Professor Yosef Yeshurun, Director of the Superconductivity Institute and Head of the Center for Magnetic Measurements, completed his university education in Israel, continued with advanced post-doctoral research at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and returned to Bar-Ilan University as a tenured member at the Department of Physics. In this Department he set up a unique laboratory for magnetic measurements, undertaking a range of experimental solid-state research studies in a number of fields, such as one-dimensional organic conductors, spin glasses, amorphous metals and superconductors.

Prof. Yeshurun has had close scientific ties with universities and research institutes in Israel and throughout the U.S.A., France, Germany, Denmark, and Japan. He spent sabbatical years at IBM research laboratories at Yorktown Heights, Imperial College, London, New York University (NYU) and City College of New York (CCNY). He also was a visiting professor for shorter period of times at research institutes in the U.S.A., Denmark, France and U.K. His research activities in Israel and abroad are sponsored by national and international research foundations.

Prof. Yeshurun has served in many capacities at Bar-Ilan University, including Head of the Department of Physics, Dean of Students, Vice-Rector and Rector of the University. In addition, Prof. Yeshurun was an active member of Israeli national bodies such as the Council for Higher Education, the National Research and Development Council, the National Steering Committee for Superconductivity and the National Steering Committees for the Absorption of Immigrant Scientists. He also served as the Chairman of the International Advisory Board (IAB) for Academic Freedom which he established at Bar-Ilan University on April 2005.