists. designed encapsulation matrices for bacteria in order to
He was recognized for developing novel microfluidic improve bioremediation technologies. She joined Technion in
technologies for microscale manipulations of fluids and 2016 as an assistant professor.
molecules.
MY TECHNION
A central theme in Prof. Bercovici’s lab has been the “I chose Technion mainly for the high quality of students,
development of new microfluidic devices and assays. His the available facilities and funds for young scientists –
current focus is on exploring physical mechanisms for the and, of course, for it being in Israel.”
development of highly configurable microfluidic devices.
He and his team demonstrated the ability to control flow Today, Prof. Radian heads a lab which studies the fate of
patterns using surface chemistry, field effect electrodes or pollutants in the environment and the development of
temperature gradients, all without the use of physical walls. comprehensive and sustainable soil and water remediation
Prof. Bercovici joined Technion in 2011, following his postdoc solutions. Her team also designs and applies clay minerals
at the Stanford University School of Medicine. and metal oxides as catalytic surfaces to improve and
develop remediation technologies. Their work alongside
Prof. Ayelet Fishman from the Faculty of Biotechnology and
MY TECHNION Food Engineering has resulted in a provisional patent that
“I was actively recruited by Prof. Pini Bar-Yoseph, who was then- hopefully will become applicable in the future.
dean of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, and by Dist. Prof.
Moti Segev, who convinced me that one can conduct research at Aside from conducting research, Prof. Radian also finds
Technion that is comparable to or better than any top US her role as a mentor and lecturer to be very important and
universities. Both believed in me way before I believed in myself.” fulfilling. “I am devoted to my teaching and feel I can make a
real difference through my work in the classroom,” she says.
This year, she received a teaching excellence award for her
Bercovici, 36, lives in Haifa with his wife and two “Introduction to Soil Chemistry” course.
daughters. In addition to research, he also enjoys playing
the saxophone.
Radian lives in Kiryat Tivon with her husband Oren and their
three young sons, aged 6, 4 and 2.
YOUNG
Asst.Prof.ShayHacohen-Gourgy Assoc. Prof. Yael Yaniv
FACU LT Y O F P H YSICS FAC U LT Y O F B I O M E D I CA L E NG I NE E R I NG
Shay Hacohen-Gourgy is an experimental physicist who Yael Yaniv joined Technion’s Faculty of Biomedical
joined Technion in 2017 after a postdoc at UC Berkeley. Engineering as assistant professor in March 2014, following
a postdoc and research fellowship at the National Institute
MY TECHNION on Aging–National Institutes of Health in the U.S. She
“I wanted to join Technion as it educates high-quality received her BSc, MSc and PhD degrees from Technion.
students and hosts high-quality fabrication
infrastructure, which are important for building a MY TECHNION
successful lab and research group.” “I joined Technion’s faculty because if you want
to be the best you must join the best!”
Prof. Hacohen-Gourgy works on quantum circuits built
from superconducting materials. His most substantial Prof. Yaniv’s research focuses on two main objectives:
achievement has been demonstrating a simultaneous understanding the molecular mechanisms that control heart
measurement of non-commuting observables. The rate dynamics and developing algorithms to identify changes
dynamics of such a measurement had been an open in heartbeat dynamics in a time window that will allow
experimental problem until this demonstration, which prediction of future cardiac events or provide treatment in
was published in Nature and opened a path for a wide the early stages of a disease.
array of new capabilities for quantum systems.
When using the current methods to quantify changes in
He has also been active with small-scale quantum heartbeat dynamics, it is too late to provide a treatment
simulators as tools to better understand certain to reverse the heart condition. In the last five years, Prof.
physical models. In particular, he was involved in an Yaniv’s lab has discovered that both Ca2+ and phosphate
emulation of a three-site one-dimensional Bose- ions control heart rate dynamics; used computational work
Hubbard lattice with attractive on-site interactions, that led to two pharmacological approaches and one gene
showing that selected states can actively be stabilized manipulation method to restore the beating rate of aged
– an important feat for future quantum simulators and heart pacemaker cells to that of normal adult cells; and
quantum annealers. Recently, Prof. Hacohen-Gourgy developed algorithms to predict fatal arrhythmias.
has been working on using machine learning to aid in
measurement and control of quantum systems. Yaniv, 38, is married and has a baby daughter.
