BGU | PRESIDENT'S REPORT 2026

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BEN-GURION UNIVERSITY OF THE NEGEV

and flexibility: it is easier to pursue interdisciplinary study, combine expertise across fields, and tailor their academic pathways to the rapidly evolving hi-tech sector. The Faculty's launch reinforces the Negev’s growing pull as a center for innovation, as reflected in new and expanded collaborations with industry. Among the clearest signals: NVIDIA’s announcement that it will expand its research facilities in the Advanced Technologies Park (ATP) adjacent to the University and recent new partnerships in AI and cybersecurity research signed with Google and Boeing. Together, these developments reflect a broader shift: the concentration of advanced research and talent in and around the University is strengthening the ecosystem growth that attracts major players, deepens collaboration, and attracts sustained investment. A major pillar of the Stein Faculty is its ambition to expand both the pace and scope of discovery. As the boundaries between traditional academic departments dissolve, research takes place in five interdisciplinary institutes, creating what is now Israel’s largest artificial intelligence research center. Recognizing that today’s most significant scientific breakthroughs emerge at the

intersection of disciplines, this fosters an environment in which researchers can move fluidly between theory and application. This gift is helping recruit new researchers, expand research capacity, increase student scholarships, and deepen international collaborations. “The institute model allows researchers to align with their scientific direction while maintaining the freedom to shift as their work evolves,” explains Prof. Matya Katz, the Faculty’s inaugural dean and an expert in computational geometry and geometric optimization. “This structure is designed to strengthen collaboration while allowing researchers the agility to pursue emerging fields and adapt as technology evolves.” The creation of the Stein Faculty was made possible through a significant gift from The Schulich Foundation, honoring David Stein, a technology entrepreneur and