Message From the President

Message from the
President

On October 6th, Bar-Ilan was set to begin the new academic year in a stronger position than ever before. After years of hard work, steady growth, and consistent investment in areas that align with our core strengths, we were ready to take off—and to make a game-changing impact in key fields.

 

And then, on October 7th, Hamas launched its barbaric attack.

 

In the weeks and months following the single deadliest day for the Jews in modern history, we faced a double challenge: meeting our students and society’s urgent needs, while continuing to advance toward our ambitious goals. For much like American universities during World War Two—many of which aligned their research infrastructure and curricula in support of the cause of freedom—we also proudly placed our unique resources and expertise in the service of our society. Indeed, Bar-Ilan’s contribution was felt on not only one or two, but every front. Hence the name chosen for this year’s report, which describes both our activities in the current moment as well as our ongoing efforts to lead the way toward solutions that Israel and the world need.

 

On the home front, for example, our one-of-a-kind mobile optometry clinic, our multi-disciplinary initiative for family-trauma intervention, and our school for evacuees all assisted victims of the Hamas attack on their journey of recovery. And at the front line, the generosity of our friends and partners allowed us to provide IDF combat medics with hundreds of lifesaving point-of-care ultrasounds, on whose use they were trained by students from our Azrieli Faculty of Medicine. Moreover, one of our researchers—who is also the country’s only top-to-toe anatomist—led the efforts to determine the status of missing victims and hostages.

 

On the public-diplomacy front, a Bar-Ilan Faculty of Law researcher led the fight for international recognition of Hamas’ sexual crimes on October 7th, while on the media front, researchers from across the disciplines used articles, interviews, and media appearances to help the world understand Israel’s position. And on the academic front, we ensured that each of our 4,000 students who served their country in reserve duty received the emotional, financial, and learning support needed both to readjust to civilian life and resume their studies successfully.

Finally, on the global Jewish front, we doubled down on our third mission in response to the tidal wave of antisemitism on college campuses. This phenomenon not only does grave damage to academia’s outcomes and ideals; it also harms Jewish students’ ability to develop their Jewish identities. Therefore, as I write these words, a new Bar-Ilan program is preparing visionary leaders for the Jewish future. These leaders will help develop a more just and inclusive society at home, while simultaneously strengthening Jewish unity throughout the world.

It must not be forgotten, however, that our ability to rise to the occasion so effectively was precisely because we were already at the pinnacle of our research and educational activities. And this achievement, in turn, is the result of years of careful planning and implementation.

 

When we adopted our ten-year strategic plan seven years ago, we were determined to address such pressing challenges as energy, healthcare, and AI. And we recognized that for Bar-Ilan to achieve this goal, we would need to undergo a difficult process of institutional change. Guided by our commitment to timeless Jewish values, as well as to innovation, collaboration, Zionism, and the pursuit of excellence, we cultivated a new organizational culture committed to real-world impact. For example, by making all faculty and administrators stakeholders in our success, we managed not only to balance our budget, but to grow it this past year. We also dramatically increased our student enrollment, while simultaneously attracting students of higher academic quality. And we invested in building the infrastructure—physical and digital—that allows us to leverage our talent and ambition into impact in the real world.

 

Which is why Bar-Ilan is now at an inflection point. Our “mega” research projects, such as our National Institute for Energy Research and the Russell Berrie Galilee Diabetes SPHERE, created entire ecosystems about to shift into high gear. We are about to begin work on a “bio-convergence campus” for healthcare breakthroughs in Ramat Gan’s Health-Tech Valley, a joint endeavor between Bar-Ilan’s Faculty of Life Sciences, Alexander Kofkin Faculty of Engineering, and Departments of Chemistry and Physics and the Sheba Medical Center. We are about to construct two new buildings at the Azrieli Faculty of Medicine in Safed, and two new buildings for engineering and nanoscience here in Ramat Gan. And the Jonathan Sacks Institute welcomed its first cohort of students for the bachelor’s degree in Democracy, Citizenship, and Leadership this year.

 

Our process of reassessing, recognizing mistakes, and changing direction was an irrefutable success. Yet it, too, initially seemed daunting—as does the process Israel will need to undergo when our war is finally won. But while such processes are difficult, we have shown that they are not impossible. On the contrary, with enough courage and perseverance, we can turn a crisis and a country around.

 

Netzach Yisrael lo yishaker: The Jewish people are eternal—and will undoubtedly prevail.

Prof. Arie Zaban

President of Bar-Ilan University