BEN-GURION UNIVERSITY | THE WAY FORWARD

opportunity to connect with our shared roots, our understanding of our past and present, and our shared future, all of which are brought to life by BGU researchers at Sde Boker. The institutes at the Sylvan Adams Campus in Sde Boker attract research students from around the globe who study at the Albert Katz International School for Desert Studies and the Woodman-Scheller Israel Studies International Program. In the coming years, they will be joined by undergraduates studying in a new degree program in sustainability and environmental protection. The demand for student housing already exceeds the housing available on campus, so to accommodate the new undergrads and enable the recruitment of additional graduate students, plans are underway to expand the student dormitory complex at Sde Boker. One hundred and sixty furnished apartments of various sizes will be constructed in this three-phase project, providing housing for 250 people. But that’s not all – the new complex will also serve as a living dryland laboratory, facilitating research on renewable energy, sustainable development, and water reuse. Phase 1 will see the construction of 40 apartments, while later phases will include the construction of more apartments, educational facilities (including classrooms, offices, and a teaching laboratory), a cafeteria, sports facilities, community gardens, playgrounds, and more. Since our ability to initiate new degree programs in Sde Boker hinges on housing, the new accommodations will facilitate many levels of growth – increased student numbers, degree program offerings, research output, and numbers of Israel studies and sustainability experts, each of whom will uniquely impact the world and their fields. Improvements have also been made to existing buildings and facilities at the Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research (BIDR) to provide labs for new recruits, enhance educational facilities, and support new capabilities such as microplastic analysis. In one case, a building was redesigned and renovated, establishing the Gitter Family Water Research and Teaching Laboratories, home to the BIDR’s first dedicated teaching laboratory and new research

laboratories. The construction of the teaching lab represents an important milestone, enabling faculty members to teach four laboratory courses without the need to stop regular research activity, while the new chemistry and micropollutant labs boost the BIDR’s research capacity. Offices for researchers and technicians were constructed above the laboratory space. The building also contains an auditorium seating 80 people, meeting the need for a medium-sized lecture hall on campus. Such improvements create opportunities to host major events like the Biannual International Water Summit and Zuckerberg Water Prize Event, which was launched in 2022, bringing together leading water science and technology scholars from around the world. The prestigious Zuckerberg Water Prize is awarded during the water summit to acknowledge outstanding achievements and global impact in the field of water, and the recipient delivers the summit’s plenary talk. Plans are already underway for the next summit which will be held in May 2027. Events like this bring hundreds of visitors to Sde Boker, providing an opportunity to showcase BGU and the outstanding BIDR researchers, disseminate knowledge, and foster international collaboration. EILAT CAMPUS In Eilat, with the assistance of our donors, the award of a major grant from Israel’s Council for Higher Education, and matching funds from the University, long-held dreams of expanding student housing, advancing research with the construction of a center dedicated to sea technologies and state-of-the-art research labs, and upgrading academic facilities are becoming a reality. The campus, which is on a trajectory of unprecedented growth, is transforming before our eyes, building momentum that will foster the continued growth of the campus and its programs, as well as the city of Eilat and the region, in the years to come. Marine biology studies and research are rapidly expanding. The grant and matching funds will enable the establishment of the new Center for Sea Technology, with state-of-the-art labs underpinning the center. The Sensory Ecology

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