Hacohen-Gourgy, 38, lives in Nofit with his wife and
two daughters.faculty
PRESIDENT’S REPORT 2019
9
263
faculty members
recruited over
the past decade
Asst. Prof. Yaron Fuchs Asst. Prof. Oksana Stalnov
FACU LT Y O F BIO LO GY FAC U LT Y O F A E RO S PAC E E NG I NEER I NG
After completing his PhD at Technion and his postdoc in the Oksana Stalnov was born in Minsk, Belarus, and her
U.S., Yaron Fuchs returned to Israel in 2014 as an assistant family immigrated to Israel when she was 11, settling
professor at Technion’s Faculty of Biology, where he heads in Kiryat Gat. She received her MSc and PhD degrees in
the Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Mechanical Engineering from Tel Aviv University, and in
Medicine. 2012 was appointed a research fellow at the University
of Southampton, England. In 2017 she returned to Israel
MY TECHNION and joined Technion as an assistant professor in the
“I returned to Technion as I deeply love this institute. I Faculty of Aerospace Engineering.
think the level of science here is truly phenomenal and
as Technion is solely dedicated to science and technology, MY TECHNION
it represents a unique environment that nourishes “The Faculty is world renowned in the field of Aerospace
interdisciplinary collaborations.” Engineering, and Technion offered me the opportunity to
establish a state-of-the-art research group.”
Fuchs has had a long-term interest in different modes of cell
death and how they regulate diverse aspects of stem cell At the heart of her research is the question of how noise
biology and stem cell-dependent processes. Fuchs and his is generated when unsteady flow interacts with a blade,
team discovered that by manipulating the process of stem cell where many complex phenomena take place within the
suicide, they can dramatically accelerate the wound repair boundary layer; and how this knowledge can be used to
process in both the skin and intestine. In addition, they have enhance performance. She is developing new diagnostic
been able to find a potential new cure for melanoma, generate tools and modelling techniques, which will enable a
different organs in the dish, and unearth novel stem cell step change in the understanding of noise generation
populations. mechanisms and the development of advanced flow and
noise control strategies.
Fuchs, who is 40, has received more than 20 awards for his
scientific excellence and his unique teaching style, including Stalnov, 39, lives in Haifa with her husband, 7-year-old
the Wolf Foundation Krill Award and the American Association son and 2.5-year-old daughter.
for Advancement of Science (AAAS) Sartorius and Science
Grand Prize for Regenerative Medicine and Cell Therapy. He
lives in Haifa with his wife and two children.Strategic Goal: NEW CONSTRUCTION / BUILDINGS UNDER
Building the
RENOVATION CONSTRUCTION
campus of
1 Stanley Shalom Zielony Student 16 “Broshim” Dormitories:
Union Building – new wing and two new 14-story towers
the future
overall renovation (2009) 17 Amos Horev Sports Arena
Completion of 4th floor (2016)
2009 - 2019
2 D. Dan and Betty Kahn Mechanical
Engineering Building RENOVATION PROJECTS
(2010) UNDERWAY
3 Stanley Shalom Zielony Graduate
Student Village (2010) Technion Strategic Master Plan
and Community Center (2015) for Physical Development
4 Senate Building – Senate Hall
renovation (2012) General Campus
5 Undergraduate Student Village Upgrading all dormitories
(2016) Major renovations in Canada
6 Grand Technion Energy Village and Rifkin Dormitories
Program floor (2016) Upgrading infrastructure
7 Hadarion (2016) throughout campus, including A/C
8 Electron Beam Lithography (EBL) and water-saving systems
Lab (2016) Campus safety upgrades, including
9 Southern Palm Beach Chapter fire prevention zone
Expansion of the Fried Student Making campus facilities
Counselling Center (2017) accessible for disabled individuals:
10 Rosen Solid State Institute: improving accessibility both inside
renovation (2017) buildings and in outdoor areas
11 David and Janet Polak Visitors
Center (2018) Faculties
12 Taub Family Terrace Schulich Faculty of Chemistry:
(2018) labs, teaching facilities, library,
13 Ullmann Teaching Center – infrastructure
additional floor, structural Rappaport Faculty of Medicine
reinforcement, sheltered areas Wolfson Faculty of Chemical
and elevators (2018) Engineering
14 Churchill Plaza renovation (2019) Renovating and adding labs
15 Susan and David Wilstein Gate and in all faculties
Clara Franziska Mertens Gate
(2019)7 HADAR
BAT GALIM
9
16
17
15
HAIFA
12
5
14 1
4
3
2MOUNT CARMEL CAMPUS
Faculties, Facilities & Administration
Student Residences
Gates
6
13
10
8
NESHER
11
15
N
NE
NW
W E
SW
SE
STechnion Campus 2019 Captured by International Student Yanyao Li
STRATEGIC GOAL:
RETHINKING EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY
OF THE
FUTURE Over 650 students recently participated in a 30-hour
hackathon - the largest ever held in Israel
Universities must adapt
in order to thrive.
