Chen Xu Visits Israel

----To Promote In-depth Cooperation between Tsinghua and Israeli Universities

On April 12th and 13th, Chen Xu, Chairperson of the University Council of Tsinghua, visited Israel and paid visits to both Tel Aviv University and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, further deepening cooperation and exchange between Tsinghua and the Israeli universities in fields such as education, economy, and culture.

Chen Xu met with Professor Joseph Klafter, President of Tel Aviv University, and exchanged views on expanding the cooperation between the two institutions. Chen said she was very glad to see that the two sides have achieved substantial progress in technological innovation and collaborative research, as well as faculty and student exchange. Based on their research capabilities and their leadership positions in higher education, the two universities jointly established the XIN Center in 2014, a joint center of innovation, and have already made substantial progress. The two universities have held two China Israel Innovation Forums in 2016 and 2017 respectively, offering a high-level platform for the academic circles and the enterprises of both countries to exchange ideas and promote innovation.

Professor Klafter noted that Tsinghua is a strategic partner of Tel Aviv University. The two sides have maintained close cooperation in student exchange and collaborative research conducted by the faculty members. He hoped that the two institutions could accomplish more fruitful results from their cooperation.

During her visit to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Chen Xu talked with Professor Asher Cohen, President of the University, Professor Oron Shagrir, Vice President for Global Affairs, and Professor Reem Sari, Vice President for Research and Development. Chen Xu noted that Tsinghua and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem both have their distinctive features. The two institutions signed a university-level student exchange agreement in 2014. Communication between young people is essential for cooperation between the two universities. Cohen noted that the Hebrew University attaches importance to its cooperation with Tsinghua and hoped that a new round of exchange and dialogue would be initiated to explore a greater space for cooperation.

During Chen Xu’s visit, Professor Hanoch Gutfreund, former President of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, accompanied her in a visit to the Albert Einstein Archives.

On April 13th, Chen Xu paid a visit to the Chinese Embassy in Israel and held a talk with Ambassador Zhan Yongxin. Chen Xu noted that Tsinghua and the Israeli universities could make the most of their respective research capabilities and build an interdisciplinary platform for international cooperation and innovation. They could jointly train innovative talents and contribute to the continuous and in-depth development of Sino-Israeli relations. Ambassador Zhan noted that the Chinese Embassy in Israel would continue to actively support exchanges between Tsinghua and the Israeli higher education institutions in order to further raise the level of Sino-Israeli cooperation in higher education.

Editor: Zhu Lvhe