84 From the moment overseas students begin their application to Bar-Ilan, the International School pledges to do everything possible to smooth the process of coming to Israel. When war broke out last February between Russia and Ukraine, however, that promise took on a whole new meaning—and a great deal more urgency. “One student whomwe had accepted for an undergraduate degree was from Kherson, the site of the worst of the fighting in the war’s early days, and which was captured by Russian forces right away,” explains Ofer Dahan, executive director of the International School. “Extracting him meant coordinatingwith on-the-ground representatives from the Jewish Agency, the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, and the Israeli Consulate, who helped us get him across the border to Poland. We were able to bring another student by way of Finland, one from Italy—wherever we could get them fast and safely before bringing them to Bar-Ilan.” Altogether, the International School managed to bring 38 Ukrainian and Russian students to campus, ten of whom are working toward doctoral degrees. To ease their transition, and in acknowledgment of the difficulty their families face back home, the International School provided full scholarships for B.A. andM.A. students’ first years, and generous living stipends for those pursuing doctoral degrees. Dreams Without Borders The Bar-Ilan University International School Along with students pursuing an academic degree, Bar-Ilan also brought eight additional Ukrainians: the members of the National YoungMathematicians Team. “Whenwe learned that these gifted young students, who have so much to offer both their country and the world, would be unable to pursue their studies on account of the war, we determined to bring them here to Bar-Ilan,” explains Prof. Moshe Lewenstein, deputy president of Bar-Ilan and director of its international operations. “Along with a safe and supportive environment, the University can provide them with the training they need to maximize their potential—and one day, we hope, give back to their own community.” Thanks to funding from the Israeli cryptography company StarkWare, Google Israel, and the Israeli Friends of BarIlan, the International School arranged for visas and furnished housing, and prepared an interdisciplinary academic curriculum involving math, computer science, physics—and Hebrew. Prof. Rachel Dekel, academic head of the International School, said that “we were delighted when all eight students decided to apply for B.A. studies at Bar-Ilan this year.” “It’s heartbreaking that these young people needed to leave home to fulfill their dreams, let alone lead a normal life,” said President Prof. Arie Zaban. “But we were determined to give them the chance to do both.” A member of Ukraine's National Young Mathematicians Team joined in a student meeting with Pres. Isaac Herzog and his wife Michal, who visited Bar-Ilan in October for the event "Promoting Progress: Sustainability, Environment, and Renewable Energy."
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