Te c h n i o n i s r e i n v e n t i n g “
educational paradigms At Technion, these changes are being
in order to empower spearheaded by the Technion Center
“Education is
future generations. for Promotion of Learning and Teach-
going to be
ing. “Technion is a leader in academic
personalized.
education, encouraging pedagogical
We are adapting
innovations and promoting state-of-
W the-art instructional methods as role
the methods to
the students.”
e are at the cusp of a sweeping models for other universities,” notes Dr.
- A sso c. Pro f .
evolution, if not an outright revolution. Abigail Barzilai, who heads the Center.
M i r i Bara k
Not long ago, we only had chalkboards,
books and notebooks, but the modern FROM A SAGE ON THE STAGE
digital age generated MOOCs, flipped
classrooms, video lectures, project-
TO A GUIDE ON THE SIDE
In a digital learning environment,
”
based learning and peer instruction. courses will be customized to the Indeed, globalization and accelerated
unique needs of individual students. technological development require a
Thanks to technological and pedagog- “Education is going to be personalized rethinking of teaching and learning pro-
ical innovations, education is rapidly and we are in the process of adapting cesses in 21st century higher education.
becoming more personalized. We are new instructional methods to meet the In the past, only the lecturers had ac-
witnessing a transition to innovative, students’ needs,” reveals Assoc. Prof. cess to new information, but today web
non-traditional forms of learning that Miri Barak, Head of the Science and and cloud technologies connect stu-
promote student involvement through Learning Technologies group in the dents to a pipeline of infinite informa-
hands-on experience. The learning Faculty of Education in Science and tion and they can share knowledge with
environment is becoming 24/7, with Technology, adding that, “Teaching is people from all over the world. Since
greater flexibility, customization and shifting from lectures to small group students perceive classroom lectures
real-time engagement. settings – from a sage on the stage to as anachronistic, meaningful learning
a guide on the side.” must occur in new ways.PRESIDENT’S REPORT 2019
13
One of the trends that will acceler- continue to be important. Teachers ticated production of these courses,
ate in the near future is the transition will focus on imparting skills at a high universities need professional studios.
from large lectures to small groups. level and will provide added value to
Project-based learning will be wide- their students. Prof. Barak predicts that universities
spread: students will work mainly in that are top suppliers of MOOCs will
groups, often in collaboration with Students will learn more “soft skills” become tomorrow’s top universities.
peers from all over the world and with such as entrepreneurial thinking, As more courses are available online,
the private sector. interpersonal communications, eth- universities will increasingly shift re-
ics, multiculturalism and creativity, as sources to offering educational sup-
Another learning model that is gain- well as adapting to interdisciplinary port through direct mentorship and
ing steam is the ‘flipped classroom,’ learning and working in teams. hands-on experience. Preparatory
where students learn theoretical as- courses at Technion – such as Phys-
pects at home and come to class for THE MOOC GENERATION ics, Chemistry and Math – are already
the purpose of deeper discussions and MOOCs – Massive Open Online Cours- available online. In the future, most
solving problems in small groups. To- es – epitomize the future of education introductory-level courses and enrich-
day, it is easier for many young people and, as such, their popularity is grow- ment courses in the humanities will be
to watch lectures online at their own ing exponentially. In Israel, Technion digital. Dr. Barzilai expects that within
pace and in their own free time, rather is a leader in this field, heading a con- five years virtual and augmented real-
than in a classroom. Technion’s newly sortium of seven Israeli universities ity will be common in the classroom
renovated Ullmann Building includes that produce MOOCs in basic Math and and will enrich learning.
innovative classrooms specifically de- Computer Science on behalf of the
signed to meet the needs of these new Council for Higher Education. Of the At the epicenter of educational in-
UNIVERSITY OF THE FUTURE
teaching styles. 15 MOOCs produced in Israel in these novation, Technion continues to be a
fields, seven are Technion courses. pedagogical and technological leader
THE HUMAN FACTOR In order to keep up with the growing attuned to the needs of tomorrow.
Despite technology’s expanding role in demand for MOOCs, as well as the
the classroom, the human factor will increasingly professional and sophis-
Assaf Rappaport, CEO of Microsoft
Israel’s R&D Center, addresses
a t-hub event on campusINITIATE, INVESTIGATE, INTELLECT
A Class of Their Own
STRATEGIC GOAL:
REWARDING EXCELLENCE
IN TEACHING
The Yanai Prize for
Excellence in Academic
Education, which was
awarded for the first
time in 2011, has become
a status symbol among
Technion faculty – This year’s Yanai Prize ceremony. (l-r) Moshe Yanai, Technion President Prof. Peretz Lavie, Students
reaffirming the importance Association Chair Amir David Nissan-Cohen and Yanai recipient Assoc. Prof. Adi Salzberg
of effective teaching.
