President Lawrence Bacow says universities should “be engaged in the great issues of our time.”
Harvard University President Lawrence Bacow visited Israel’s University of Haifa on Tuesday and held meetings with University President Prof. Ron Robin and Rector Prof. Gur Alroey as well as doctoral students from the Bloom School of Graduate Studies.
During the visit, Bacow discussed the U.S.-Israel relationship and the challenges universities must contend with during the 21st century. Bacow’s visit to Israel followed a trip to Jordan earlier in the week where he met with Harvard alumni and higher education leaders.
Bacow, who received an honorary degree from University of Haifa in 2021 in a virtual ceremony, visited the campus in person amid its 50th anniversary. He praised the University as a forward-looking institution that takes an active role in addressing social challenges in Israel — given its mission of expanding educational opportunities and upward mobility for all members of society, securing and stabilizing the north of the country, and serving as an example of tolerance and coexistence in Israel and the entire region.
“It is important for universities to be engaged in the great issues of our time,” said Bacow. “Whether addressing climate change, inequality, the future of democracy, or pushing the frontiers of knowledge, universities such as Haifa and Harvard have a vital role to play through our teaching and our research.”
During his visit, Bacow got a firsthand look at a number of ongoing joint projects between the two academic institutions, including international research Harvard conducts in collaboration with University of Haifa’s Leon Charney School of Marine Sciences, where researchers are attempting to understand communication of whales; research on enhancing political participation of ethnic minorities; and research pertaining to molecular biology. He also took a tour of downtown Haifa and the Lorry I. Lokey City Campus.
“In addition to these important joint studies, University of Haifa and Harvard University share an equally critical role as we continue to look ahead and ensure that academia will continue to be an engine propelling social and economic growth,” Prof. Robin said.