Prof. Daniel Zajfman
Chaim Weizmann had a vision: He saw how important science would be in reclaiming the desert lands of Israel, in generating industry, achieving economic viability, and reaching out to the nations of the world. The Weizmann Institute of Science has grown to embody the essence of all that Dr. Weizmann wished for the reborn Jewish state.
The Institute today is one of the leading basic research institutions in the world, covering a broad range of studies in mathematics and computer science, physics, chemistry, biochemistry, and biology. At any given time, its scientists engage in some 1,200 cutting-edge research projects, enriching human knowledge about the world and our place within it.
Moreover, the Weizmann Institute of Science follows two interconnected avenues of activity. The first, the basic scientific research avenue, helps to shape the future and to develop Israel's scientific brain power. The second is aimed at enabling people to understand the scientific discoveries exerting a revolutionary impact on our lives and successfully take part in the new world being formed.
To be able to shape a better future, the Institute is continuously developing, changing and reinventing itself. On the research front, boundaries between the different disciplines are being torn down and formerly impossible collaborations and combinations are being formed.
The Weizmann Institute of Science is one of the leading institutions in this worldwide trend. Its unique structure encourages mathematicians, physicists, chemists and biologists to collaborate, create new research fields, reinvent science - and determine the face of the future.
To become successfully integrated into the new world and be able to choose wisely among an ever-expanding array of options, people from different strata of the society need to understand the basic principles and concepts of science and technology. What’s the difference between an atom and a molecule, a gene and a chromosome, software and hardware? What tasks can be entrusted to a computer? What "cells" lie at the basis of cellular phones? How do drugs work?
People who know the answers to these questions will be able to navigate and manage their lives according to their own priorities and desires. The knowledge will grant them a greater freedom and independence, as well as a better chance to lead an accomplished life. The Weizmann Institute of Science operates dozens of programs intended to grant basic scientific knowledge to all sectors of the population. That's the Institute's contribution to human dignity and freedom.
Looking forward to the years ahead, the Weizmann Institute will continue expanding the frontiers of our knowledge and bringing real benefit to humanity and the environment.
Sincerely,
Prof. Daniel Zajfman