O ne of the goals set a decade ago was to
recognize excellence in teaching.
The prize is awarded in appreciation for
faculty members who set an example “
through their valuable contributions to
To this end, the Yanai Prize for Excellence teaching, and who strive to improve stu-
in Academic Education was launched dent involvement and sense of belonging “The main reward
eight years ago together with Moshe to Technion. By honoring faculty, who are is not prestige
Yanai, a Technion alumnus and global not only excellent researchers but also and money but your
pioneer in the field of information stor- outstanding lecturers, the Yanai Prize opportunity to
age. Yanai, together with his wife Ra- sends a clear message that teaching change and influence
chel, sought to give back to Technion in quality is supremely important. people’s lives”
gratitude for the life skills that he gained - Mo sh e Yanai
during his studies nearly 50 years ago. Since it was established, 69 professors
He contributed $10 million to reward have received the Yanai Prize, including
lecturers who demonstrate teaching ex- five this year.
cellence. The prize he endowed awards
100,000 shekels to each recipient.PRESIDENT’S REPORT 2019
15
Congratulations to Assoc. Prof. Avi Schroeder
this year’s winners! Wolfson Faculty of
Chemical Engineering
Assoc. Prof. Keren Censor-Hillel “I developed a teach-
Faculty of Computer Science ing method based on
Assoc. Prof. Daniel Orenstein “Although the main goal of teaching ‘individually adapted
Faculty of Architecture is to convey the material on the syl- teaching’ – a way of
and Town Planning labus, I aspire to expand the students’ learning whereby each
“My students receive a horizons and therefore I encourage subject is studied from several dif-
solid knowledge base that them to gain research experience. I ferent angles, in complete cooperation
enables them to critically believe in active learning. The website with the students. This multi-dimen-
evaluate and understand Socrative.com is an important tool sional view enables the students to
the factors that affect the for me; it enables students to choose express their aptitudes while acquir-
main environmental challenges of answers to problems that I ask them. ing an in-depth understanding of the
our generation. They learn to acquire I also use other interactive tools in subject in question. As a Technion
many different types of knowledge, order to make the material more ac- professor, I feel it is an honor to be
from academic textbooks and litera- cessible to the students.” an active partner together with the
ture, from the cumulative experience students in building their skills and
of experts, from people’s everyday their professional futures.”
lives, and from the students’ own
life experiences.” Assoc. Prof.
Daniella Raveh
Faculty of Aerospace Andrew and Erna Viterbi Faculty
Engineering of Electrical Engineering
Assoc. Prof. Adi Salzberg “I view training students as my fore- The faculty received the Yanai Prize
Rappaport Faculty of Medicine most responsibility as a faculty mem- this year as a result of its continu-
“I demand a high degree of in- ber. I believe that my unique contribu- ous improvement in teaching scores
vestment from my students, so that tion to teaching comes from working and the many personal prizes
they will have a high level of knowledge with students in various frameworks awarded to both senior and junior
and understanding, but at the same and through continuous interaction, as faculty in recent years. The Faculty
time I demand the same from myself. well as by being available to listen and has established an extensive sup-
I invest a great deal of time and energy give advice. I am especially proud of my port network for students in order
in frontal instruction and I spend many contribution as an advisor for student to respond effectively to all prob-
hours preparing my course. Further- research projects and experiments.” lems that arise during their stud-
more, I spend a lot of time in personal ies. The Faculty works with student
meetings with students.” representatives to improve the stu-
dent experience, nurture a pleasant
social atmosphere, discuss changes
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
The Yanai Excellence in Teaching Prize was awarded to Assoc. Prof. Roee in the curricula, plan the class and
Amit of the Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Assoc. Prof. exam schedules, and balance the
Yael Yaniv of the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, and Asst. Prof. Roi student work load.
Reichart of the Davidson Faculty of Industrial Engineering and Management.RESEARCH
BREAKTHROUGHS
2018-2019
STRATEGIC GOAL:
ADVANCING SCIENTIFIC
RESEARCH
IMAGING AI
Improved Brain Scans Artificial Intelligence
Hardware: 1000x Faster
An interdisciplinary research team at A team led by Asst. Prof. Shahar Kva-
Technion has developed nanometric tinsky at the Viterbi Faculty of Electrical
particles that will improve the quality of Engineering has developed hardware for
brain scans by combining MRIs and light machine learning that is much faster than
microscope photography. regular graphic processor units, yet re-
quires much less energy.
