{"id":22,"date":"2025-03-09T14:52:01","date_gmt":"2025-03-09T14:52:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/presidentreport.biu.ac.il\/2025\/?page_id=22"},"modified":"2025-07-30T15:00:27","modified_gmt":"2025-07-30T15:00:27","slug":"campus","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/presidentreport.biu.ac.il\/2025\/?page_id=22","title":{"rendered":"Campus"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-22","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","has-post-title","has-post-date","has-post-category","has-post-tag","has-post-comment","has-post-author",""],"builder_content":" \"Logo\" <\/a>\n
Office of the CEO and Senior Vice President<\/h5>\n

Campus Development<\/h1>\n

How every place, person, and pixel on campus helps Bar-Ilan seize the opportunities presented by new knowledge and technologies.\u00a0<\/h3>\n

Eyes On the Prize<\/h3>

\u201cThe uniqueness of the Bar-Ilan approach to innovation leadership,\u201d explains Zohar Yinon, Bar-Ilan\u2019s CEO and senior vice president, \u201cis that it\u2019s not confined to the lab or the classroom. Rather, we strive to cultivate a mindset that\u2019s always on the lookout for both problems and solutions, and that aims to integrate the best human qualities into a world increasingly defined by technology.\u201d<\/p>

Perhaps the most obvious\u2014and one of the largest\u2014examples of innovation leadership is Bar-Ilan\u2019s forthcoming Health-Tech Valley Campus. Envisioned by President Prof. Arie Zaban and initiated and implemented by Yinon, the first-of-its-kind project\u2014the university\u2019s expenditure for which was approved by the Council for Higher Education last year\u2014will accelerate the growth of Israel\u2019s vital biotech industry. By bringing translational researchers from Bar-Ilan and clinicians from Sheba Medical Center into the same space, most notably in a state-of-the-art shared laboratory, the campus can accelerate diagnostic and therapeutic innovations that it would take individuals working separately much longer to develop, if they were able to develop them at all. \u201cThe Health-Tech Valley Campus will literally be built around the recognition that interaction and knowledge-sharing are as important to the discovery and innovation process as the most advanced equipment,\u201d Yinon says. To help ensure the project\u2019s success, Prof. Shulamit Michaeli of the Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences is heading up a special effort to recruit outstanding faculty.<\/p>\n\"Zohar\n

Zohar Yinon<\/h5>\n
New Uses for Old Technology<\/h6>\n

The innovation mindset can also be found where you might least expect it\u2014namely, in the campus libraries. Last year\u2019s library renovations, made possible through the generosity of the Leibler family, were in fact \u201cpart of our ongoing efforts to reimagine the role of a library in an AI-powered age.\u201d That doesn\u2019t mean, he\u2019s quick to add, doing away with books, but it does mean enabling more access to information, installing virtual-reality stations, and designing study spaces that encourage the free flow of ideas. And it also means training Bar-Ilan librarians, together with Director of Libraries and Information Division Dr. Olga Goldin, to help students navigate the expanding information universe while ensuring scholarly integrity, critical thinking, and curiosity.<\/p>

Finally, as part of last year\u2019s \u201cAcademic Armor\u201d assistance for reservists, Yinon\u2019s student services and administration team developed an automated system that turned weekly status reports from the IDF into daily absence alerts to instructors. This way, explains Yinon, they were aware in real time when their students were serving, and could make accommodations in their courses and even reach out to inquire after students\u2019 well-being. \u201cTechnology allowed us to be aware of the exceptional circumstances so many of our students faced,\u201d concludes Yinon. \u201cBut what our faculty did with that awareness speaks to the real human concern our community has for its members. I\u2019m proud to say that that\u2019s also a part of what makes Bar-Ilan unique.\u201d<\/p>\n\"\u05e8\u05d0\u05e9\n

\u201cWe Are Reshaping the Future\u201d: A Letter from the Mayor of Ramat Gan<\/h6>

Ramat Gan Mayor Carmel Shama-Cohen explains how the new Health-Tech Valley Campus is set to transform the city for the benefit of Israel and the world.<\/p>\n READ MORE <\/use><\/svg><\/em> <\/a>\n Take a virtual tour of Bar-Ilan <\/a>\n

