Speakers

Nivi Alroy

Multidisciplinary Artist
Israel

Nivi Alroy is a multidisciplinary artist who lives in Israel. Her focus is drawing, sculpture, animation and installation. Nivi received her BFA from Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, and her MFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York.

Alroy was the Hebrew University’s Faculty of Mathematics and Life Sciences Artist in Residence in 2015-16.

She is the recipient of the Ahuvi Most Promising Artist award, two Israel Lotto grants, the Rabinovich Foundation grant, an Artis grant, a Tel Aviv Special Projects grant and more. Alroy took part in the Triangle Workshop and the A.I.R. Gallery residency programs in New York and the Asylum Arts retreat. Her work has been exhibited in Israel and internationally. In addition to her studio practice, Alroy teaches fine arts and design at Bezalel and at the Academic College of Tel Aviv-Yaffo. She is an arts and design consultant for the America-Israel Cultural Foundation.

In addition to her collaborations with researchers and scientists, Alroy is working on a dance/animation/sculpture show with choreographer Ella Rothschild entitled “Flood,” a solo show at the Herzliya Museum of Contemporary Art and a site-specific installation the Tel Aviv Museum of Art.

Institute Professor Ruth Arnon

Department of Immunology
Weizmann Institute of Science

Prof. Ruth Arnon earned both her MSc (1955) and her PhD at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (1960) prior to joining the Weizmann Institute in 1960. She is the incumbent of the Paul Ehrlich Chair in Immunochemistry and has held a number of senior posts at the Institute, including Head of the Department of Chemical Immunology (1973-1974 and 1975-1978), Dean of Biology (1985-1988), and Vice President (1988-1997).

Prof. Arnon has made significant contributions to the fields of vaccine development and cancer research, and to the study of parasitic diseases. She co-developed Copaxone®, a multiple sclerosis (MS) drug currently marketed worldwide. She continues to focus on the mechanism by which Copaxone exerts its beneficial effect. For example, Copaxone induces specific cells that are capable of counteracting the auto‑immune reactivity which is the major cause of the neurological damage in MS. She is also developing synthetic vaccines to provide immunity against infections with HIV or influenza viruses and shigella bacteria (the cause of dysentery); and other therapies to treat MS.

Between 2010-2015, Prof. Arnon served as President of the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities. She is a member of the European Molecular Biology Organization and of the American Philosophical Society; a past President of the European Federation of Immunological Societies (1983-1986); and a past President of the Association of Academies of Sciences in Asia (2004-2006).

Prof. Arnon’s awards and honors include the Robert Koch Prize in Medical Sciences (1979, Germany); the Jimenez Diaz Memorial Award (1986, Spain); the Legion of Honor (1994, France); the Hadassah World Organization's Women of Distinction Award (1997); the Wolf Prize (1998); the Rothschild Prize (1998); the Israel Prize (2001); an honorary doctorate from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (2007); the Aesku Prize for Life Contribution to Autoimmunity (2008); the “Yakir Tel-Hai” from the Tel-Hai Academic College (2008); honorary doctorates from Tel Aviv University (2011), the Open University in Israel (2014), and the Leuphana University in Germany (2014),  and the Dr. Tovi Comet-Walerstein C.A.I.R Institute Science Award of Bar-Ilan University (2015).  Prof. Arnon has received other honorary doctorates from several universities in Israel and Europe.

Prof. Arnon and her husband, Uriel, have two children and six grandchildren.

