Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Overview

A product of the Zionist movement, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem fulfilled the proposal to create a Jewish university in Israel way back in 1884. Officially founded in 1918 when its cornerstone was laid, it opened seven years later in 1925.
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Today, it is regarded as one of the top, if not the top, university of Israel and among the top 100 of the world. As a premier research university, it has made vast contributions to the global scientific community. Founded by the likes of the philosopher Martin Buber, Albert Einstein, the first president of Israel Chaim Weizmann, and the poet Nahman Bialik, the university, however young, has produced eight Nobel Prize laureates and one Fields Medal laureate.

It also houses over 50 research centers. Notable institutions include the Max Planck Center for Sensory Processing of the Brain in Action, the Language, Logic, and Cognition Center, Jewish Music Research Center, the Confucius Institution, and the Minerva Center for Movement Ecology.

Moreover, the university has registered more than 9,800 patents since its inception. With a current average of 150 inventions every year, it has amassed more than 2,700 already. Its focus on technological development and social innovation has produced around 120 spin-off companies.

Currently, the university has a technology transfer company called Yissum. It aims to bring innovations to the market as commercial solutions for global problems. Technologies being researched and developed include cleantech, nanotechnology, agriculture, and even in the social sciences and the humanities. Yissum stands as a profitable portal for interested entrepreneurs to invest in technologies and innovations developed by resident research experts.

Academically, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has 19 faculties and schools. These offer courses ranging from mathematics and science to specialized fields like brain studies and business administration.

The institution also boasts of its Jewish National and University Library. This library is one of the most comprehensive and remarkable libraries in the world when it comes to manuscripts and book collections. It was founded as the world center for preserving books related to Jewish culture and thought in 1892. However, in 1920, it took on more general library functions for a university. Today, it keeps the Albert Einstein Archives and the Eran Laor map collection among its thousands of items and five million books.

Other notable alumni include the Nobel Prize laureate Daniel Kahneman, former Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon, and Dina Dublon, a board member of Accenture, Microsoft, and PepsiCo.