Explore our three campuses\u2019 main features, today and in the years to come.<\/p>\n \"Map <\/a>\n

Building Capacity<\/h6>

Spearheaded by President Prof. Arie Zaban, managed by CEO and Senior Vice President Zohar Yinon and COO Ofer Shragay, and made possible by gifts from our many partners and friends, strategic additions and upgrades to campus allowed Bar-Ilan to expand its areas of core strength.<\/p>\n

The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust Energy Prototype Lab<\/h6>

Through a $6.5M gift from the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust, renovations were completed on Israel\u2019s first energy prototype lab, a cornerstone of the $37M National Institute for Energy Research launched jointly with the Technion - Israel Institute for Technology in 2023. Housed in the Jerome Schottenstein Center, the lab will enable an evaluation of a product's Technology Readiness Level (TRL), or the maturity of technologies before operational implementation. Together with the NetZero Accelerator for clean-energy startups\u2014a leading venture builder in Israeli climate and energy deep tech\u2014the prototype lab is expected to cement Bar-Ilan\u2019s status as an international mecca for energy research.<\/p>\n

New Synthesis Center<\/h6>

A $9.7M gift from the Adelson Family Foundation will enable the renovation and equipping of a new synthesis center, work for which began last year. Featuring AI-powered mobile robots for carrying out chemical synthesis research with exceptional efficiency, the center will advance research in catalysis, biopharmaceuticals, and medicine.<\/p>\n

Expansion of Research in Nanotechnology<\/h6>

Architectural firm Mochly-Eldar was selected in a special architectural competition to design Bar-Ilan\u2019s \u201cNano 2.0,\u201d the second building on the Bar-Ilan campus dedicated to nanotechnology. Currently in the regulatory zoning and planning process, the building will house labs for research on renewable energy and quantum physics. In addition, one entire floor will be earmarked for cleanrooms, or labs that can maintain the sterile environment required for sensitive research.<\/p>\n

Expansion of the Alexander Kofkin Faculty of Engineering<\/h6>

Slated to house 30 laboratories, classrooms, and an auditorium and student lounge, the newest addition to the Alexander Kofkin Faculty of Engineering will allow Bar-Ilan to move into new fields of research, including materials and data engineering, which builds systems for the collection and conversion of data into usable information. Designed by Yaron Granot architects, the building entered the regulatory process last year.<\/p>\n

Expansion of the Azrieli Faculty of Medicine<\/h6>

Construction began on the Yosef Meir Ben Welwel Marynberg Medical Education Building, adjacent to the medical school\u2019s campus. Made possible through a lead gift from Zeev Marynberg, the building will house a state-of-the-art simulation unit, a two-story library, an auditorium, and numerous classrooms and lecture halls. Planning is also underway on the new Edmond de Rothschild Medical Research Building, future home to 30 laboratories.<\/p>\n

New University Data Center<\/h6>

Completed last year, the new data center uses GPUs (graphics processing units) to accelerate AI and machine-learning tasks, thus expanding the university\u2019s computing infrastructure dramatically. It also complies with the highest standards of energy efficiency, temperature control, redundancy and cyber security and allows for constant migration between the cloud and Bar-Ilan databases, servers, and computers.<\/p>\n

New Radiology Lab in Sheba<\/strong><\/p>

Together with Sheba Medical Center, Profs. Sharon Ruthstein of the Department of Chemistry, Rachela Popovtzer of the Alexander Kofkin Faculty of Engineering, and Prof. Haim Cohen of the Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences won an Institutional Equipment Grant from the Council for Higher Education (CHE) to establish a pre-clinical imaging center. Featuring three state-of-the-art imaging systems, a PET-MRI 7T, a SPECT-CT, and Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Imaging (EPRI) equipment, the center will develop new radiopharmaceuticals for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, neurological diseases, and other disorders.<\/p>\n