Abraham Ben-Naftali

Chair, International Board
Weizmann Institute of Science

A much-respected member of Israel’s legal establishment, Abraham Ben-Naftali has combined a successful career in law with a commitment to public service.
After completing his undergraduate studies in Law at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, he completed an LL.M. degree summa cum laude at Tel Aviv University. During his military service in the Israel Defense Forces, he served as the military prosecutor and as the president of the military court.
In 1963, Abraham established his own law firm, today called Ben-Naftali, Erez, Zahavi & Co. Specializing in the capital market, the firm is considered one of the leaders in its field, providing consultation and legal services to almost half of the country's mutual fund managers as well as to provident fund managers, stock exchange members, insurance companies, and others. An expert in company law, Abraham lectured on the subject at Tel Aviv University's Faculty of Law from 1968 to 1986 and then at the Law School of the College of Management Academic Studies.
Abraham Ben-Naftali brings his substantial business and legal experience to the various leadership positions he holds. He served as director on the Boards of several public companies and currently serves as a member of the board of the Bible Lands Museum and the Artur Rubinstein International Music Society.
A loyal friend of the Weizmann Institute for many years, Abraham Ben-Naftali has served as a member of its Board of Governors since 1995 and a member of its Executive Council since 1996. From 2002-2008 he served as the Chair of the Executive Council and Executive Committee. His tenure was characterized by strong identification with the aspirations of the Weizmann Institute, unwavering support for its scientists, and devoted efforts to bring the Institute to the attention of potential supporters. Mr. Ben-Naftali also serves on the board of Yeda Research and Development Co. Ltd., the Institute’s arm for technology transfer.
Among Abraham Ben-Naftali’s avocations are travel and photography. He and his wife, Dina, have toured extensively in, among other countries, the Far East, South America, and most European countries, including Iceland and Russia. He has combined his two hobbies in artistic pictorial impressions of his journeys, and exhibits of his photos have been held at the Shalom Mayer Gallery at the Shalom Tower in Tel Aviv, at Beit Gavriel on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, and in Paris.
The couple has two daughters: Professor Orna Ben-Naftali and Dr. Michal Ben-Naftali.

Prof. Alon Chen

Department of Neurobiology
Weizmann Institute of Science

Born in Israel in 1970, Prof. Alon Chen received a BSc in biological studies from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in 1995, and a PhD from the Weizmann Institute of Science in the Department of Neurobiology, in 2001. Between 2001 and 2005, he served as a Research Associate in the Laboratories for Peptide Biology, at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, California. In 2005, he joined the Weizmann Institute in the Department of Neurobiology. In 2013, he was nominated to head the Max Planck Society - Weizmann Institute of Science Laboratory for Experimental Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Neurogenetics.

Prof. Chen’s research focuses on the neurobiology of stress, particularly the mechanisms by which the brain regulates the response to stressful challenges, and how this response is linked to psychiatric disorders. His lab studies the role of diverse genes, proteins and brain circuits that are associated with the stress response. Prof. Chen and his team use a combination of state-of-the-art methodologies, including molecular, cellular, behavioral and physiological tools, to “dissect” the contribution of specific genes or brain circuits to the initiation, maintenance, and termination of the stress response. His lab has made discoveries linking the action of specific genes with anxiety, depression, obesity, diabetes, and even the preservation of memories. They use both mouse genetic models and human patients to ultimately create the scientific groundwork for therapeutic interventions to treat stress-related emotional disorders such as anxiety, post-traumatic stress, anorexia nervosa, and depression.

His honors include a postdoctoral Rothschild Fellowship, and a postdoctoral Fulbright Fellowship (2001-2002). He received the ‘Alon Fellowship’; the most prestigious Israeli fellowship for returning scientists, granted by the Israeli Council for Higher Education, 2007-2009, and the Novartis Prize in Neuroendocrinology in 2009 and the Hans Lindner Prize in 2011, both from the Israel Endocrine Society; as well as the Sieratzki-Korczyn Prize for Advances in Neuroscience in 2010. In 2011, he was awarded the Morris L. Levinson Prize in Biology by the Scientific Council of the Weizmann Institute and the Teva Research Prize granted by the Israel Science Foundation.             
Prof. Chen is married with two children and has a keen interest in science education for youth.

