In January 2020, a delegation of vice chancellors, provosts and pro-vice-chancellors from eight leading UK Universities met with representatives of The Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities and the Israel Young Academy.

 

The British delegation, led by Prof. Sir Steve Smith, Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive of the University of Exeter and former head of Universities UK, met with Prof. David Harel, Vice President of the Israel Academy; Academy Member Prof. Ruth Berman; Prof. Avi Zadok, Chair of the Israel Young Academy; former Young Academy Member Prof. Re’em Sari, now Vice President for Research and Development at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem; and Israel Academy Director Ms. Galia Finzi.

 

This meeting was one of several the delegation held with research institutions, universities and government officials. The delegation was organized by the UK Science and Innovation Network and the British Council Israel, as part of a larger program to foster increased collaboration between the two countries in all fields of academic research, as well as student and staff mobility, entrepreneurship and innovation.

 

The visit was arranged in collaboration with the Association of University Heads, Israel (VERA), and Universities UK International. It followed a successful visit of Israeli academic representatives to the UK in December 2019.