A high-level delegation from the Technion Israel Institute of Technology, Israel’s premier science and technology institute and one of the world’s leading universities, will visit The University of Texas at Dallas Jan. 10-11 as part of an effort to establish research and educational ties between the two institutions.
During the visit, the universities will conduct a joint public symposium on nanotechnology and the life sciences and will enter into an agreement to pursue common interests, which will include collaborative research projects and student and faculty exchanges.
“We are delighted to be able to host some of Israel’s leading scientists and academics and explore ways we can work together in the future for the benefit of both UT Dallas and the Technion,” said Dr. Steven Goodman, the C.L. and Amelia Lundell Professor of Life Sciences and professor of molecular and cell biology at UT Dallas. Goodman led a group of UT Dallas representatives to Haifa, Israel in December to begin the process of building a link between the two schools.
“We believe that UT Dallas, which has aspirations to join the ranks of this nation’s top research universities, could benefit greatly from an ongoing, long-term relationship with an institution as highly-regarded as the Technion,” Goodman said. “The visit could also provide an impetus for the corporate communities in the Metroplex and in Haifa to get to know each other better and explore business opportunities in the respective markets.”
The Technion visitors will include President Yitzhak Apeloig, Nobel laureate and Professor Aaron Ciechanover and Professor Uri Sivan, director of the Russell Berrie Nanotechnology Institute.
The joint symposium, featuring presentations by experts in nanotechnology and the life sciences from both schools, will be held Jan. 11 from 1:30 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. in the UT Dallas Conference Center, Room 1.112.
Apeloig will open the symposium with a talk titled “Technion – The Powerhouse Behind Israel’s High-Tech Industry.” Others scheduled to make presentations include Ciechanover and Sivan from the Technion and Goodman and two UT Dallas colleagues — Dr. Ray Baughman and Dr. Anvar Zakhidov of the UT Dallas NanoTech Institute.
The event is free and open to the public. Additional information is available by calling 972-883-4870 or e-mailing ScienceAlliance@utdallas.edu.
Presenting sponsors of the visit by officials of the Technion include ALON USA of Dallas and its parent, ALON Israel, and EFW, Inc. of Fort Worth. Other sponsors include the Dallas office of Jones Day, the Greater Dallas Chamber of Commerce, the Jewish Federation of Dallas, the Metroplex Technology Business Council and STARTech Early Ventures.
The Technion, founded in 1924 in Haifa, enrolls approximately 12,500 students. Technion graduates comprise the majority of Israeli-educated scientists and engineers, constituting over 70 percent of the country’s founders and managers of high-tech industries. In addition to being a global leader in science and technology education and research, the Technion is home to a renowned medical school.
About UT Dallas
The University of Texas at Dallas, located at the convergence of Richardson, Plano and Dallas in the heart of the complex of major multinational technology corporations known as the Telecom Corridor, enrolls more than 14,500 students. The school’s freshman class traditionally stands at the forefront of Texas state universities in terms of average SAT scores. The university offers a broad assortment of bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs. For additional information about UT Dallas, please visit the university’s web site at www.utdallas.edu.
Contact Steve McGregor, UT Dallas, (972) 883-2293, smcgreg@utdallas.edu