Prof. Jonathan Dorfan

Co-Chair, Scientific and Academic Advisory Committee
Weizmann Institute of Science

Prof. Jonathan Dorfan is the President and CEO of the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology. He was born and raised in Cape Town, South Africa. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in physics and applied mathematics at the University of Cape Town in 1969 and his doctorate in experimental particle physics from the University of California-Irvine. Upon graduation in 1976, Dr. Dorfan joined the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC) where he was promoted to associate professor in 1984, full professor in 1989 and Associate Director in 1994. In September 1999, Professor Dorfan became SLAC's third Director. During which time he was Dean of the SLAC School and served as a member of the Stanford University Executive Cabinet. Prof. Dorfan stepped down from the directorship in September 2007 and remains on at SLAC as Professor and Emeritus Director. From 1980-89, Prof. Dorfan was the spokesman for the MARK-II detector collaboration at the SLAC's PEP colliding beam facility and then at SLAC's Z0 factory, the SLC. Prof. Dorfan led the team that designed and built the SLAC B-Factory, which commenced operations in 1998.

Prof. Dorfan received a Doctor of Science, honoris causa, from the University of Cape Town in 2008 and from Technische Universitat Dresden in 2009. He is a Fellow of the American Association of Arts and Sciences and the American Physical Society. He currently serves on many advisory bodies, including the Board of the Weizmann Institute of Science, the Board of Directors of the Large Synoptic Space Telescope Corporation (Vice-Chair), the Advisory Board of the John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science at Oxford University, the Scientific Advisory Board of the Max Planck Institute for Physics in Munich and the Panel on Public Affairs of the American Physical Society (Vice-Chair). His past community service includes the International Committee for Future Accelerators (Chair from 2003-2005).

Solo Dwek

Italy

Solo Dwek has combined a highly successful career in international finance with a lifetime of commitment to Israel and dedication to philanthropic causes.

Solo Dwek was born in Beirut to an old established Sephardic family. He began his secondary school studies at the American College of Beirut, but as attitudes toward local Jews became increasingly politicized during Israel’s War of Independence, in 1948, the family left Lebanon. They resettled in Lausanne, where he completed his high school education. After completing engineering studies in Mulhouse, France, Dwek moved to Japan to oversee the family interests (first established there in 1932), and remained there for close to two decades. He is married to Beirut-born Jeannette de Picciotto and the couple has two children, a son, Marco, and a daughter, Claudia, both born in Japan.

In 1963, as more native Japanese entered the world of international trade, the Dwek Trading Company was sold to the Ricoh Group and the family relocated to Italy, where Dwek and his younger brother, Maurizio z”l, became international financiers involved in trade finance, corporate finance, and capital markets. In association with Italian banks, they founded the corporate finance company Fineurop Soditic – a Milan-based advisory firm that specializes in high value-added corporate financial services.

In partnership with his brother, Solo Dwek has undertaken a wide variety of financial initiatives. These include export finance joint ventures with major international corporations and institutions, among them, Fiat, Finsider, IMI Bank, Banca Commercial Italiana (Banca Intesa San Paolo), and Erste Bank der Oesterreichischen Sparkassen.

The brothers’ strong identification with the State of Israel and solidarity with its citizens is reflected in their support for many Israeli institutions, such as the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center and the Israel Museum. For over twenty years, the Dwek family has been a generous supporter of the Weizmann Institute, giving concrete expression to their friendship through a series of significant initiatives, both in Rehovot and abroad.

Solo Dwek has been an active supporter of the Institute’s activities in Europe, especially of the collaborative research program with the Mario Negri Institute of Pharmacological Research in Italy. In 1999, he and his brother funded the construction of the Dwek Campus Center and established a major fund for biomedical and, especially, fertility, research. In 2008, the family endowed the Solo Dwek and Maurizio Dwek Research School of Chemical Science and recently funded the Dwek Institute for Cancer Therapy Research of the Moross Integrated Cancer Center.

Their munificent support is making an invaluable contribution to the education of scientific leaders of the future.

Shulamit Geri

Vice President for Administration and Finance
Weizmann Institute of Science

Shulamit (Shuli) Geri is has been Vice President for Administration and Finance at the Weizmann Institute of Science since August 2012, responsible for Management, Finance, Human Resources, Construction, Procurement and Operations. She joined the Institute in 2003 as General Counsel and from that time until her recent appointment addressed all legal matters relating to the activities of the Weizmann Institute and its entities. 
Ms. Geri has been actively involved in the enactment of Knesset legislation protecting the interests of institutions of higher education. One of her key achievements is the passing of an amendment to the Income Tax Ordinance, including an exemption from taxation for student scholarships.
Before joining the Institute, Ms. Geri held numerous legal positions in the private sector and was involved in major commercial transactions both in Israel and abroad, including the merger of Shekem to Hamashbir Lazarchan, the largest department store chains in Israel at the time. She was also instrumental in obtaining franchises for ZARA, Pull & Bear, Guess, and other international brands.  
She served in the IDF's Air Force and Education units and holds an LLB from Tel Aviv University. She is married to Stephen Geri, a businessman, they have three daughters, Ariel, Noa and Yael. The family resides in Tel Aviv.

