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Leaders on land, scientists at sea

Date: Sunday, September 18, 2022
Panel event on the Tara expedition, hosted at the offices of Grupo Insud.

Panel event on the Tara expedition, hosted at the offices of Grupo Insud.

the Argentinian Association of Friends of the Weizmann Institute wrapped up 2021 with exciting news: Tamar Hahn, who has been working for the United Nations for 15 years, was selected as the new president. Born in Israel,Tamar grew up in Argentina, and studied at both Tel Aviv University and New York University. She currently serves as the Director of the UN Information Centre for Argentina and Uruguay. In her new role as head of the Argentinian Friends, Tamar has said she aims to bring the Weizmann Institute closer to the local community.

In November, the Association welcomed three young Weizmann scientists to Argentina—Dr. Flora Vincent and Dr. Constanze Kuhlisch from the lab of Prof. Assaf Vardi, and Dr. Jorge Michel Flores from the lab of Prof. Ilan oren—who had all taken part in an international oceanographic mission led by the French Tara Ocean Foundation to study the microbiome in the Argentine Sea.

This marked the  first  in-person visit with Weizmann researchers in nearly two years, due to the ongoing pandemic. Hundreds of people came to hear about the scientists’ unique research experience at sea on Tara’s “floating boratory,” through various educational and outreach activities, some of which received coverage in the Argentine press.

The Brazilian Association of Friends of the Weizmann Institute, which has also held most activities online for the past two years, was finally able in November to launch a series of in-person events. Dr. Bruno Ferrari, founder and CEO of the Oncoclínicas Group and a member of the Weizmann Institute’s President’s Circle (2018), hosted a dinner in São Paulo for 20 close friends of the Institute. Mario  Fleck, President of the Brazilian Association, and Dany Schmit, CEO of the Latin American Committee, were among the guests to toast the challenges overcome during another year of the pandemic, and celebrate the shared vision for strengthening Weizmann science.