November 25, 2013

Dear friends,

One of the main symbols of Hanukkah is the menorah, which we light on each of the eight nights of the Festival of Lights that begins this week. The menorah also symbolizes Israel as a “light unto the nations.”

In the last few years, Technion has increasingly stood out as a beacon of knowledge, discovery and innovation among the nations of the world:

• In New York City, our flagship joint venture with Cornell University, the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Innovation Institute (JTCII), continues to move forward, and  has begun accepting applications for its first degree program, Master of Science in Information Systems, focusing on Connective Media.

• Following approval by the Technion Senate, we are rapidly moving ahead with planning for Technion’s new branch in China, the Technion-Guangdong Institute of Technology (TGIT) at Shantou. This historic collaboration was made possible by a $130 million donation to Technion by the Li Ka Shing Foundation, combined with a strategic investment of approximately $150 million by Guangdong Province, the city of Shantou and Shantou University to develop and operate the new institute, as well as a technological park to be built in close proximity to the TGIT campus, that will serve as a bridgehead for Israeli companies interested in the Chinese market.

• Last week, during a visit to Israel by President of France, François Hollande, the Technion signed an agreement for strategic cooperation with École Polytechnique, one of the world’s leading science and engineering universities. President Hollande repeatedly praised the Technion-Polytechnique collaboration, including in his speech to the Knesset, emphasizing the Technion’s growing prominence and reputation in France.

• In Toronto, we have recently reached a major agreement with the University Health Network for collaboration in the area of stem cell research. A formal announcement of this agreement is scheduled for next month.

These successes on the global stage have created an unprecedented wave of interest in the Technion and a desire on the part of universities and governments to collaborate with us, and to learn “how we do it.” Rarely does a month go by without a call to me from a mayor, governor, minister or university president, asking to meet and discuss how we can work together. Our visitors center hosts countless guests and delegations from every corner of the globe, who are inspired and intrigued by our achievements.

So yes, Technion’s light shines bright, in Israel and among the nations. But we cannot take this for granted: a flame that is not constantly fed, will flicker and dim.

Like all of Technion’s achievements, our success on the global stage is the result of the aggregate efforts of faculty, staf and students, and of our worldwide family of societies, donors and alumni. You have all played your part in bringing us to where we are today, and we count on you to continue doing so into the future.

Before closing, I invite you to enjoy our Hanukkah video, in which students at the Schulich Faculty of Chemistry perform their special rendition of “Maoz Tzur”.

Wishing you a holiday season of warmth, illumination, and song, I am,

Sincerely,

Peretz Lavie