Prof. Daniel Zajfman
As I look back on the last five years as President of the Weizmann Institute of Science, I am proud of the tremendous development that has taken place on this beautiful campus and the advancement of key avenues of scientific research. At the same time take pride in the robust and constantly growing network of leaders, supporters, and friends throughout the world who work hand-in-hand with us, the Weizmann management, to guide this institution forward. These two elements cannot operate without the other, and together they drive the excellence that is the core of the Weizmann Institute.
Our achievements in the last year are notable. To name just a few: the establishment of nine labs named for Canadian donors through the Canadian Fund for Scientific Excellence; the Azrieli Institute for Systems Biology; and the Braginsky Center for the Interface between Science and the Humanities. We opened the new David Lopatie Conference Centre and are already seeing it fill, on a weekly basis, with international scientific conferences.
As I look forward to my next five years serving as President, my objective is to continue to sustain the high level of scientific research conducted here and advance it by building and supporting key areas. One of those is the creation of the Israel National Center for Personalized Medicine (INCPM), one of the most ambitious projects the Institute has ever taken on. The INCPM helps usher us from the era of empirical medicine into the new era of genetically tailored medicine, to help people live longer, healthier lives.
Meanwhile, our European Committee is strengthening its presence in Germany and Switzerland and expanding into countries in which Weizmann has previously not had a major presence. Several events this year mark the 30th anniversary of the formation of the German Friends, and the Committee launched the Weizmann Science and Business Club for Swiss and German friends.
We have started two major scientific collaborations with the Technion, one in alternative energy thanks to a major grant from the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust, and one in brain science thanks to a major gift from the Adelis Foundation. An American foundation and one of our own scientists have given the first major gifts for the establishment of HEMDA, a unique regional science school affiliated with the Institute. In the UK and Australia, donor-supported scientific collaborations between local and Weizmann scientists are growing and blossoming within the framework of the Making Connections Programme.
We are undergoing major construction and facility reorganization projects on campus, including the building of the Raoul and Graziella de Picciotto Building for Scientific and Technical Support, the construction of the Nella and Leon Benoziyo Building for Biological Chemistry, the renovation of the Charles Clore International House. A new underground facility for nano-bio research is also in the planning stages. The logistical changes and enhancement of these projects will allow and boost the Institute's effectiveness in advancing our scientific research.
Those of you who work hand-in-hand with us as members of the Board know that the Institute is continuously developing, changing and reinventing itself. We do this so that we continue to expand the frontiers of scientific knowledge and create a lasting benefit to humanity and the world around us. We are grateful for your partnership in all these endeavors.
With all best wishes,
Prof. Daniel Zajfman