Prof. Zvi Livneh

Dean, Faculty of Biochemistry
Director, Swiss Society Institute for Cancer Prevention Research
Weizmann Institute

Prof. Zvi Livneh earned his BSc in chemistry from Tel Aviv University in 1971, and his PhD from the Weizmann Institute in 1980. He completed postdoctoral studies in the Department of Biochemistry at Stanford University’s School of Medicine in Palo Alto, California. In 1984, he joined the staff of the Weizmann Institute’s Department of Biochemistry, which he headed from 1993 to 1997.  He headed the Weizmann Institute’s Department of Biological Chemistry, now the Department of Biomolecular Sciences, from 2002 to 2007 and has served as Dean of the Faculty of Biochemistry since 2010. He is the incumbent of the Maxwell Ellis Professorial Chair in Biomedical Research.

Prof. Livneh’s research focuses on the mechanisms by which our cells repair the DNA from the more than 50,000 daily “attacks” on genetic material in our bodies, caused by sunlight, tobacco smoke, metabolic byproducts, and other environmental agents. The DNA repair system, based on enzymes, is essential for protecting genes from incorporating disease-causing mutations, particularly cancerous ones. Indeed, mutations in the DNA repair system are implicated in many hereditary cancers. Prof. Livneh discovered an enzyme called error-prone DNA polymerase, the culprit in a rare type of skin cancer. He also discovered, together with Dr. Tamar Paz-Elizur, that in humans, a weak DNA repair score, determined by measuring the activity of a panel of three DNA repair enzymes called OGG1, MPG and APE1, is a strong risk factor for lung cancer. He and his colleagues are further developing this panel of DNA repair biomarkers to assist physicians in the risk assessment and early detection of lung cancer.

Prof. Livneh is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Sergio Lombroso Award in Cancer Research (2013/2014), the Israel Sarov Memorial Prize, awarded by the Israel Society for Microbiology (2002), ), the Weizmann Institute’s Morris Levinson Prize (1995), and a Yigal Alon Scholarship (1986-1989).

He likes reading, the performing arts, hiking, and delivering popular scientific lectures in an effort to narrow the gap between the frontiers of science and the public.

Prof. Michal Neeman

Vice President
Weizmann Institute of Science

Born in Rehovot, Prof. Michal Neeman received a BSc in chemistry and biology from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and her MSc and PhD degrees in chemistry from the Weizmann Institute of Science.  She did her postdoctoral research in the Life Sciences Division of Los Alamos National Laboratory (New Mexico), where she conducted research utilizing nuclear magnetic resonance micro-imaging.  In 1991, she returned to the Weizmann Institute, where she joined the Department of Hormone Research (now the Department of Biological Regulation). From 2009 until the end of 2014 when she became Vice President of the Institute, Prof. Neeman served as the Dean of the Faculty of Biology and Director of the Clore Center for Biological Physics. She is currently the incumbent of the Helen and Morris Mauerberger Chair of Immunology.

Prof. Neeman’s research focuses on the mechanisms that regulate angiogenesis, using magnetic resonance and optical imaging.  She is particularly interested in ovarian cancer and has demonstrated that the hormonal changes that accompany menopause indirectly promote the growth of dormant tumors and the spread of ovarian cancer by inducing the growth of blood vessels that nourish the tumors. She pioneered a method for tracking blood and lymphatic vessels to help scientists better understand how to suppress vessel growth and prolong tumor dormancy, thereby increasing survival in individuals with ovarian cancer.

