Dear Academic and Administrative Staff Members,
Yesterday evening, the University’s Board of Governors approved my appointment as the next President of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. I am proud and deeply moved by the privilege of leading our wonderful university as it enters its 100th year. It is a great honor and an immense challenge.
Over the past decade, the university has made significant strides in academic and financial growth, in building international collaborations, and in strengthening its position as a leading research institution. These achievements are the result of the joint efforts of the entire university community—academic staff, administrative staff, students, friends, and supporters.
However, the university now faces unprecedented challenges that will require determined effort and struggle on multiple fronts. I am confident that we will overcome this difficult period and continue to be who we are—a national treasure of Israel and an outstanding international research university.
Challenges: Political, Social, Economic, and Global
The past few years have been unbearably difficult. The horrific massacre of October 7, 2023, and the wars since then, in Gaza and in Iran, repeated attempts to alter the judicial system, and upheavals on the international stage have shaken all of us—as individuals, as a community, and as an institution.
Thousands of our students, along with other members of our community, have been called up for extended reserve duty. Many are repeatedly called back time and again. The return of these students to their studies has been extremely challenging and requires, primarily from them but also from all of us, significant emotional, academic, and financial resources. I am very proud of our reservists, who, by the end of the last academic year, achieved higher-than-average grades and had a lower-than-average dropout rate. These achievements are a testament to their resilience, as well as to the success of the support provided—and continuously offered—by our entire community. This commitment to supporting our reservists will continue in the years to come.
As a result of the ongoing war, we have experienced budget cuts from the Planning and Budgeting Committee of the Council for Higher Education, which place a heavy strain on the university’s budget. Another consequence of the war is an aggressive international campaign to boycott Israel in general and Israeli academia in particular. Without international partnerships and research funding from global research foundations, it will be very difficult for us to remain at the forefront of academic research.
At the same time, proposed legislation in the Knesset—aimed at undermining freedom of expression in academia or promoting gender-segregated education—poses a threat to the academic freedom essential to our existence.
Another major challenge concerns the fabric of life on our campuses, in light of the deepening political and social polarization in Israel. The diversity of opinions, worldviews, and tensions that characterize Israeli society is also reflected within the Hebrew University community. Our university has a longstanding tradition of defending freedom of expression and permitting protest within campus boundaries. Taking a broad view and considering the exceptional circumstances, I believe we have succeeded in maintaining an environment that has enabled us to continue teaching, learning, and conducting research even during this challenging period. I want to thank the members of our community for the responsibility and restraint they have mostly shown in their public expressions, and to urge all of us to continue acting with responsibility moving forward—we must serve as a positive example of respectful discourse and a moral compass for values of mutual respect for the entire country.
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem: A National Treasure and a Leading International Player
The main initiatives I wish to promote for the development of the university stem from my view of its central role both nationally and internationally. The education we provide our students is a valuable contribution to Israeli society. The research conducted by our academic faculty makes a profound impact on all of humanity.
The Hebrew University community is blessed with talented and inspiring individuals who tackle important questions—questions whose answers not only expand human knowledge but also change the world. I deeply believe in the values our university represents: critical inquiry, intellectual independence, respect for knowledge, and respect for humanity. I also believe in our tremendous potential as a community of scholars and learners. My mission as president will be to ensure that this immense potential is fully realized.
Even in times of crisis—and even when our values are under threat—I believe we can continue to pursue academic excellence, to fight to maintain our leadership in the global academic arena, to promote diversity and equality, and to increase our contribution and impact on Israeli society.
To achieve these goals, we must face the many challenges before us with determination, thoughtful consideration, and a long-term vision of our objectives. As president, I bear the responsibility of ensuring that the university has the necessary resources to carry out these tasks. Accordingly, one of my key goals will be to significantly increase fundraising efforts both in Israel and abroad, while involving faculty members more actively in these processes.
We will continue to grant the faculties maximum freedom to advance important projects. However, given the challenging budget expected for at least the next two to three years, we will need to focus on key initiatives that can also serve as essential growth engines.
