TAU president appointed chairman of the Committee of University Heads in Israel

TAU President Joseph Klafter has been appointed Chair of the Committee of University Heads of Israel (“VERA”), replacing Prof. Peretz Lavie, President of the Technion—Israel Institute of Technology. Prof. Klafter, an internationally renowned scientist in the field of chemical physics, has served as president of Tel Aviv University since October 2009.

 

The Committee of University Heads is a voluntary body composed of the presidents, rectors and directors-general of Israel’s seven research universities – Tel Aviv University, Technion, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Haifa University, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Weizmann Institute and Bar-Ilan University. Its objective is to represent the universities’ common interest in the most effective way vis-à-vis government decision-makers, and to promote and develop scientific research and higher education In Israel.

 

One of the major issues on the Committee’s agenda in recent years has been combating the academic boycott against Israel. Says Prof. Klafter, "As Chairof the Committee I will continue to deal with essential needs for the future of the country. These include countering BDS, bringing home talented young Israeli scientists, and strengthening Israeli higher education. The most important resource of the State of Israel is its human capital and the universities have a central role in building that up. Israeli universities are world-class postgraduate research and training centers. We must take care to maintain this status and help our students and researchers advance all aspects of Israeli society,” he says.