The team from the Russell Berrie Nano-
technology Institute is led by Assoc. Prof. Most artificial intelligence applications rely
Lilac Amirav from the Schulich Faculty of on computers that run programs using
Chemistry, together with Dr. Shai Berlin mathematical models whose processing
and Prof. Itamar Kahn from the Rappaport capabilities are insufficient. In order to
Faculty of Medicine. accelerate the computation and reduce the
energy, Prof. Kvatinsky’s team uses novel
The problem with MRIs is that they don’t nano-scale devices called memristors to
provide high enough resolutions at the level support deep neural networks using one
RESEARCH
of a single cell. Light microscopy, on the of the most popular learning techniques –
other hand, is able to show single cells, but gradient descent with momentum.
it requires that the tissue be penetrated.
The nanometric particles developed at The research team developed a dedicated
Technion are effective markers in that hardware based on memristors that is
they are visible in both MRI scans and 1,000 times faster than GPUs, while us-
light microscopes, and they can navigate ing seven times less energy.
within the cells.PRESIDENT’S REPORT 2019
17
TISSUE ENGINEERING QUANTUM MEDICINE
Regenerating World’s 1st Quantum “Immune Age”: An
Damaged Tissues Metamaterials Accurate Measure of Health
Prof. Shulamit Levenberg of the Faculty of Two teams of Technion scientists have col- A team of Technion researchers led by As-
Biomedical Engineering and her team have laborated to conduct trailblazing research soc. Prof. Shai Shen-Orr in collaboration
brought successful tissue engineering a step which is leading to the development of a with Stanford University, have found that
closer, paving the way for superior methods new and innovative scientific field: Quan- the state of our immune system provides
of replacing damaged human tissue. tum Metamaterials. The study was jointly a more accurate measurement of health.
conducted by Dist. Prof. Moti Segev, of the
The field of tissue engineering involves tak- Physics Faculty, and his team, Tomer Stav The team has developed a way to gauge
ing cells from the body and incorporating and Dikla Oren, in collaboration with Prof. “immune age,” which may push the limits
them with very porous scaffold biomaterials, Erez Hasman of the Faculty of Mechanical of personalized medical treatment, drug
which act as 3D templates that guide the Engineering and his team, Arkady Faerman, and vaccine clinical development, and
growth of new tissue. Elhanan Maguid, and Dr. Vladimir Kleiner. health management. “Unlike your actual
chronological age, your immune-age is
Prof. Levenberg and her team found that The research demonstrates that it is directly linked to the state of your immune
the most mature grafts with complex ves- possible to apply metamaterials to system, the body’s chief sentinel. We can
sel networks increased graft-host vessel the field of quantum information and therefore capture medically relevant infor-
BREAKTHRO
anastomosis and improved penetration computing, thereby paving the way for mation using immune age that physicians
of the vessels in the recipient. The less- numerous practical applications, such would otherwise miss,” explains Shen-Orr.
mature vessels were less successful in as the development of unbreakable
combining with the host tissue and caused encryptions, and new possibilities for
more clots to be formed. quantum information systems on a chip.ENVIRONMENT BIG DATA
CT Scans for Clouds Will Chronic Use of β-Blockers
Improve Climate Prediction Found to Increase the Risk
of Parkinson’s Disease
Inspired by medical CT scans, a space mis- A new study led by Visiting Prof. Kira Radin-
sion consisting of tiny satellites will reveal sky of the Computer Science Faculty indi-
detailed images of cloud structures and cates that chronic use of β-blockers con-
properties, and may resolve some major fers a time- and dose-dependent increased
uncertainties that limit current climate risk for Parkinson’s disease.
prediction.
Prof. Radinsky and her team used Mac-
The project, which was recently awarded cabi Health Services electronic charts to
€14 million by the European Research identify all patients receiving their first
Council Synergy program, is led by Prof. β-blocker treatment. They calculated the
Yoav Schechner of the Viterbi Faculty of morbidity hazard of Parkinson’s disease
Electrical Engineering, an expert in com- diagnosis in users of β-blockers compared
puter vision and computed tomography, with non-users, as well as users of angio-
along with Prof. Ilan Koren from the Weiz- tensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors
ROUGHS &
mann Institute of Science and Prof. Klaus for hypertension. The adjusted hazard ratio
Schilling of the Center for Telematics in for Parkinson’s disease among β-blocker
Würzburg, Germany. In analogy to the users was 1.51. In contrast, the Parkin-
better-known medical CT, images will be son’s disease morbidity hazard for patients
taken simultaneously from many directions receiving ACE inhibitors was no different
around and above the clouds. This feat than for the general population.
