Comprehensive coverage

60th anniversary of the Weizmann Institute

The members of the International Council of the Institute, the Institute's scientists and its employees celebrated the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Weizmann Institute of Science

Members of the Katzir family with Prof. Daniel Zeifman near the new sign for Derech Katzir
Members of the Katzir family with Prof. Daniel Zeifman near the new sign for Derech Katzir

A vision is eternal. 75 years after the establishment of the Daniel Ziv Research Institute, and 60 years after the founding of the Weizmann Institute of Science - on November 2, 1949 - there is no more appropriate expression than the words of Haim Weizmann to describe the historical role that the Weizmann Institute of Science played and continues to play, as well as the role which he aspires to fulfill in the future: 'I am confident that science will bring peace to this country and renew its youth, and create here a bubble of spiritual and material life. I treat science both as an end in itself, and as a means to achieve other goals.'' This is how the president of the institute, Prof. Daniel Zeifman, opened his remarks before the members of the international council of the institute, who gathered recently to mark the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Weizmann Institute of Science. "Did Weizmann know that his vision would come true?", asked the president, "Did he know that 60 years after the establishment of the institute we would find ourselves in this room, at this moment, proudly observing the achievements of the past - achievements that in 1949 would have been described as impossible or as daydreams?

"This is the source of the power of vision: it can turn bold ideas into reality. But pay attention to the fact that Weizmann's ideas never dealt with details such as the buildings that would be required, or the scientific fields in which to invest.

The bold idea was the overall concept that, through intellectual excellence, Weizmann Institute of Science scientists would be able to transform the Israeli reality of the 40s into the reality we know today, at the beginning of the 20st century. The bold idea that a long-term investment in science driven by the fuel of curiosity will enable the development of new technologies that will benefit not only the State of Israel - but to all human beings wherever they are, the idea that said that the never-ending journey towards quality and excellence could enable a small research institute to bring about far-reaching change , this is the idea that stated that education and knowledge of the highest level could lay the foundations for a new economic reality.

"If he were alive, would Haim Weizman find satisfaction in the achievements we have reached at the end of 60 years? It's hard to say. The reason for this is simple - like any scientist who aspires to conquer the next peak, he will look at the past, compare it to the present, and immediately realize that there are many more mountains to climb, and that each of them is higher than any of the peaks conquered so far. This is, in fact, a secret of excellence - it is not a goal, but a continuous journey, and we are at the beginning of the road. And when it comes to a non-fixed goal - like, in this case, the concept of excellence - we will always remain at the beginning of the road.

"What did we achieve in the first 60 years anyway? We can, of course, tell about the first computer in Israel, about the pioneers in cancer research, about the founding of the first company in Israel to transfer knowledge from the Academy to Industry, about the construction and operation of the first particle accelerator, about the founding of the first institute for submicron research - better known as nanoscience, about The development of the first Israeli drug approved by the American Drug Administration (FDA), the creation of the first facility for pre-clinical trials, and much more - the list is very long. However, instead of providing a long list, we can say that in the first six decades we managed to create a unique scientific culture, and that it became a permanent component. This is the culture of the Weizmann Institute of Science. Creating a culture based on a vision is a very great achievement, because it translates the initial vision into a whole tradition that is shared by many people. And such traditions are characterized by a long life.

"What is the Weizmann Institute culture? It can be described in one sentence: at the Weizmann Institute of Science, the pursuit of excellence is not the exception, but the rule itself. A tradition of excellence is the basis for our scientific achievements, for inventing new medicines, for developing advanced technologies, for promoting the high level of education, and above all - for the fact that we are able to change and shape the lives of so many people.

"The 60th anniversary celebrations for the Weizmann Institute of Science are a good opportunity to also look towards the future. where are we going Whenever people ask how science will change the world of the future, or what types of medicine or technology will be developed, they should be reminded that it is impossible to predict the technological future, but it is easy to understand what its consequences will be. Here is a relatively simple thought experiment: How would people who lived at the beginning of the 20th century, let's say in 1909 - 100 years ago, imagine how the world would look in 100 years - that is, today? Could they have assumed that smallpox, polio and other serious diseases would be wiped out from the face of the earth? Could they have imagined that life expectancy would double? Would they have imagined that it would be possible to see the whole world through a small box called a "television", or to talk to a person who is on the other side of the world through an even smaller box - the "telephone"? Were they able to imagine the possibility of writing a letter without pen and paper, sending it without a stamp, and having it reach its destination a few thousandths of a second after being sent?

"All these things would not have occurred to them. No one could have imagined them, yet they were all created by scientific research.