Prof. Neeman received the 1998 Morris L. Levinson Prize in Biology, the 1999 Lindner Prize of the Israel Endocrine Society, the Fellow Award from the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, and the Abisch-Frenkel Prize for Excellence in Life Sciences. She was elected to the Board of Trustees of the International Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM) in 2001 and as a Fellow of the European Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine and Biology (ESMRMB) in 2013.

She and her spouse, Amit, live in the village of Mazkeret Batya, where they raise their three sons, two dogs, and a family vineyard.

Prof. Roee Ozeri

Department of Physics of Complex Systems
Weizmann Institute of Science

Prof. Roee Ozeri was born in Israel and earned a BSc in physics from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He received his MSc and PhD degrees in physics from the Weizmann Institute of Science. He conducted postdoctoral research at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Boulder, Colorado and joined the Weizmann Institute faculty in 2007.

Prof. Ozeri conducts research in the field of ultra-cold atoms. One of his research efforts is quantum computing—the development of computing systems that make use of the principles of quantum mechanics. Such quantum systems have the potential to perform immense information-processing tasks that are out of reach of regular computers, and they can have a vastly greater capacity for storing information. If such systems are indeed built, they will revolutionize the world of computing, requiring, for example, an entirely new approach to ensuring the secrecy of information—for example, in online banking transactions. Prof. Ozeri focuses on one of the greatest challenges in developing quantum computers: finding appropriate units, or bits, for storing information. Another research direction is the understanding of interactions between atoms at very low temperatures such as how chemical reactions occur at a temperature close to absolute zero and whether new forms of matter can be created under these extreme conditions.

Prof. Ozeri received the Levinson Physics prize in 2012 and the prestigious Rothschild Fund postdoctoral prize fellowship in 2003. His articles have been published in prestigious scientific and physics journals such as Nature, Science, and Physical Review Letters. Prof. Ozeri is the chair of the Weizmann Institute Early Childhood Education Center steering committee and is a member of the executive boards of the Davidson Institute of Science Education and the Schwarz-Reisman Centers for Science Education.

He is married to Carmit and has three children, Omer, Tamar, and Netta. His hobbies include Sea-kayaking, running, cooking, reading, and swimming.

Prof. Yardena Samuels

Department of Molecular Cell Biology
Director, EKARD Institute for Cancer Diagnosis Research
Weizmann Institute of Science

Prof. Yardena Samuels was born in Tel Hashomer, Israel. She received her BSc from Cambridge University, UK in 1993, and earned an MSc in immunology and cancer research at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Hadassah Medical School in 1997. She completed a PhD in Molecular Cancer Biology at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Imperial College, London in 2002. Prof. Samuels worked as a postdoctoral fellow at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine from 2003 to 2006. She served as an assistant professor with the Cancer Genetics Branch of the (US) National Human Genome Research Institute and Head of their Molecular Cancer Genetics Section. Prof. Samuels joined the Department of Molecular Cell Biology at the Weizmann Institute in December, 2012. Today she is the director of the Ekard Institute for Cancer Diagnosis Research of the Moross Integrated Cancer Center and is the Knell Family Professor.

Prof. Samuels uses the power of DNA sequencing to identify new groups of genetic mutations involved in the deadliest form of skin cancer, melanoma. One of her discoveries, a mutation found in nearly one-fifth of melanoma cases, was particularly encouraging because it is located in a gene already targeted by a drug approved for certain types of breast cancer, and preliminary clinical trials are underway. By the time a cancer is diagnosed, it has billions of cells carrying DNA abnormalities, some of which have a functional role as “drivers” in malignant proliferation, but many are “passengers” that have no function in tumorigenesis. In her postdoctoral work, she discovered that the gene encoding the protein PI3Kalpha is mutated in 32% of colorectal cancer patients as well as many other human cancers, making it one of the most highly mutated oncogenes. Prof. Samuels is developing strategies to separate the cancer-causing drivers from the passengers. She concentrates on several major signal transduction pathways searching for possible therapeutic targets. Her studies provide the kind of data required for truly personalized cancer therapy.