Among the main initiatives I intend to promote are: a significant expansion in the number of students at the medical school; the establishment of a faculty of engineering; the development of research, teaching, and treatment in the field of trauma; and, across the board, integration of and adaptation to the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution. These initiatives will allow us to increase both the number and quality of students enrolling at the university, thereby boosting our revenues from the Planning and Budgeting Committee and from research grants.
In addition, these growth engines will align with areas of critical need for the State of Israel.
Furthermore, we will establish an Office for Academia–Industry Relations under the Vice President for R&D, which will provide a comprehensive response to the challenges and opportunities related to integration with the business sector. We will also expand the Career Center, which prepares students for entering the job market and supports them in their first steps in the workforce.
We will work to fulfill our public commitment to contribute to society and influence the public arena in Israel. Among other things, we will establish a Center for Social Impact and Contribution under a newly appointed Vice President. This center will be responsible for coordinating the many research centers currently operating across the various faculties and campuses of the Hebrew University and for initiating practical solutions to policy issues and social challenges.
We will do this using our greatest strength—knowledge grounded in theory, research, and facts. The Vice President will also be responsible for significantly strengthening our community engagement efforts.
Our University
In a speech delivered by Hayim Nahman Bialik at the ceremonial opening of the Hebrew University exactly 100 years ago, he captured the essence of this institution with the following words:
"True wisdom is that which learns from every person. The windows and gates of this house shall therefore be open to the four winds of heaven, to bring into it all that is good and noble from the creative spirit of humankind, in all times and all lands."
Bialik’s words continue to inspire me today in the way I believe the Hebrew University should be led and managed. I aim to lead the university as collaboratively as possible—not only because I deeply value the importance of listening to diverse perspectives, but also because I truly believe that the university belongs to all of us: academic staff, administrative staff, students, the university leadership, the Board of Governors, and the Executive Committee.
I know that within our community, there are differing opinions regarding decisions made by the university leadership in the past. I fully understand that there are members of our community who feel frustration—whether over positions the university administration has taken, or over positions they believe it should have taken. In fact, almost every message issued by university leadership in recent years concerning the situation in the country has sparked a wave of reactions—some supportive, others critical—from both the right and the left.
I believe that this frustration often stems from a good place—a place that views our university as a true home. And with the sense that it is difficult to influence the national stage, there comes the expectation that at least our home should be shaped by our voices. I share the belief that part of our mission, as a university, is to be engaged with and have an impact on what happens beyond our walls.
It is no coincidence that the area of social engagement and impact will become a central part of my agenda as president—out of a desire to translate our unique value as a leading research institution into a distinctive, meaningful contribution to society and the state—one that goes beyond declarations and makes a real difference.
As I wrote at the beginning of this section, I strongly believe in a culture of collaboration. I believe that when we dream together and act together, we achieve better results. In this spirit, one of the things I focused on as Dean and then as Rector was strengthening cooperation between the academic and administrative staff. This approach will continue to guide me as President—I believe that the administrative staff deserves special support, and I intend to make this a focus of my efforts.
I also plan to continue the tradition I upheld as Rector, and regularly visit all the campuses, in order to hear directly from you about the issues that should be promoted at our university, with the aim of implementing them as much as possible. I will send a more detailed message on this topic in the near future.
In conclusion: we stand at a critical crossroads. With the mobilization of all of us, boldness, and thoughtful planning, I believe we can secure the university’s status as a leader on the international stage and as a force that shapes and influences Israeli society.
Attached to this letter are the plans I submitted as part of the presidential selection process. In the document, you will find a broader discussion of some of the topics I’ve raised here. I am fully aware of the weight of the responsibility, and I promise to do everything I can to meet the expectations placed upon me.
From the bottom of my heart, I hope that this difficult period will soon come to an end—that the war will cease, that all the hostages will return home, and that we will finally reach days of peace, hope, and quiet.
Yours,
Tamir