BGU&U | SPRING 2022

I serve as Chair of the Committee at the request of the Chairman of the Board of Governors, Lloyd Goldman, and in that capacity, I work closely with the very talented Jeff Kaye, Vice President for Public Affairs and Resource Development. All of us on the Committee share the belief that we can learn from each other, inspire one another, and develop innovative strategies by working together and incorporating views and experiences from each country into our global strategy. Together we are greater than the sum of our parts. Members of the Global Development Committee quickly identified the need to develop a cadre of new leaders for the national associates organizations. So, we created the Halutz Initiative for Global Leadership, inspired by the very successful Zin Fellows Leadership Program in the United States. You can read more in this issue about the initiative and the extraordinary educational week the group spent together in Beer-Sheva in March 2022. Please look for news about other initiatives of the Global Development Committee in future issues. I believe Ben-Gurion University is transforming the Negev, and its research and inventions are improving Israel and the world. Your gifts and your hard work enable us to realize this potential and make our dreams a reality. I hope BGU & You inspires you to become even more involved. Thank you for your support. For additional information, please reach out to your local association (contact information about our global associates organizations can be found at the end of this magazine), or better yet, visit BGU and experience its magic for yourself.

Dear friends,

As Chair of the Global Development Committee, I am pleased to welcome you to the inaugural issue of BGU & You, a new publication devoted to YOU, our global Ben-Gurion University family. BGU & You will keep you informed about the important work being done by our BGU associations throughout the world, as well as by the new Global Development Committee, to raise awareness and support for our University. BGU & You will inspire you with news about BGU’s growing stature as one of the world’s finest universities, its excellence in research and teaching, and its commitment to developing Beer-Sheva and the Negev. President Daniel Chamovitz’s energy and vision are driving this progress: Construction on the new North Campus is well underway, as is the nearby IDF digital C4i campus. Both promise to increase student enrollment and BGU’s research capacity. The Global Development Committee was formed in the spring of 2020 with the intention of bringing together the top lay leaders and professionals in every country that has an organized group supporting BGU. Today our committee includes members from Argentina, Belgium, Canada, England, France, Israel, Italy, Mexico, Switzerland, South Africa and the United States.

Toni Young Chair, Global Development Committee

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