Davidson Institute Director Dr. Liat Ben David visits South America

In October, Dr. Liat Ben David, Director of the Davidson Institute of Science Education, traveled to South America, including visits to Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay, to introduce the Weizmann Institute’s approach to science education and raise awareness for the Davidson Institute’s efforts in youth science education. Dr. Ben-David met with the Brazilian Friends Association; science coordinators and teachers in schools and scientific institutions, some of which take part in the Dr. Bessie Lawrence Summer Science Institute (ISSI) and new ones that have indicated an interest in the importance of programs like ISSI. Brazil typically sends a contingent of students to ISSI every July.

She presented the concept of science education before a packed auditorium at the Cultural Center of Sciences in Buenos Aires, Argentina, met with educational teams from the University of San Andrés, participated in a Shabbat dinner organized by the Limmud Foundation in Argentina, and met with Dr. Hugo Sigman, president of the Friends Association of the Weizmann Institute.

Dr. Ben-David was invited by the government of Uruguay to get a close look at Uruguay’s school system and share her point of view. The visit’s highlight was a master lecture, “The Powerhouse of a Better Future for All,” which was attended by the president of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay Tabaré Vásquez, a Weizmann alumnus.