November 20 - Rector Gustavo Mesch (3rd from right) with dignitaries including
ECNU President Prof. Qian Xuhong and Consul General of Israel Dr. Eyal Propper,
at the ribbon-cutting ceremony in Shanghai.

Joint University of Haifa and ECNU Campus Opens its Doors in Shanghai

The University of Haifa and East China Normal University (ECNU) marked the opening of its Shanghai campus – the Joint Technological Institute (JTI). The new Institute will foster cross-cultural exchanges and serve as an interdisciplinary base for translational research in biomedicine, neuroscience, behavioral research and environmental sciences.

The new campus will focus on facilitating academic collaborations and preparing students to become leaders in a globally connected world. “Another stage of our Multiversity vision became a reality today, as we inaugurated our joint campus with ECNU, where Israeli and Chinese scientists will expand the boundaries of science,” noted President Ron Robin. “I am very intrigued to see what will happen at a campus where the nation that was home to Confucius meets the nation that produced Einstein.”

JTI, located at the Zizhu International Education Park, will contain over 40,000 square feet (roughly 4,500 square meters) of research and office space, including cutting-edge laboratories, computerized classrooms, seminar rooms and workspaces for graduate students. Under the academic agreement, the campus will host lecturers from both universities, University of Haifa scientists will be eligible to receive research grants from ECNU sources, and advanced degrees will be awarded to students of both institutions.

In an interview with the Israeli press, Education Minister Naftali Bennett said, “This is a remarkable moment of combining forces between the great Chinese nation and the State of Israel – the startup nation.” The official ribbon-cutting ceremony was attended by representatives from the Shanghai municipality, members of ECNU’s senior administration, and representatives from the University including Rector Gustavo Mesch, Vice Provost and Head of the International School Prof. Gad Barzilai, Prof. Edi Barkai, Dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences, Elka Nir, CEO of Carmel-Haifa, and Prof. David Faraggi, former Rector of the University who helped shepherd this agreement. The event is a significant milestone in the University’s strategic plan that aims to expand scientific collaborations and cultural exchanges between China and Israel.

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