Dear Friends,
On completing my first year as President, as always, I am full of admiration for our very dedicated students and faculty, and admire their grit and perseverance. This was an exhilarating “comeback year”, the first full academic year since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. It also had challenges as once again, we had to shut down in May, due to almost 1,000 rockets fired. The College continued to innovate. Acting as a beta testing site for Israel’s Council for Higher Education and with the support of the Edmond de Rothschild Foundation, we launched the Retention Center and Academia-Employment Unit. To date, these pilot programs have been successful and we will be expanding them in the upcoming 2023-24 academic year. With the upcoming New Year, I am excited to share some highlights of our new programs on campus, which include:
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| In the picture: Prof' Nir Kedar, President Sapir College; Sarit Tzemach and Former President Rivlin; Gilead Sher, Executive Board Chair Sapir College; Orna Gigi, CEO Sapir College |
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Former President Reuven (Ruby) Rivlin Kicks- Off the New Year Sapir was one of the first institutions of higher education to operate Tikvah Yisraelit/ Israeli Hope programs. Launched by then President Rivlin, due to his concerns of the growing divide between Israel’s multitude of “tribes”. Last Wednesday, September 6, 2023, we were honored that Israel’s former President launched our New Year activities, celebrating over 5 years of Tikvah Yisraelit at Sapir together with a unique Hackathon: Safe Space, how to advance a diverse campus to an inclusive campus. President Nir Kedar and President Rivlin engaged in a public conversation about the need for tolerance and respect for a united and strong Israeli society, a liberal democracy where minority rights are respected and protected. The Hackathon was hosted by Sapir’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Staff and faculty broke into groups to discuss and design innovative ways of creating inclusivity throughout the campus. This Hackathon is part of Sapir’s ongoing cooperation with A’chord to create and implement engagement in a fully realized joint society.
International Programs Sapir success in creating an innovative hybrid platform of online and in person classes, based on its pandemic experience, has led to its new appointment as the official coordinator of the Erasmus VOLCANO Capacity Building Project. This is multi-country collaborative project between Israel, Morocco and Europe. The main focus of this initiative is integration of ICT (information and communications technology) in pedagogy. |
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Planning a New Law School Building
Sapir’s Law School is the only law faculty Israel’s southern periphery. Currently, classes are held all over campus. The Law School has grown and will open two new MA programs. Thanks to the Leona M. And Harry B. Helmsley Trust, the College has the funds for the planning stage of the new construction. An innovative smart building, it will offer the required unified and equipped space, for students and faculty. Thirteen prestigious Israeli firms participated in the nationwide Architects’ Competition. A blind panel selected Lotan Daitch, a well-known architectural firm with extensive experience in planning public buildings, throughout Israel and in the south.
Launch of the Waldman Fellows
The Waldman Fellows pilot program is starting this academic year. It will provide excelling students with scholarships, prep programs and mentoring that encourage them to pursue graduate studies, on completion of their BA degrees. The Waldman Fellows programs was established with the generous support of Dan and Gina Waldman.
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Research from Sapir Impacts Global Health Policy
Once again, around the globe there are reports of higher Covid numbers. Governments worldwide need to decide how to operate in the ‘new normal’ of ongoing Covid outbreaks. Sapir senior faculty Dr. Ronen Arbel, health outcomes researcher at Sapir College and Clalit Health Services, has led groundbreaking research with leading clinicians and data scientists to evaluate the impact of vaccines on COVID-19 outcomes. Each booster’s effectiveness was evaluated, demonstrating lower hospitalization and mortality rates with boosters. Arbel’s research has been published in prestigious academic journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine and Nature Medicine and numerous news outlets such as the New York Times and CNN. More importantly, it has impacted worldwide vaccine policy from Whitehall to the White House. Arbel and his team continue to track the new vaccines to ensure the best information for guiding health policy in the future.
New Resource Development and Public Affairs OfficeSapir depends on the generosity of partners and friends to ensure the best of programs, equipment and physical spaces for our students. To expand our circle of friends, the College has revamped the Resource Development and Public Affairs Office and appointed a new Director, Ms. Zohar Hochman, who comes to us with a rich experience in International Banking. You can reach her at zoharh@sapir.ac.il.
I would like to take this opportunity to wish you and your loved ones a joyous and peaceful New Year and invite you to visit us at Sapir.
שנה טובה ומתוקה
Nir |
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