At the Nobel conference at the Technion to mark 60 years of Israeli science, hundreds of the leaders of the Israeli Academy were present who joined the call of the Technion's president, Professor Yitzhak Apluig, to adopt the recommendations of the Shohat Committee: "Unfortunately, we see Israeli leadership today that is different than in the distant past" * First article in a series that will cover the main points in the coming days The scientific lectures
Ten Nobel laureates who are gathering today at the Technion to salute Israeli science on the 60th anniversary of the State of Israel, called on the Israeli government to save the Israeli academy. They were joined by hundreds of scientists from Israel and abroad who came to the first conference of its kind in Israel.
The president of the Technion, Professor Yitzhak Apluig, said: "We are here to celebrate science, whose contribution to the achievements of the State of Israel is enormous. Unfortunately, today we see a different Israeli leadership than in the distant past. The government cut in the budgets of the Israeli academy is deteriorating it and creating a severe brain drain. From here I call on the government to immediately adopt the recommendations of the Shohat Committee, in order to save the Israeli academy."
His words were received with applause by the ten Nobel laureates and the hundreds of participants in the conference.
The winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Professor Aharon Chachanover from the Faculty of Medicine at the Technion, said: "I was born in Haifa when the State of Israel was founded, I received all my education here, the Technion is my home. And next to me here stands the Israeli flag, which I am very proud of. Unfortunately, I see a great danger for universities in Israel. We are deteriorating. People around are looking for 'exits' because of the situation, and are less focused on basic research because they don't have research budgets."
Professor David Gross from the USA, winner of the 2004 Nobel Prize in Physics, said that the Israeli government lives in the past and does not invest in the future. "It makes me very sad," he added.
The winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Professor Avraham Hershko of the Rapaport Faculty of Medicine at the Technion, gave a bunch of advice to young scientists:
1. Take science as a wonderful adventure.
2. Find a good and important topic, which is not yet of interest to others.
3. Incidental diagnoses can be extremely important. Don't let them pass you by.
4. Use any experimental approach necessary to achieve your goal, even if it is not the most innovative approach.
5. Try to enjoy and be excited by science. That way you will make more discoveries.
6. Do the research yourself, even the more routine and less fun parts of it. When you suddenly see unexpected results - your excitement will only increase.
The Nobel laureates participating in the event are Professors Tim Hunt from Great Britain (2001 Nobel Laureate in Medicine), Kurt Wottrich from the USA (2002 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry), Professor Fried Mord from the USA (1998 Nobel Laureate in Medicine), Professor Jean-Marie Laine (1987 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry), Professor Guenther Blaubel (1999 Nobel Laureate in Medicine), Professor David Gross from the USA (2004 Nobel Laureate in Physics), Professor Elie Wiesel from the USA (1986 Nobel Laureate Nobel Peace Prize for 2005) and the Israelis Robert Uman (Nobel Prize Laureate in Economics for 2004), Avraham Hershko and Aharon Chahanover (Nobel Prize Laureates for Chemistry for XNUMX).
Today, Tuesday, at 9.00:250 a.m., Professors Aharon Chachanover, Tim Hunt and Jean-Marie Lane will meet with XNUMX high school students at the National Museum of Science and Technology in the historic Technion building in Hadar Carmel.