will be made possible by the networked
self-organizing formation of multiple, in-
expensive, small satellites.PRESIDENT’S REPORT 2019
19
INFORMATION PROCESSING HEALTH REGENERATIVE MEDICINE
Revolutionizing Innovative System Predicts Revealing the Therapeutic
Information Processing the Effectiveness of Promise of Programmed
Antibiotic Cocktails Cell Death
Technion researchers have succeeded in Researchers at the Faculty of Biology dis- Asst. Prof. Yaron Fuchs from the Faculty
generating minute “nano-hedgehogs of covered an innovative system for measur- of Biology is the 2019 grand prize winner
light” called optical skyrmions, which could ing the effectiveness of “antibiotic cock- of the Sartorius and Science Prize for Re-
make possible revolutionary advances in tails” and proved that the variety of drugs generative Medicine and Cell Therapy, for
information processing, transfer and stor- in the cocktail has a much larger impact work that reveals a role for programmed
age. The research, published in Science, was than their dosages. stem cell death in wound healing and tis-
led by Assoc. Prof. Guy Bartal of the Viterbi sue regeneration.
Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Assoc. The research was led by Prof. Roy Kishony
Prof. Netanel Lindner of the Physics Faculty. of the Faculties of Biology and Computer The findings, described in his prize-winning
Science, and his findings were recently essay, “The therapeutic promise of apopto-
The researchers demonstrated that an elec- published in the journal Nature Microbi- sis,” could potentially pave the way to novel
tric field can take on a “skyrmion” shape ology. Prof. Kishony’s team developed a regenerative medicine and tumor therapies
and that these “light hedgehogs” are robust system that automatically and precisely that target stem cells undergoing apoptosis
against various defects in the material host- measures the effect of different antibiotic – a type of programmed cell death. Prof.
ing the electromagnetic waves. The new cocktails on bacteria. They found that the Fuchs heads the Laboratory of Stem Cell
discovery could enable future replication of larger the number of different antibiotics in Biology and Regenerative Medicine.
MORE
this unique effect in a wide range of systems the cocktail, the lower the doses required
and materials, including liquids, nanopar- of each antibiotic without reducing the
ticle systems and even cold atomic gases. cocktail’s effectiveness.
It might also lay the ground for new sky-
rmion applications in optical (rather than
magnetic) information processing, transfer
and storage.STRATEGIC GOAL:
EXCELLENCE IN
MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH
Center Stage
MR
AI Prof. Shie Mannor
T
echnion’s newly inaugurated Prof. Shie Mannor of the Andrew and Erna
Center for Machine Learning Viterbi Faculty of Electrical Engineering
and Intelligent Systems is set to heads the new AI Center. Prof. Mannor is
become a hub of creativity and an associate editor of the Journal of Ma-
research that will benefit the scientific chine Learning Research, Operations Re-
?
and medical communities, and industry. search and Math of Operations Research,
and held the Canada Research Chair in
Technion has succeeded in building a Machine Learning between 2005-2009
strong world-class AI group, with more while on the faculty of McGill University.
than 20 faculty members carrying out
first-rate theoretical and applied re- By promoting both pure and applied re-
search. The new Center for Machine search in machine learning, the Center
Learning and Intelligent Systems that serves as a bridge between academia and
was recently inaugurated will maintain Israeli and global high-tech industries. It
Technion’s position as one of the top uni- will educate hundreds of scientists and
versities worldwide in both the research engineers and train researchers spe-
and teaching of intelligent systems. cializing in data science and machinePRESIDENT’S REPORT 2019
21
Technion autonomous
Formula race car built
by Technion students,
cruises down Ayalon
highway
PARTNERSHIP WITH INTEL
The new AI Center enjoys especially close ties
with Intel, the multinational semiconductor
giant. Intel has had a strong relationship with
learning, as well as attracting leading Technion for years, and it is a partner in the
researchers from all over the world, and new Center. “As part of this collaboration with
hosting industry and medical experts. Intel, the company supports research projects of
Technion faculty members engaged in computational
The Center provides a holistic multidis- learning and artificial intelligence together with
ciplinary approach to the investigation of Intel researchers. The research covers a variety
complex problems such as the applica- of areas, including natural language processing,
tion of machine learning in personalized deep learning and hardware optimization for
treatment of cancer. Its scope includes different learning algorithms,” Mannor explains.
defense and homeland security, agritech,
home and industrial robots, health and “We are proud of the cooperation with Technion,
medicine, smart environments, fintech, which will promote Israeli technology and Intel’s
and autonomous vehicles. technological leadership in the field of artificial
intelligence,” Intel Israel CEO Yaniv Garty said
Technion’s goal in establishing the Cen- at the inauguration ceremony.
ter is to leverage its multidisciplinary ex-
perience and expertise in fields such as science and technology that is vital to its
data, information and computer sciences; security and economy.