Prof. Samuels was awarded a European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) postdoctoral fellowship as well as the European Research Council (ERC) award. She won an Alfred Blalock, Young Investigators' Day Award, at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in 2006 and was named one of Genome Technology’s top 25 Young Investigators in 2009. Prof. Samuels is a member on several Editorial Boards including the Journal of Investigative Dermatology and serves as a reviewer for a number of prestigious journals, including Science, Nature Genetics, Nature Methods, and Cancer Research.

She is married to Dr. Ori Lev and has two boys: Gil and Nitsan.

Prof. Maya Schuldiner

Department of Molecular Genetics
Senior Advisor to the President for Scientific Education
Weizmann Institute of Science

Prof. Maya Schuldiner was born in Israel. She completed two years of military service in 1996, and graduated magna cum laude with a BSc in Biology from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem in 1998. She went on to complete both her MSc and a PhD in genetics, also at the Hebrew University, in 1999 and 2003. She conducted postdoctoral research at the University of California in San Francisco from 2003 until 2008, when she joined the faculty of the Weizmann Institute of Science. She is the incumbent of the Dr. Gilbert Omenn and Martha Darling Professorial Chair in Molecular Genetics.

Just as cryptologists like deciphering ancient codes and symbols, molecular geneticists like Prof. Schuldiner, focus on unraveling the biochemical and metabolic pathways that regulate cell function. She has invented tools to help them, called eMAPs — databases of selected groups of genes that show their functional relationships in an easily readable format. She used high-throughput cell sorting, biomarkers, and high-resolution microscopy to get real-time images that show the exact location and levels of proteins in a yeast cell. Her method can track changes in a protein over time, such as in response to stress or disease. She uses these creative methods to study the cell’s largest organelle, the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Disruptions in ER functioning have been shown to contribute to conditions such as heart disease, diabetes,  and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

In 2014, Prof. Schuldiner was selected for the 40 under 40 list by Cell, recognizing young scientists shaping future trends in science. She also received the Weizmann Institute Scientific Council Prize in the Life Sciences (2014), a Human Frontiers Science Program Career Development Award (2008), and an NIH Pathway to Independence Award (2007). She has been elected a member of the Israel Young Academy (2014) and the EMBO Young Investigators Program (2011).

She is married to Dr. Oren Schuldiner, also a scientist at the Weizmann Institute, and they have three sons, Daniel (2002), Noam (2005), and Mattan (2012). When not in the lab she loves to bake, read, play the piano, scuba dive, and go hiking with her family (especially in the desert).

Shabtai Shavit

Chairman of the Advisory Board
HESEG Foundation

Shabtai Shavit is Chair of HESEG advisory board. He is a director in the Merhav Group of Companies, and VP of EMG Israel, Chairman of “Athena GS3” Security Implementations Ltd, advisor to the Knesset Subcommittee for Intelligence and former director of the Israeli Mossad.

HESEG Foundation provides full academic scholarships and living expenses to lone soldiers, who have come to Israel to volunteer in the IDF and minority groups such as Ethiopian and Druse students. HESEG (which means “achievement” in Hebrew), was established by Gerry Schwartz and Heather Reisman of Canada as a way to recognize successful applicants by providing them with an opportunity to start a life in Israel through education and career development.

Shabtai Shavit was the seventh director of the Mossad, and served from 1989-1996. He was born in pre-State Israel in 1939, and grew up in Nesher. His father was a school principal and his mother taught nursery school. He is married with three children.

Mr. Shavit is a graduate of Hebrew Reali School. In the army, he served in the IDF's Sayeret Matkal (Special Forces unit) immediately following its establishment. He earned a BA in Middle East studies from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and an MA in public administration from Harvard.

Shavit joined the Mossad in 1964. He served in operational and senior command positions in Israel and abroad. He also served as second-in-command to Mossad Director Nahum Admoni from 1986 to 1989. He was appointed Director of the Mossad in 1989. He was the second director, following Admoni, to have grown within the Mossad, and was the last director whose name was classified during his term.

