Drexel President Fry meets with students of Ben-Gurion University

Drexel University President John A. Fry is leading a delegation to Israel to attend the second Bi-national Symposium on Translational Research in Biomedicine and Biomedical Engineering, jointly sponsored by Hebrew University’s (HUJI) Institute for Drug Research (IDR) and Drexel.

This symposium is hosted by the Drexel-IDR Research HUB, which was established in 2010 to share knowledge of the critical issues and challenges in translational biomedical research, create research synergies among faculty members, support translational research projects and forge a strong partnership between the two universities.

“Our two universities share a strong commitment to translational research that brings together scientific discovery, innovative thinking and humanitarian concerns, linking the lab to real-world problems and the market-place,” Fry said. “We also share an understanding that today’s global economy demands international collaboration. Geography is no longer a barrier to partnership. Together, we can develop technologies that improve health and the quality of life around the world.”

HUJI is Israel’s second-oldest university. It has three campuses and a student body of approximately 23,500, and is home to the largest Jewish studies library in the world. It created the IDR to meet a growing need for interdisciplinary biopharmaceutical research and drug development.

“The converging of two bodies, such as HUJI Institute for Drug Research and Drexel, is not only increasing our brain power, it is also encouraging diversity and creativity in our thinking,” said Simon Benita, director of the Institute. “Coming from different cultures, disciplines and perspectives, new ideas are inevitable and more possibilities abound. Working together will not only strengthen our collaboration but also add new dimensions to our potential.”

Following the symposium at HUJI, Fry traveled to Beer-Sheva to meet with administrators, faculty and staff. Drexel enjoys a wide range of research collaborations with BGU as well as a student exchange that extends to Drexel’s cooperative education program.

Fry and the Drexel delegation will also travel to Haifa to meet with the president of the Israel Institute of Technology (the Technion), Dr. Peretz Lavie, and other university administrators and faculty, including recent Nobel Prize winner Dr. Dan Shechtman, affirming Drexel’s commitment to research partnerships and student exchanges with Israel’s institutions.