New Experimental Psychology-Social Sciences Lab<\/h6>

Thanks to its investment in advanced equipment, the Department of Psychology is now home to a laboratory for recording behavior and monitoring mental and emotional states. Initiated by the department with the goal of serving researchers across the Faculty of Social Sciences, the lab will facilitate emerging trends in psychology, social work, and neuroscience, in particular their growing emphasis on mental health.<\/p>\n

The new engineering and medical-research buildings will almost double the size of the Alexander Kofkin Faculty of Engineering and the Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, respectively.<\/p>\n

The campus\u2019 new data center will triple the university\u2019s computing capacity.<\/p>\n

More square feet for biotechnology and biomedical research in the Health-Tech Valley Campus.<\/p>\n

Square feet for biomedical research by gifted high-school students in the Health-Tech Valley Campus\u2019 two upper floors, dedicated to the University Center for Youth.<\/p>\n

Supporting our Heroes<\/h6>

In the immediate aftermath of October 7th, Chief Marketing Officer Naama Gat and Manager of the Devision of Student Services and Administration Ilanit Betit launched the \u201cWe Have Your Back\u201d\u00a0student lifeline fund to ensure that Bar-Ilan\u2019s nearly 5,000 reservists could focus on their missions without financial stress. The online campaign, which sought to provide each reservist with NIS 1,000-5,000 in grants for tuition assistance and living stipends, raised a total of NIS 20M from Bar-Ilan partners and friends.<\/p>

Bar-Ilan management also continued the \u201cAcademic Armor\u201d plan to ensure its reservists\u2019 academic success, both upon their return to studies and during their periods of service. Featuring academic and administrative benefits, tutoring and psychological support, and even a dedicated advisor from the university, the plan was also integrated with the Bar-Ilan student portal to enable reservists to utilize the benefits effectively. \u201cWhen reservists entered their identification number, they could immediately see what they qualified for and how to proceed,\u201d explains Yinon. \u201cThe Student Administration team went above and beyond to ensure that reservists never wasted even the smallest bit of energy in claiming the benefits that they so deeply deserved. In addition, I assigned CFO Arnon Zait the task of collecting tuition fees from our reservists with sensitivity and an eye toward proactive support.\u201d<\/p>\n

Raised by the \u201cWe Have Your Back\u201d Campaign for direct financial support to student reservists.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Provided to reservists by the university for academic tutoring and psychological and administrative support.<\/p>\n

Embracing and Advancing the Administration<\/h6>

Along with providing ongoing support to faculty and staff who suffered the loss of loved ones to the war, Chief Human Resources Officer Maor Pinko and his team, together with the new University Resilience Center, developed creative solutions for those whose work lives were disrupted, whether on account of displacement from their homes, the extended absence of a spouse, or psychological stress. Moreover, as part of Bar-Ilan\u2019s emphasis on innovation leadership, the Human Resources Department also granted the administration \u201cupskilling\u201d workshops in AI literacy, and hired, under the direction of Yinon, the first cadre of \u201cIT 2.0\u201d personnel. These individuals are equipped with the skills required to manage and deploy AI in support of Bar-Ilan\u2019s automated work processes, in such areas as student services, administration, and marketing. They are also versed in AI-related ethics and are able to support both faculty and students who are working remotely.<\/p>\n

Investing in Transformative Research<\/h6>

Thanks to the university\u2019s \u201cAlumot\u201d plan for responsible and sustainable financial management, Bar-Ilan closed 2024 with a balanced budget, for the fourth consecutive year in a row. President Prof. Zaban and Vice President for Research Prof. Yaron Shav-Tal, together with CEO and Senior Vice President Zohar Yinon and CFO Arnon Zait, are developing a plan for the investment of surplus funds back into promising Bar-Ilan research.<\/p>\n

Bar-Ilan,
70 Years Strong<\/p>\n

Whether by means of rare records and books or today\u2019s latest AI technology, Bar-Ilan\u2019s libraries enable faculty and students to learn about the past and present while helping to shape the future. The Wurzweiler Central Library, founded in 1967, today provides reference, access, and technical services to all campus libraries, while also housing special collections in Judaic and Yiddish studies, religious Zionism, and more.<\/p>\n