BGU&U | SPRING 2022

Our ability to implement the strategic plan will rely in large part on the efforts of our Global Development Committee headed by Toni Young, former President of A4BGU and devoted friend of the University. The committee will define BGU’s fundraising goals, formulate the global resource development plan which will guide our fundraising efforts for the next decade, and strengthen collaboration between the University’s associates organizations to achieve these goals. The University’s success in this undertaking will rely on the commitment of friends like you, as well as the leadership of our associates organizations. To expand our global community and strengthen it for the years to come, we launched the Halutz Initiative for Global Leadership, an innovative BGU program for a new generation of pioneers (halutzim) in Israel. Participants grapple with today’s global challenges and explore how they can be part of the necessary solutions; in this framework, BGU and the Negev serve as a platform for engagement, discussion, and understanding. You can learn more about this program and the impressive inaugural cohort of 13 Halutz leaders who hail from Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Chile, France, the United Kingdom, Israel, Italy, Mexico, Singapore, and South Africa in this issue. As you can see, it’s an amazing time to be part of BGU. We are developing the new North Campus, a tremendous resource that will enable the University’s future growth, and we’re putting all the pieces in place to realize BGU’s full potential. The University is in the midst of an exciting transition – moving from being a player on the Israeli scene to becoming a leader on the global stage, and we’re thrilled that you’re a part of it. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Jill Ben Dor for her many years of dedication and service to the University. Jill, head of the Department of Resource Development, will be embarking on a new chapter later this year, but will remain a valuable and cherished member of the BGU family. I hope you enjoy this issue of BGU & You. I’d love to hear from you and learn more about your interests and connection to the University. Please feel free to reach out to me at jeffkaye@bgu.ac.il to share your thoughts or to learn more about BGU.

Dear friends,

It is my great pleasure to present BGU & You , Ben Gurion University of the Negev’s newest publication. This magazine, which will be produced annually, applauds you – our global community of supporters. Exciting things are happening – here in Israel at BGU and around the world , at events sponsored by our network of associates organizations – and we want you to know all about them! Each issue of BGU & You will be filled with news to keep you abreast of the wonderful things BGU is able to accomplish with donor support. You’ll also hear about the activities of our worldwide associates organizations and the impact you and your fellow donors have made. The magazine will also provide an opportunity to reconnect with BGU and your friends here. Our pride in the University is infectious, and I know that as you peruse BGU & You, you’ll share our delight in the fine institution we are building together. We are inspired by BGU President Prof. Daniel Chamovitz, a leader with a mission and a strategic plan for achieving it. Since coming aboard, he has focused his efforts on advancing the University and enabling it to realize its full potential as a catalyst for change in the Negev and around the world. He led the formulation of the BGU Beyond 50 strategic plan, which will guide the University’s development in the coming years. The plan states our goal: “to become one of the world’s most outstanding universities and Israel’s leading university in terms of research, teaching, and contribution to society” and the means of achieving it: “the recruitment of outstanding researchers to the University, while nurturing and retaining them and our existing faculty members.”

Jeff Kaye Vice President for Public Affairs and Resource Development

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