BAR-ILAN INSTITUTE OF NANOTECHNOLOGY & ADVANCED MATERIALS | 2019 ANNUAL REPORT

International Initiatives In 2018, we focused on the internationalization of the Institute, with the understanding that our researchers may be interested in one of the collaborations we create while empowering the Institute and exposing the researchers and their research to potential partners. This year we expanded our collaboration with the National Center for Nano-Science and Technology (NCNST) at the Chinese Academy of Science (CAS) in Beijing, China. We will build the first CAS laboratory outside China in the field of 2D materials and nanomedicine at BINA. Another agreement was signed between key CAS laboratories based on the formal partnership between the NCNST, The Research Innovation Institute for Nanotechnology (RIIN) in Guangdong, and BINA, for collaborative activities of translational research and commercialization of new technologies. We also signed agreements with the University of Paris (the merger of Paris Descartes and Paris Diderot Universities and the integration of Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris). Subsequently, this year, BINA hosted two delegations: a Paris Descartes delegation headed by Dr. Martin Oheim, the director of the Paris Institute for the Neurosciences (SPPIN); and a delegation from South Korea headed by Prof. Kim Young-Beom, the Vice President of Industry- Academic Relations of Hanyang University. Industry Collaboration Additional emphasis was placed on the opening of the Institute for Industry, which serves as a fertile ground for advancing industries, by encouraging cooperation between companies and researchers at the Institute, and exposing our students to companies in the real- world, thereby easing their transition into the labor market. Several start-up companies have turned BINA into their home, and the Institute has become a leading option for research cooperation for companies under the framework of the Israel Innovation Authority. Today, BINA provides various services to over 150 companies, including companies from Europe and Canada. Scholarship Recipients BINA’s highly-selective program for outstanding undergraduates provides a full-tuition scholarship and a monthly stipend, designed to attract talented young students to the field of nanotechnology for the focus of their future careers. In 2019, 83 outstanding Ph.D. and M.Sc. students received the BINA Nano Excellence Scholarship —a highly sought-after award granted in addition to the University’s stipends. We continued supporting the student excellence club, Excel@BINA , which aims to enrich the student experience through social activities such as theater, opera, a dining etiquette workshop, preparation for the labor market, and more, and expose outstanding students to leading researchers and industry leaders from Israel and abroad, enabling them to realize their personal potential and their contribution to society. Student Publications 2019 was a productive year for student publications. A total of 81 students received awards for being the first author in publications in leading academic journals and assisted BINA faculty in publishing over 380 academic articles. Continuing Education and Alumni Relations BINA continues to reach out to its alumni and graduates around the world, providing continuous updates about the Institute’s research achievements and its expanding infrastructure of equipment. The BINA alumni newsletter—the seventh edition of which was published in June 2019—has proven to be an effective medium for encouraging cross- communication between BINA and its former students, as well as bridging new industrial partnerships. 40