At BIU, and in BINA in particular, we have prominent material synthesis experts, some on the verge of retirement. By founding the new smart fabrication unit, we will maintain continuity while strengthening our capabilities in this field. Therefore, we have recruited the unit’s high-achieving leadership: With the help of the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration’s Center for Integration in Science, we have absorbed a new-immigrant wet chemical specialist from Ukraine who has chosen BINA as her new academic home in Israel; a postdoctoral Indian researcher who synthesizes organic materials; and a staff member who completed her PhD in BINA’s smart material laboratories and has gone on to specialize as a technical researcher in our microscopy unit. Together, we are now setting up the new unit to provide comprehensive smart material solutions to BIU’s and BINA’s faculty and to industry customers and partners. These will include medical solutions— primarily, drug delivery—and solutions for novel microelectronics, optoelectronics and next-generation communication devices, such as touch screens and long-distance antennas. This is only one example of how we are constantly attentive to the field, studying the needs and taking action to facilitate solutions. Inspired by Kohelet’s wise words—“Two are better than one […and] a threefold cord is not quickly broken” (Ecclesiastes 4:9–12)—BINA’s community is pledged to leading BIU’s scientific enterprise to groundbreaking and novel achievements. Best regards, Prof. Dror Fixler Director of the Bar-Ilan Institute of Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials Dear friends and colleagues, In Judaism, group learning or studying with partners (Hevruta) has always been fundamental. Our Sages designated 48 means by which one can acquire Torah (Pirkei Avot 6, 6). These include study, attentive listening, proper speech, paying attention to the Sages, critical give and take with friends and quality argumentation with disciples. They added that one should love one’s fellow creatures, share the burden of one’s colleague, and add to one’s knowledge by listening to others and oneself. Our Sages emphasized the importance of exposure to varied ideas and intensive interaction to maintain a productive learning process. The Bar-Ilan Institute of Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials (BINA) has a strategic role in incorporating these principles and leading the voyages of discovery of Bar-Ilan University (BIU), Israel and yes, even the world. Over the past year, we have thought long and hard over how best to harness our capacity. We have concluded that we must place BINA at the forefront of the university to navigate the stormy waters of our time. Looking carefully at our national and international vision and directions of research, we set sail on the bioconvergence flagship, implementing this innovation-accelerating approach across BIU (and not only across BINA). While doing so, and due to our many collaborations in the industry, we discovered a crucial need for design, research and development of smart and intelligent materials, metamaterials and 2D materials. Therefore, we decided to establish a new, targeted fabrication unit, which is also in line with the goals and interests of the Ministry of Economy and Industry and its subsidiary, the Israel Innovation authority. 5
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDU2MA==