Seven days into the Roaring Lion war
Dear Friends,
As I write this, we are now seven days into the Roaring Lion war. Unfortunately, we Israelis have become practiced at adapting to what can only be described as Kafka-esque situations. Already yesterday afternoon, the university reopened for research that can only be carried out in person in the laboratories. Of course, this is happening under strict guidelines and only where protected spaces are immediately accessible. But it also highlights something essential about BGU: even under the most difficult conditions, our core purpose remains unchanged.
At the same time, we have delayed the opening of the second semester by one week, to March 15. By then we are committed to beginning the semester, whether in person, should the security situation allow, or remotely, as we have had to do too many times in the past. In short, neither our research nor our teaching will be stopped by this war.
Moments like this also give me pause to think about what the implications of this war may be once it ends, not only for Israel, but also for Ben-Gurion University.
One fascinating political development that was almost completely overshadowed by the outbreak of the war was the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Israel just two days beforehand. One of the hallmarks of that visit was a renewed commitment to strengthening academic ties between India and Israel. This is particularly welcome news for us at BGU.
Ben-Gurion University already hosts the largest community of Indian students in Israel. In fact, next week, normally in parallel with our annual, somewhat mythic, student Purim party (which for now has been put on hold), we had scheduled a celebration of Holi, the Indian festival of colors that took place this week. Over the past few years one of the more joyful sights on campus has been Israeli and Indian students together throwing colored powders in celebration.
But beyond these moments of campus life, the potential of our ties with India is considerable. Indian universities are very interested in areas where BGU has developed real strengths: entrepreneurship, cyber security, engineering, water technologies, and desert agriculture. Recently I was asked to head the India-Israel Forum, which brings together business and academic leaders to discuss issues of national importance to both countries. The Forum was supposed to meet next week in Delhi, but the war has, of course, forced us to postpone for a later date. As I have written before, BGU has been steadily deepening its relationships with a number of institutions across India, and these partnerships will continue to grow.
Wars inevitably force us to focus on the immediate: sirens, shelters, and the difficult task of maintaining normal life under abnormal circumstances. Yet the question I posed earlier still lingers: what will the implications of this war be once it ends, not only for Israel, but also for Ben-Gurion University?
When this war ends, and I suspect that moment may come sooner rather than later, one conclusion will likely already be clear. The technological capabilities Israel has demonstrated, both in defending itself and in supporting partners across the region, will only heighten global interest, including of course in India, in Israeli innovation. Because so much of that innovation begins in universities, collaboration with Israeli academia will become even more sought after. For Ben-Gurion University, this presents an important opportunity.
With that optimistic note, I wish you Shabbat Shalom,
Danny
