The largest academic delegation since the beginning of the Covid 19 pandemic visited BGU on May 10th – 18 participants from The University of Torino (UniTO), the Italian Scientific Attache to Israel, and the regional councilor of the Piedmont Region.
BGU President Prof. Daniel Chamovitz and VP for Global Engagement Prof. Limor Aharonson-Daniel greeted the delegation.
BGU Rector, Prof. Chaim Hames, and UniTO Rettore Prof. Stefano Geuna, signed agreements for collaboration and exchange. UniTO leadership and researchers as well as BGU leadership, attended the signing ceremony before breaking into one on one meetings between BGU researchers and their counterparts. Researchers met their colleagues in the Faculties of Engineering, Health Sciences, Natural Sciences and the Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research.
Prof. Dan Blumberg, VP for Regional and Industrial Development, led a round table meeting in which UniTO's “Butterfly Area" and Beer Sheva's Innovation District were presented, compared, and discussed. Both projects focus on creating an ecosystem of innovation and implementing knowledge in similar fields related to sustainability. UniTO's Butterfly Area aims to host companies and research centers focusing on agrifood, biotech, green chemistry, mobility, energy, environment, human and animal health, and material sciences. Beer Sheva's Innovation District, is focused on digital health, desertech, and cybersecurity incorporating AI and robotics applications.
Prof. Aharonson-Daniel shared: “We were on the verge of initiating the collaboration with UniTO just before Covid. We have been meeting via zoom over the past two years, so it was great to finally meet our partners face to face. I believe that now we are in an even better position to embark on a meaningful and fruitful collaboration."
Pictured above: standing, from left to right: Prof. Raz Jelinek – BGU VP and Dean for R&D, Mr. Fabrizio Ricca - Regional Councilor of the Piedmont Region, Italy, Prof. Daniel Chamovitz – BGU President, Prof. Limor Aharonson-Daniel – BGU VP for Global Engagement, Prof. Dan Blumberg – VP for Regional and Industrial Development; seated, from left to right: Prof. Stefano Geuna – Rector, University of Turin, Prof. Chaim Hames – Rector, BGU.