control theory; automation and robotics; The new Center is
statistics and complex systems; neurosci- a one-stop-shop. Technion is well positioned to enhance its
ences and more, in order to address rel- Now we can work many existing research relationships with
evant challenges in artificial intelligence with much larger Israeli industry leaders and global compa-
and machine learning science. companies with nies and to expand its range of partnerships
complex needs. in areas that relate to the new Center. In
As a leader in this field, Technion plays a - Pro f . Sh i e Manno r this context, Technion has already estab-
key role in the country’s efforts to main- lished close ties with Intel, Bank Hapoalim,
tain and enhance the qualitative edge in Hyundai and other companies.IMAGINE, INVENT, INNOVATE The Quantum Imperative STRATEGIC GOAL: PIONEERING THE EDGE OF SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY Asst. Prof. Shay Hacohen-Gourgy in his Superconducting Quantum Circuits Lab in the Faculty of Physics
PRESIDENT’S REPORT 2019
23
L
ast June, Technion announced a $50 million Notable research breakthroughs include:
gift from the Helen Diller Family Foun- > The first-ever topological insulator
dation to support a new state-of-the-art laser - Prof. Moti Segev
quantum center. Thanks to this gift, Tech- > The most advanced single and
nion is poised to be a world leader in one of the entangled photon generating
21st century’s most important fields of science technique - Prof. David Gershoni
and technology. > Metamaterial-based quantum
manipulation - Prof. Erez
The Helen Diller Center for Quantum Science, Matter Hasman and Prof. Moti Segev
and Engineering is headed by Dist. Prof. Moti Segev > Advanced opto-atomic clocks -
and Prof. Gadi Eisenstein. Prof. Segev is the Robert Prof. Gadi Eisenstein
J. Shillman Distinguished Professor of Physics. Prof.
Eisenstein holds the Mark and Diane Seiden Chair An Ultrafast Transmission Electron Microscope fa-
in Optoelectronics and is the director of the Russell cility, the only such system in Israel and one of a
Berrie Nanotechnology Institute (RBNI). handful worldwide, will be inaugurated in 2019. In
this system, the electron beam is pulsed – synchro-
There are more than 30 faculty members engaged nized with an ultrafast optical pulse. It is used for
in quantum-related research. The grant from the quantum electrodynamic experiments and other
Helen Diller Family Foundation will enable Technion ultrafast quantum phenomena.
to recruit ten new faculty members between 2018
and 2028. In November 2019, an important symposium or-
ganized jointly by Technion and the newly formed
Munich Quantum Center (which includes Ludwig
Maximilian University, the Technical University of
Munich, the Max Planck Institute and the Deutsche
Museum) will take place at the Max Planck Institute
in Garching near Munich.STUDENT
MOSAIC
STRATEGIC GOAL:
A THRIVING CAMPUS
Technion’s student body is
more diverse than ever –
with more women, minorities
and international students
than ever before.
Christine Khoury, 26, PhD Joseph Rodriguez, 21, BSc
Grand Technion Energy Program (GTEP) Civil Engineering, Technion International
“I was born in a small village in Lebanon, and when “I grew up in Ecuador and I am proud to be a Technion
I was seven, my family moved to Israel. In 2011, I student in Civil Engineering. I aim to someday work in
started my studies at the Wolfson Faculty of Chemical the ever-growing construction industry. When I was
Engineering and completed my BSc summa cum laude. younger, I had the opportunity to live in Tel Aviv with
Technion provided me with a lot of intellectual chal- my family due to my Dad’s work. After experiencing
lenges as well as allowing me to learn important skills life in Israel for a year, I knew it wasn’t going to be
such as working in a team and self-learning. My re- my last time here. I found in Technion the school
search topic is the ‘Transformation of Biomass-Derived that allowed me to fulfill my dream of both living
Molecules to Fuels and Chemicals Using Cooperative in Israel and getting a top-level edu-
Catalysis.’ As part of my research, I am trying to accel- cation. Throughout the past three
erate environmentally-friendly reactions by designing years, this school has helped me
and synthesizing new materials. In the future, I plan reach my academic potential,
to work in R&D, using my skills to improve the yield learn from professors whom
of chemical processes and suggesting sustainable I admire, and make lifelong
alternatives to existing energy-intensive processes.” friendships. In my free time,
I enjoy reading and playing
sports such as soccer, tennis
and chess.”PRESIDENT’S REPORT 2019
25
Roni Anna Gofman, 25, MSc Yehuda Sabiner, 28, MD
Astrophysics Medicine
“I was raised in Tel Aviv and “I grew up in Jerusalem in a family of Gur Hassidim.
in high school I was the cap- I live in Bnei Brak with my wife and three children.
