Tel Aviv University in Monaco

Featured gala events held under the high patronage of Prince Albert II of Monaco
11 December 2017
TAU President Joseph Klafter with H.S.H Prince Albert II of Monaco Credit: Samuel Sadoun

Tel Aviv University (TAU) recently held a highly successful weekend of special activities that brought together TAU friends, Governors, senior officials and academics at the fabulous Hermitage Hotel in Monaco. Participants enjoyed academic presentations, cultural tours, musical edification and an elegant gala dinner held under the high patronage and in the presence of Prince Albert II.

 

Over 155 people took part in activities, which included a scientific symposium, gala concert and gala dinner and tours to San Remo on the Italian Riviera and Eze on the French Riviera.

 

The TAU delegation was led by TAU President Joseph Klafter, Rector Yaron Oz and Amos Elad, Vice President for Resource Development.

 

Uniting under an environmental banner

The program took place at the fabulous Hermitage Hotel, kicking off with a lively, high-level academic symposium entitled ‘World Changing Solutions to Environmental Challenges.’ The event was held in collaboration with the Prince Albert II Foundation, which is

dedicated to the protection of the environment and the promotion of sustainable development on a global scale.

​​

Three panels were held at the symposium – Smart Cities, Biodiversity and Ecology – each of which featured one scientist from TAU and one professional in the field from Monegasque institutions. Speaking on smart cities were HE Bernard Fautrier, Vice President of the Prince Albert II Foundation, and Prof. Eyal Ben-Dor, Chair of the Department of Geography and Human Environment. The two biodiversity panelists were Mrs. Jessica Sbaraglia, Founder of Terre de Monaco, together with Prof. Tamar Dayan, Founding Chair of TAU’s Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, Israel National Center for Biodiversity Studies. The third panel on ecology featured presentations by Mrs. Jacqueline Gautier-Debernadi, Director of the Monegasque Association for the Protection of Nature, and Prof. Avigdor Abelson of the Department of Marine Biology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences.

 

Musical and culinary enlightenment

The symposium was followed by a cocktail reception for participants and a gala concert performed by Maestro Shlomo Mintz on violin; Prof. Tomer Lev, Head of TAU’s Buchmann-Mehta School of Music, on piano; and Dmitry Yablonsky, Head of International Relations a the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music, on cello. The performers received a standing ovation for their delivery of Mendelssohn’s Trio No. 1 for Piano, Violin and Cello.

 

The wonderful day of activities concluded with an elegant gala dinner presided over by Prince Albert, who expressed his admiration for the University’s academic and scientific prowess. President Klafter presented the Prince with a dove of peace sculpture, and told attendees, “We are particularly excited to be partnering with the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation in the areas of environment and sustainability. It’s an excellent match,” he continued, “ both the foundation and the University advance research, technological innovation and social awareness aimed at protecting the natural world.” Prof. Klafter invited the Prince to visit the TAU campus in 2018, which the Prince enthusiastically accepted.

 

​​​Guest of Honor at the dinner was Mr. Aaron G. Frenkel of Monaco, an influential businessman and philanthropist and President of Limmud FSU. He was presented with a certificate by Prof. Klafter, in which he was honored for his standing as an influential businessman, investor and philanthropist and his humanitarian spirit in donating time and resources to worthy Jewish values, continuity, culture and education, as well as his longstanding support for the State of Israel.​  

 

Aaron Frenkel (left) and Joseph Klafter

 

TAU Governors attending included Sami and Tova Sagol; Sylvan and Margaret Adams; and Daphna Meitar-Nechmad, TAU Global Campaign Co-Chair. They were joined by representatives of TAU Friends Associations from France, the UK, Germany, Spain, Canada and Israel, in addition to Mr. Bernard Fautier, Vice President of the Prince Albert II Foundation, who attended the gala concert.

 

Prof. Klafter thanked the French Friends, under the leadership of President Prof. François Heilbronn, for their exceptional endeavors to organize the event, as well as the Jewish community in Monaco and supporters from all over the world for their attendance.

 

The TAU organizing committee included Yael Regev, Director of the  Development and Public Affairs Division; Danielle Schemoul, General Delegate, French Friends Association; Agnes Hana Goldman of the French-Speaking Friends of TAU; Ilana Papo, Liaison for France and Monaco at the Development and Public Affairs Division; and Naguilla Perez of the French Friends.

 

 

Tel Aviv University makes every effort to respect copyright. If you own copyright to the content contained
here and / or the use of such content is in your opinion infringing, Contact us as soon as possible >>