We are delighted to bring you the latest news and updates from Haifa University.

  • In the aftermath of the Carmel Fire:-

  • Commemorating the victims: the University of Haifa will be awarding 44 scholarships in a unique and moving project to commemorate each of the 44 men and women who tragically died in the Carmel fire. The scholarships, to be awarded for three years, are the generous gift of Leon Charney, Chairman of the University of Haifa's Board of Governors.

  • Restoration project joining Jewish and Arab students in clean up efforts in the Carmel forest and in environmental awareness and fire prevention programmes in local schools. An estimated 500 students will volunteer for four hours bi-weekly during the fourteen week semester and receive two academic credits per semester for their work. This initiative by Haifa University's Jewish-Arab Centre will provide long-term assistance for Carmel Forest restoration efforts while fostering bonds between Arab and Jewish students through shared community involvement.

  • Haifa University ranks #1 in Humanities and Social Sciences. SCImago Institutions Rankings (SIR) World Report 2010 shows quantitative data related to the research activity in the period 2004-2008 for worldwide research-devoted institutions, as collected by worldwide leader scientific database Scopus. Haifa University ranks #1 in Israel in the fields of Humanities and Social Sciences and #113 out of over 2,800 institutions worldwide. See the full report.

  • Admiral (ret.) Ami Ayalon is appointed Chairman of the Executive Committee of the University of Haifa. Ayalon, 65, has previously served as commander of the Israeli Navy; director of the Israeli Security Agency (the Shin Bet); member of Knesset; and cabinet minister. Prof Aaron Ben-Ze'ev, President of the University, said: "I am convinced that Ami Ayalon, with his extensive and proven experience contributing greatly to Israel's security and development, will be able to assist the University in its ongoing development and in its taking a foothold as a research university leading in academic and humanist excellence."

  • "A real Egyptian democracy would never scrap peace with Israel in favour of renewed war": Prof Fania Oz-Salzberger, Haifa University's expert on History of Political Thought and Liberalism writes on Newsweek.

  • The Dead Sea drilling project reaches 500 meters depth. The largest project of its kind in Israel, managed by Dr Michael Lazar and headed by Prof Zvi Ben-Avraham of the Charney School of Marine Sciences, aims to extract a record of climate change and earthquake history stretching back half a million years. Read more on NY Times and LA Times.

  • Debating champs! The University of Haifa's debating team, Meir Yarom and Michael Shapiro, are World Debating Champions for 2011. The team took first place in the English-as-a-second language category at the World Universities Debating Championship in Botswana, where more than 300 teams from 150 universities representing about 50 countries competed. The Jerusalem Post and other Israeli media publicised the triumph.

  • In the Name of Love: Some of the darker aspects of love were hotly debated at British Friends of Haifa University's pre-Valentine's day event with Linda Kelsey, former editor of Cosmopolitan and She Magazine and Professor Aaron Ben-Ze'ev, president of the University and an expert on relationships and emotions. Read more on The JC.

  • Prof Ben-Ze'ev was also guest speaker at the Israeli Business Club (IBC) where he discussed his research on the romantic ideology and its victims.

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