PRESIDENT'S REPORT 2020 | OUR FIRST 50

CELEBRATING OUR FIRST 50

7

In October 1977, while construction of Ben-Gurion University’s main campus was still in its early stages, the Board of Governors inaugurated the University’s Founders Wall. This Wall – which is now a series of walls winding through campus – lists for posterity those generous friends of the University whose gifts were the seeds that made BGU an “Oxford in the desert,” the remarkable institution of higher learning that is now celebrating its jubilee.

THE SEEDS SOWN YEARS AGO HAVE HELPED MAKE BGU A REMARKABLE FLOURISHING GARDEN OF KNOWLEDGE AND OPPORTUNITIES Some forty years on, the desert climate has taken its toll on the glittering letters. On the occasion of the University’s 50th anniversary, we undertook to restore these walls to the same high standards of more recent donor walls, such as the President’s Pillars, the Centennial Wall, and the Negev Society, as a sign of our eternal gratitude. The contributions from our friends, great and small, have funded scholarships, classrooms, laboratories, gardens, entire buildings and many other aspects of the University’s operations. These gifts have made possible the advancement of science, research and education, and supported the University in its mission to help individuals realize their full potential and drive development in the Negev and the State of Israel, for the benefit of humankind worldwide. I joined the BGU family last year and am delighted to be part of this tribute to our friends. I hope that our renewed Founders Walls will inspire them to renew their own commitment to BGU. As we enter a new era reshaped by global forces, BGU has the potential to make a stand with humanity and help shape the world as a better place. The continued support of our friends in the coming years is more crucial than ever as we become a truly world-class institution and beacon unto the nations.

Jeff Kaye Vice President for Public Affairs and Resource Development