Prof. Haim Sompolinsky from the Department of Physics at the Hebrew University won the Schwartz Award for his contribution to neuroscience

And more from the Hebrew University: The President of South Korea will award Dr. Yaakov Cohen from the Hebrew University an honorary decoration * Cohen is the only Israeli to receive this decoration

The Society for Neuroscience awarded Prof. Haim Sompolinsky from the Rekh Institute of Physics the Schwartz Prize for Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience. The prize, which includes a financial grant, is awarded to individuals who have made a significant and long-term contribution to theoretical models or computational methods in brain research.

The award was presented in Washington at the 2011 Neuroscience Conference, the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, which serves as the world's largest and most comprehensive source for news and innovations in the field of brain and health research.

"The association is happy to recognize Prof. Sompolinski's extraordinary contribution to the theoretical field of brain research," said Prof. Susan Amara, president of the association. "His work, which combines physics with neuroscience, established innovative methods and set high standards for the advancement of the field."

Prof. Sompolinski worked throughout his academic career on the development of the theoretical field of neuroscience. His research helped shape systemic theories about the brain. His "ring" model was a main paradigm for building models of neural circuits and was the basis for countless studies on short-term memory, decision making, choice and more.

The Society for Neuroscience has more than 41,000 researchers and clinical experts who study the brain and nervous system.

The President of South Korea will award Dr. Jacob Cohen from the Hebrew University an honorary medal

The President of South Korea, Lee Myung-bak, will award Dr. Jacob Cohen of the Department of East Asian Studies at the Hebrew University the Magnolia decoration (Order of Civil Merit - Order of Magnolia) for his "outstanding achievements in Korean studies and for his contribution to the promotion of friendly relations between Korea and Israel - As a Holocaust survivor, as Israel's former ambassador to Korea and as a lecturer in Korean studies at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem."
Dr. Cohen is the first and only Israeli to receive this award so far. Since the end of his position as Israel's ambassador to Japan and Korea (1989), Dr. Cohen has been teaching in the Department of East Asian Studies at the Hebrew University. Dr. Cohen specializes in economics and foreign relations and teaches the course "Regime, society, economy, foreign relations and security of the two Koreas".
Dr. Cohen contributed greatly to the development of significant ties between the Hebrew University and the Korea Foundation, which is a state institution in charge of promoting Korean studies in the world.
The Hebrew University is the only university in Israel and the Middle East that has a comprehensive program of Korean studies, which includes studies of language, history, culture, religion, regime, economy and foreign relations in both Koreas. Special emphasis is placed on studying Israel's relations with South Korea in all fields.
About 100 students from South Korea studied in the XNUMX school year at the Hebrew University.
According to the Head of the Department of East Asian Studies, Dr. Lehi Yariv-Laor, "The Hebrew University, which has benefited and continues to benefit from Dr. Jacob Cohen's contribution to Korean studies for the past 22 years, is proud and honored by the recognition of this contribution by the South Korean government. The awarding of the decoration by the President of South Korea to Dr. Cohen is a mark of honor for the Department of East Asian Studies, the Faculty of Humanities and the Hebrew University."
The ceremony of awarding the Magnolia decoration to Dr. Cohen by the Ambassador of the Republic of South Korea, Mr. Il-Soo Kim, will be held at the Meyersdorf House in Mount Scopus, on Monday, December 5, 2011 at 16:30 p.m.