1860 PhD holders stay abroad for 3 years or more, of which over 50% of the postdoctoral students are in the fields of life sciences. A series of entrepreneurship and applied research meetings in the industry held this week by the Sainsbrod organization with the Ministry of Immigration and Absorption throughout the US aims to encourage senior scientists abroad to return to Israel
A series of entrepreneurship and applied research meetings in the industry, with the participation of dozens of Israeli scientists who are at the forefront, will be held in several cities on the East Coast of the USA in the first week of November 2017. The meetings will be held at the initiative of the Ministry of Immigration and Absorption and the organization of Israeli scientists abroad ScienceAbroad, The name aims to encourage Israeli scientists, most of them postdoctoral students who went abroad after their doctorate, to return to Israel and integrate into the world of entrepreneurship and industry.
The management of the organization stated that in most of the doctoral programs in Israel there are no programs to encourage entrepreneurship and introduction to applied research in industry, when the effective Israeli solution to the recovery of brains must be entrepreneurship and applied research in industry.
According to the publications of the CBS and the national program for the repatriation of academics, it appears that 1860 PhD holders have been abroad for 3 years or more, of which over 50% of the postdoctoral students are in the fields of life sciences. Only about 9% of PhD holders in life sciences work in industry and agriculture, only 7% of PhD graduates in life sciences are accepted as faculty members in academia and 9% in industry and agriculture.
According to the CEO of the organization, Monica Lev-Cohen: "The term brain drain in the context of scientists is wrong. No scientist escaped, the reality today is that there is an overflow in the number of Israeli Ph.D. graduates, mainly in the life sciences. In order to integrate as a researcher with a permanent position in the academy, a postdoctoral training abroad is required, therefore most scientists go abroad for periods of 3-5 years. Going abroad allows the flow of new knowledge to Israel and disrupts research in Israel. The barrier to the researchers' return is, on the one hand, a lack of standards in the academy and, on the other hand, the scientists' lack of familiarity with Israeli industry and the lack of training for applied research in industry or going into technological entrepreneurship."
According to a recent survey conducted by the Sainsbrod organization among its members - over 76% of the organization's members who went abroad for a post-doctorate did so with the goal of returning to academic research. Only 21% of the organization's members stated that they give up their desire to return to academia and look for another career path. Since the establishment of Sainsabroad, over 700 scientists and their families have returned to Israel - 60% to academia and 36% to industry.
This week the Sainsbrod organization will hold entrepreneurship fairs in collaboration with the entrepreneurship division and the science absorption division of the Ministry of Immigration and Absorption. The purpose of the events is to motivate the scientists to turn to entrepreneurship as another channel to return to Israel and to give them information about the aid provided by the State of Israel. At these fairs, the scientists will be exposed to the success story of the Ormed company, a count that began in academia with research on drugs for diabetes conducted by Dr. Miriam Kidron and went on to establish a successful startup under the management of her son, Nadav Kidron. At the fair, the scientists will meet representatives of the Ministry of Immigration and Absorption - the Israeli Home, the Department of Absorption in Science and the Department of Entrepreneurship and will receive advice on taxes. The events will take place on November 1 in Baltimore, November 2 in Washington and November 7 in New York.
For information and registration for events: https://scienceabroad.org.il/academia-innovation-perspectives-israel/
Monica Lev Cohen, CEO of the association adds: "Our ambition at ScienceAbroad is to leverage and strengthen research in Israel in general and in industry in particular by repatriating Israeli researchers staying abroad. There are quite a few Israeli researchers who are engaged in groundbreaking discoveries and their ambitions are to write a scientific article for a well-respected journal that will help them get a long-awaited position in academia in Israel. Without harming the prestige and importance of academia, we believe that it is important for scientists to recognize the enormous potential that exists in entrepreneurship and applied research in industry. Their research can, with help and guidance, leave the laboratory and improve the quality of life and health of millions of people in the world. In programs at centers abroad, we wish to encourage the scientists to turn to industry research channels and to learn about the assistance tools that the state provides to entrepreneurs with the help of the Entrepreneurship Division and the Science Absorption Division of the Ministry of Immigration and Absorption."
Next month, the organization, in collaboration with Teva and the Ministry of Absorption, will hold a unique workshop that will take place in Teva's innovative laboratories and facilities in Israel for Israeli scientists staying abroad. The week-long workshop will allow an introduction to the world of applied science and the advanced and innovative research done in the pharmaceutical industry. The best scientific minds in the industry will speak at the workshop, and opportunities will be given for practical experience and professional guidance. Emphasis will be placed on the integration possibilities of the scientists in the industry in Israel and in the Teva company in particular.
The organization of Israeli scientists abroad ScienceAbroad is a non-profit organization that has been operating since 2006, to maintain contact with Israeli researchers in the world and return minds to Israel. The organization is an international community for more than 2600 Israeli researchers on 300 campuses around the world. The organization operates 23 centers in the USA, Canada and Israel that are managed by volunteer scientists. The organization provides tools, develops connections and opens doors for Israeli scientists who wish to return to Israel in order to bring with them the knowledge, talent, experience and connections they have gained to academia and industry as a growth engine for Israel. ScienceAbroad members are involved in projects to improve Israel's image and brand Israel as a research and development country. The organization works in cooperation with the Ministry of Immigration and Absorption, the universities and industrial companies in Israel.
See more on the subject on the science website:
- About half of the Israeli scientists living abroad have a high potential to return to Israel
- More than half of those admitted to the senior faculty at universities are returning scientists
- CBS: In the last 30 years, about 30 degree recipients in Israel have been abroad for 3 years or more
- CBS: The brain drain continues steadily
One response
Miracles from the blog in the article about "3 questions that artificial intelligence will not know how to answer".
We have made a lot of progress but we have not understood everything about how the brain works.
We emulate it with not bad performance, but not as it works and it works efficiently.
As a technology - artificial intelligence cannot be ignored today.