Shabtai Shavit adapted the structure and deployment of the Mossad, as well as its combat doctrine, to fit the significant historic events and changes that occurred in the world in the course of his term. These events included the breakup of the Soviet Union and the East European bloc; the end of the Cold War; the opening of China; the increased influence of the eastern Asian countries on the global economy; and the strengthening of the trend towards globalization. In the Middle East, Iran joined the race for nuclear development, as did Saddam Hussein's Iraq; Iraq invaded Kuwait, which resulted in the forming of an international coalition of countries  led by the U.S.; and the first Gulf War took place.

During Shavit's term, the peace agreement between Israel and Jordan was signed in 1994. The Mossad was involved in the negotiations to reach the agreement, which was eventually achieved after many years of covert ties between Israel and Jordan.

Upon his taking up the position, the issue of the Mossad's organizational culture, which focused on values and manpower dilemmas, was examined extensively. As a result, the Mossad's credo was drafted, and its values and culture were defined.

After completing his Mossad service, Shavit was appointed general manager of Maccabi Health Care Services, and then turned to business. He also served for many years as an advisor to the Subcommittee for Secret Services of the Knesset‘s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.

Prof. Assaf Vardi

Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences
Weizmann Institute of Science

Born in Haifa, Israel, Prof. Assaf Vardi earned a BSc in biology from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (1994), from which he also received his MSc in environmental sciences (1999) and PhD in molecular ecology (2004). After conducting postdoctoral research at the École Normale Supérieure in Paris and at Rutgers University, he joined the Weizmann Institute faculty in 2010 where he is the incumbent of the Edith and Nathan Goldenberg Career Development Chair. He was also appointed an Adjunct Scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (USA).

Prof. Vardi elucidates the molecular mechanisms that drive microbial interactions in the marine environment. He investigates microscopic single-celled algae called phytoplankton, which inhabit oceans and lakes around the world, forming the basis of the marine food web. He focuses on communication signals among phytoplankton cells and is particularly interested in the signaling occurring during algal blooms, which can extend over thousands of kilometers and be detected from satellites. In some cases, these blooms can be toxic, posing a serious threat to humans, livestock, and the marine food web. He has also found intriguing evidence that the interaction between algae and their pathogens stimulates the production of  compounds that induce algal cell suicide (apoptosis) or possess antiviral properties. Such insights may have potential biotechnological applications such as anti-cancer drug development or induced lipid production for biofuel purposes.  

He has received a number of esteemed fellowships and awards, including two Rieger Foundation Awards for Excellence in Ecology and Environmental Sciences, the Marie Curie Fellowship, a "Legacy Heritage Brain Drain" Fund award from the Israeli Science Foundation, and the prestigious ERC young investigator grant from the European Union and the Human Frontiers Award.

Prof. Vardi is married to the artist Nivi Alroy, who reinterprets scientific concepts from his research in her sculptures. He is father to Michael, a young marine biologist in his own right.

Abraham B. Yehoshua

Novelist
Israel

Leading novelist A.B. Yehoshua was born in Jerusalem in 1936, the fifth generation of a Sephardi Jerusalem family. After studying Hebrew literature and philosophy at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, he started a teaching career. From 1963 to 1967, he lived and taught in Paris, and since 1972, he taught Hebrew and comparative literature at Haifa University. He is now Professor Emeritus.

Yehoshua has published novels, short stories, plays and essays and is one of the best internationally known Israeli authors. He has received many literary prizes both in Israel and abroad, among which: the Brenner Prize (1983), the Alterman Prize (1986), the Bialik Prize (1989), England's "Best Novel of the Year" for Mr Mani(1992), the Israel Prize for Literature (1995), the Koret Jewish Book Award (USA, 2000), the National Jewish Book Award, the Giovanni Boccaccio Prize (Italy, 2005), the Viareggio Prize for Lifetime Achievement (Italy, 2005), the Prix Medicis Etranger (France, 2012) for Spanish Charity (The Retrospective), the Culture Minister's Zionism Prize for Can Two Walk Together (2013), the Hemingway Prize (Italy, 2014) and the EMET prize (2016).

In 2007, his novel Five Seasons (Molcho)was selected as one of the ten most important books since the creation of the State of Israel.

Yehoshua's work has been published abroad in 28 languages.