BGU | PRESIDENT'S REPORT 2022

PROF. DAN BLUMBERG VICE PRESIDENT FOR REGIONAL AND INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT

The Digital C4i (command, control, communications, computers, and intelligence) campus next to the ATP will be completed in 2024, and the intelligence campus just to the north of Beer-Sheva is scheduled to open in 2027. We are brainstorming with each of these units to formulate dedicated study programs for their soldiers and have been holding dedicated showcases for soldiers in those units. The expectation is that once the IDF’s technological units complete their move to the south, enrollment will grow by at least 1,500 students. The University needs to prepare for this increase both physically and academically, with new construction and the recruitment of new faculty members. We also host campus visits from various technology units and are involved in exposing high school students to STEM disciplines and programs at BGU. Furthermore, the Office plays an active role in advancing the establishment of the Beer-Sheva Innovation District in collaboration with our key partners: the Beer-Sheva Municipality, Soroka University Medical Center, the Ministry of Defense, the National Economic Council at the Prime Minister's Office, and the Ministry of Environmental Protection. Our efforts are guided by Joint-ELKA, which mediates the various interests of the partners and assists in formulating the principles of partnership. We

The Office of the Vice President for Regional and Industrial Development, led by Prof. Dan Blumberg, is charged with advancing and securing BGU’s strategic role at the heart of the flourishing technological, scientific, and social ecosystem in Beer-Sheva and the Negev as a whole, with an emphasis on innovation. The Office is also responsible for multi-sector collaborations that advance the University, the city of Beer-Sheva and the Negev. ONCE THE IDF’S TECHNOLOGICAL UNITS COMPLETE THEIR MOVE TO THE SOUTH, ENROLLMENT WILL GROW BY AT LEAST 1,500 STUDENTS. THE UNIVERSITY NEEDS TO PREPARE FOR THIS INCREASE BOTH PHYSICALLY AND ACADEMICALLY Over the past year, we have strengthened our collaborations with key partners in government and across the region, with a focus on our collaboration with the Ministry of Defense regarding the IDF’s move to the south. Later this year, an entire unit from the IDF’s Telecommunications Division will be moving into the Advanced Technologies Park (ATP) adjacent to the University. At the same time, a new campus that will house the IDF’s pre-military intelligence courses will open next to the University in the Ramot neighborhood.

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Ben-Gurion University of the Negev