"So, can we imagine today what will happen and what will the lives of the people living in the world look like in 100 years? of course not. Of course we have no idea. But amazingly we can be sure that scientific research will create and shape a new world. And the Weizmann Institute of Science will play a key role in shaping this new world. "The goals of the Weizmann Institute involve the foundations of our culture: we must develop new ideas, encourage innovation, and - no less important - nurture a new generation of young people who will bring these ideas to fruition.

There are no more important tasks in the world than the development of new and involved ideas in the field of education. Those who engage in these two fields influence the future of the country, the future of the world and the future of humanity. How will we achieve these goals? We must base ourselves on the three pillars on which the institute stands: scientific research, education of young scientists and education for the general public.

"The economy of the future is an economy of ideas. Already these days a huge market is developing, which brings great benefit to the human race, which provides information - and not tangible products.

It is clear that scientific developments no longer result from work in defined fields, and that they take place on many fronts, all of them related to each other and dependent on each other. The ability to determine genetic sequences accurately and very quickly is the result of advances in physics, chemistry and computer science. Nanotechnology is breaking boundaries not only in the fields of chemistry and physics, but also in biology. The development of new mathematical algorithms improves our ability to understand the behavior of proteins. Therefore, the flexibility and the ability to combine different fields of research are the keys to the breakthroughs of the future.

"We can achieve this synergy through a basis for the free exchange of ideas and through a solid infrastructure. To this end, we must create for our scientists the means that will allow them to engage in high-risk and high-prospect research, and, at the same time, develop the essential core infrastructures on campus for decades to come. We must establish and operate research centers and research institutes that will focus on specific areas, as they are essential for our future achievements. To ensure a future of an economy that relies heavily on science and knowledge, we must continue to recruit top-notch young scientists, and provide them with all the support necessary to translate their ideas into scientific breakthroughs.

"An important and main part of our activity is dedicated to imparting the best scientific education to our research students. In the last 50 years, a significant portion of the holders of advanced degrees in science and mathematics in Israel were educated at the institute, and hence the responsibility for educating the next generation of young scientists rests with us. Because of the rapid changes taking place in the world economy, it is no longer enough to educate outstanding mathematicians, physicists, chemists and biologists. We must create a new kind of scientists. These scientists will have extensive knowledge in a variety of scientific fields, and at the same time will know how to use this knowledge in new ways. Providing knowledge alone is no longer sufficient - we must teach how to use it. The Research Schools, which are now starting to operate at the Institute, will provide new and creative means for our research students, and will be an essential element in this future.
"While in the past basic scientific knowledge was seen as a luxury by those who are not involved in science, nowadays it is clear to everyone that it is a necessary tool for living in a modern society. The penetration of technology into everyday life, and the complex decisions we must make as citizens of the modern world do not allow us to be ignorant and devoid of scientific information. The Weizmann Institute of Science has played a historic role in the field of scientific education for the general public, and over the years we have promoted many important programs. The Davidson Institute for Science Education, the educational arm of the Weizmann Institute of Science, offers many programs that challenge the thinking of young and old. We must preserve this effort and increase it, not only because we want to ignite intellectual curiosity, but also because education as a whole is the best guarantee for a free and democratic society: to be able to make decisions and choose informed choices we must know the facts and analyze the data.
"Looking to the future, we must think that those who will come after us, and celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Weizmann Institute of Science, will be able to speak with admiration of our achievements, as we speak of the achievements of the founding generation of the institute. If we can understand what we have been given in the last 60 years, we can also give guidance of similar value to the future generation. We have learned many lessons from the past with the help of which we can create a better future."

That's how we were

The traditional annual meeting of the institute's retirees took place this year in a festive format that included a multi-discourse of storytellers about the early years of the institute. Prof. Aviezri Frankel, the builder of the first computer built in Israel, "Vitzak", told about each of the team of builders and developers of the computer from which the thriving computing industry of Israel developed. Prof. Ameela Globerzon told about her first steps in scientific research, in the days when young Israel had difficulty providing enough food for its inhabitants, and engineer Avraham Dines revealed a tap about various events that took place on the margins of the planning and construction of more than fifty research buildings at the Weizmann Institute of Science.

A good place in the academy

The Weizmann Institute of Science was ranked second
In the international list of the best places to work in academia outside the USA on behalf of The Scientist magazine. In the last five years, the institute has twice been placed first in this list.

Remember the first president

The members of the International Council of the Institute participated in the state ceremony to mark the 57th anniversary of the death of Dr. Chaim Weizmann, the first president of the State of Israel and of the Weizmann Institute of Science. The President of the State, Shimon Peres, also participated in the ceremony, organized by the Information Center and held near the grave plot of Vera and Chaim Weizman in the Weizman Estate. In the photo: Shimon Peres places a wreath on the grave of Dr. Haim Weizman

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