The president of the Technion: "Scientific truth has won"
The Technion House celebrated last weekend with the Nobel laureate, research professor Danny Shechtman, who is going to Stockholm next week to receive the prestigious award. "Our joy is not only that one of our own has won the most prestigious prize in the world, but that the scientific truth has won," said the Technion's president, Professor Peretz Lavi.
The Swedish ambassador in Israel, Eleanor Hammarskold, also referred in her words to Professor Schechtman's stubborn stand on his discovery, for many years against the opinion of the entire scientific community. "We appreciate not only the discovery of the quasi-periodic crystal, but your scientific path," she told the laureate.
The mayor of Haifa, attorney Yona Yahav, granted Professor Shechtman honorary citizenship of the city. "The good news is that the decision was made unanimously by the city council. The less good news is that we decided not to exempt you from paying property tax," he said to the laughter of the audience.
The winner of the 2004 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Research Professor Aharon Chachanover from the Rappaport Faculty of Medicine at the Technion, said to Professor Danny Shechtman: "Welcome to the club. You join an outstanding group today." Regarding the receipt of the prize in chemistry by four Israeli scientists so far (Professors Avraham Hershko, Ada Yonat, Danny Shechtman and himself), Professor Chechanover said: "Chemistry today is a much broader concept than that concept It's a shame that we used to know each other until now."
Professor Schechtman admitted to the large crowd: "Normally I don't get excited," he said. "Tonight I am excited. I feel a lot of support. I feel good next to this podium. This is where I started teaching the entrepreneurship course 25 years ago, to encourage technological entrepreneurship in the State of Israel. I am a Zionist and want it to be good to live in this country. I call from here for a good education for everyone , because without a good education we will not have a resurrection."
He revealed that he decided with Mayor Yona Yahav to promote a science education initiative for kindergarten children in Haifa. "I will do my best to promote education in the State of Israel," he promised.
The ceremony was moderated by the Dean of the Faculty of Materials Engineering at the Technion, Professor Wayne Kaplan.