tain of my school’s FIRST I established an organization called “Haredim in
robotics team. I have volun- Medicine” to help integrate Haredi men and women
teered in this program ever into medical studies in Israel. I was attracted to this
since. After serving in the IDF field since childhood, and for many years I volunteered
as an artillery instructor, I moved with Magen David Adom. I am completing my sixth year
to Haifa to study physics at Technion. I’m at Technion and plan to specialize in internal medicine or
currently doing a Master’s degree in the Physics Fac- pediatrics. My biggest challenge was having to
ulty with Prof. Noam Soker as my advisor. My research acquire pre-academic education when
involves theoretical work in the field of Astrophysics. I was 20. I joined the first cohort of
In my Master’s thesis, I hope to provide a theoretical the Technion program designed
model for a peculiar supernova that was detected in to prepare Haredi students for
2014. As a daughter of Technion alumni, I always knew academic studies. What I love
that I would study here. The things I like most about about Technion is that it is a
Technion are the people and the atmosphere. I enjoy superb institution that leads in
being surrounded by successful, interesting and excel- developing the country in every
lent people. I like the fact that everyone’s main goal field – and always for the most
here is to learn and understand more.” noble reasons.”
Boris Levin, 25, BArch Rotem Dror, 30 , PhD
Architecture and Town Planning Natural Language Processing
“I was born in Saint Petersburg “I am half-way through my doctoral studies in natu-
and when I was 16 I decided ral language processing at the Davidson Faculty of
that I would make Aliyah and Industrial Engineering and Management. I am one of
study at Technion to become 57 students from all over the world who was awarded
an architect. I live in a dorm a Google Fellowship this year. I have spent my entire
on campus and am consid- academic career at Technion.My research focuses
ered a new immigrant, alone in on developing structured prediction algorithms for
the country. The most challeng- natural language processing applications. I love to
ing thing for students in the Faculty teach and my dream is to pursue a career in academia.
of Architecture, I think, is a never-ending necessity I live in the Stanley Shalom Zielony
to be creative, especially under the stress of a huge Graduate Student Village with my
number of courses, projects and presentations. Nev- husband and young daughter. I
ertheless, I do love my studies and try to appreciate love Technion. I was surprised
everything that we have an opportunity to learn here. I that Technion chose me for
believe that the technological approach and the deep the Google Fellowship com-
research in topics such as urbanism, green architec- petition. The Fellowship is a
ture and innovative infrastructure may be the answer vote of confidence. It’s a seri-
to making our world a better place. Technion is the ous boost to my motivation.”
very best place in Israel which can provide this sort
of knowledge at the highest level.”I TECHNION
TECHNION SPIRIT
STRATEGIC GOAL: prior to final exams. Each workshop is
IMPROVING THE STUDENT 20 hours long and heavily subsidized.
EXPERIENCE
This year, the Technion Students Associa-
tion (TSA) launched a new joint effort with
T h e Te c h n i o n S t u d e n t s
the Center for Promotion of Learning and
Association isn’t only the
Teaching whose goal is to improve the qual-
largest in Israel, it is also
ity of teaching at Technion. The Association
the most active – organizing
is involved in training teaching assistants,
a plethora of events and
advocating for more filmed courses, and
initiatives which enrich the
processing student feedback on teaching
overall student experience.
quality and content.
PARTIES, SPORTS AND MORE
T In addition to providing academic support,
hanks to Technion’s diligent Students TSA ensures that Technion students have
Association, students not only enjoy a rich access to a wide array of extracurricular
selection of extracurricular activities and activities and cultural events throughout
cultural events; they also benefit from a the year. The 4,000 tickets to each of their
support network that helps them cope four annual mega parties usually sell out
with the academic challenges. Under the fast, and the two-day Student Festival held
leadership of Students Association Chair every May attracts 18,000 people a day,
Amir David Nissan-Cohen, a Computer making it the largest of its kind in Israel.
Science Master’s student, and Graduate Moreover, on Wednesdays from 12:30 to
Students Chair Asaf Hershkovitz, a PhD 14:30 there are no classes on campus and
student in Materials Engineering, the or- during that time the Students Association
ganization is busier than ever. hosts a different event every week, such as
a concert or crafts fair. “But every day there
One of the Students Association proj- is something going on,” reveals Nissan-
ects that gained steam this year involves Cohen, adding that TSA runs 36 different
graduate students helping undergrads competitive sports teams, some of which
with their coursework. The Students As- are quite successful. Over 3,000 students
sociation also organizes approximately take part in sports.
40 workshops each semester for stu-
dents who feel that they are behind Nissan-Cohen also stresses the impor-
in their course material, and 40 more tance of volunteering and communityYou can also read
