India-Israel Ties Receive Boost With Visit From India Minister

Tel Aviv University (TAU) recently hosted a meeting of Israeli university presidents with Dr. S. Jaishankar, India’s Minister of External Affairs. University presidents and senior leadership from TAU, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Ben-Gurion Unversity of the Negev, University of Haifa, and Bar Ilan University were in attendance.

The Minister met with the leadership to discuss opportunities for expanding and deepening academic ties between the two countries, a TAU statement said.

The Minister also met with a group of Indian students studying in Israel to hear about their experiences and suggestions for how to expand student mobility.

The Israeli university leaders called for the establishment of more bilateral mechanisms to support joint research and student mobility.

The Minister noted that universities play a significant role in strengthening bilateral relations. While there has been increased cooperation in the higher education field in recent years, there is much potential to boost ties in areas like technology and innovation.

Currently, there are around 1,000 Indian students studying in Israel, and around half of them post-doctoral students, according to the announcement. The Minister said that India is “committed to finding new ways to expand our relationship”, and “the challenge before us is how to scale it up and shift it to the next gear”.

Roohi Chaudry, PhD student in the field of cancer biophysics at TAU, reflecting on her experiences studying in Israel said “studying at TAU and Israel has helped me to gain insight into so many diverse cultures and take a giant leap out of my comfort zone to unravel endless opportunities. The well-equipped research labs with world-class infrastructure and the most advanced innovative learning techniques assisted in reinforcing my desire to take up research as my line of work”. She applauded the Minister’s visit and called for “more student exchanges in the future which will prove to be a testimony in strengthening Indo-Israel relations”.

Professor Ariel Porat, TAU President, noted the significance of the Minister’s visit in the context of the upcoming 30^th anniversary of diplomatic relations and growing ties between the two countries.

“TAU sees India as a strategic priority and we see great potential in expanding our partnerships with leading academic institutions and industry in India”. Professor Daniel Chamovitz, President of Ben Gurion University said “The strong academic collaboration between India and Israel is built on common values which facilitate the personal interactions,” he said.