$$News and Reports$$

Apr. 30, 2020


Ben-Gurion University of the Negev salutes its 5th president, Prof. Avishay Braverman, upon receiving the Israel Prize on Israel’s 72nd Independence Day. Braverman was awarded a lifetime achievement award for his contributions in turning BGU into “one of the most respected academic institutions in Israel.”




When Braverman assumed the presidency in 1990, the University comprised 5,000 students on a small campus in Beer-Sheva. When he stepped down in 2006 to become a Member of Knesset, there were 20,000 students and the Marcus Family Campus had become a vibrant center of learning, and an architectural gem packed with modern buildings.

According to the Prize Committee, “Braverman consistently advanced disadvantaged populations, opening before them the gates of academia. His contribution to the university, which included a metropolitan perspective that considered the city and its employment centers part and parcel of the fabric of academia, led to the thriving and flourishing of Beer-Sheva and the entire Negev.”

During the interview at the ceremony, Prof. Braverman said the vision had been “to create a large university with an emphasis on excellence. In parallel, we would build an industrial park to create a strong metropolitan area,which would propel the whole Negev forward. That is what happened.”

Turning to the younger generation, he urged them, “Do not be afraid to build an exemplary society here in Israel.”

BGU’s current president, Prof. Daniel Chamovitz, congratulated Prof. Braverman when the decision to award him the Israel Prize was announced, “As President of BGU, I am truly standing on the shoulders of giants. Prof. Braverman is, simply put, a great man. His vision became reality and what he saw in his mind's eye so many years ago is what we can now all experience. He had the vision, the tenacity, and the leadership necessary to build the remarkable University and the surrounding ecosystem we see today. His contribution to Israeli society through BGU is indeed worthy of such an honor."

Prof. Braverman was born on January 15, 1948 in Ramat Gan. He studied economics at Tel Aviv University where he received his BA in 1968 and continued on for a Masters there after serving in the IDF as a systems analyst. He completed his PhD at Stanford University in California in 1976. He worked at the World Bank from 1976 until assuming the presidency of BGU in 1990.