Tel Aviv University (TAU) recently hosted a delegation headed by the Emirati Minister of Education, Hussain bin Ibrahim Al Hammadi, for a historic visit. The visit took place in the presence of TAU’s President Professor Ariel Porat and Vice President of International Academic Affairs Professor Milette Shamir.

The visit focused on promoting innovation and multidisciplinary collaboration, two fields in which TAU has accumulated massive expertise. The minister was impressed by the diverse academic activity and noted that he will act towards the promotion of academic cooperation between the two states.

During the visit, the guests took a tour of the Sonia and Marco Nadler Institute of Archeology. Professor Oded Lipschits, Professor Yuval Gadot, and Dr. Ido Koch showed the minister their vast research and archeological findings related to the religion of Islam.

The delegation also visited the Blavatnik Center for Drug Discovery, where they met Professor Ehud Gazit, who showed them the various developments of the center. In addition, Professor Ronit Satchi-Fainaro of the Sackler Faculty of Medicine and Sagol School of Neuroscience gave the delegation a lecture about her world-pioneering research in which she created the first 3D-bioprinted model of an active glioblastoma tumor.

Professor Shamir noted that during the visit there was a consensus that in order to contribute to the prosperity of the Abraham Accords, research and academic collaborations between Israel and the Emirates must be promoted. “We need to develop a collaboration regarding solutions to the many regional challenges we face today — hence the common desire of TAU and senior officials in the field of education in the Emirates to expand research collaborations and to have mutual exchanges of students and faculty members.”