For Immediate Release

Media contacts:
Sara Averick, 052-867-4966, sara@leadstoryplus.com
Jose Rosenfeld, 052-287-7646, jose@leadstoryplus.com

Leading U.S. University Presidents to Explore Innovation and Academic
Collaboration with Israel
Delegation to Visit West Bank and Sderot
July 1-9, 2012

(Jerusalem, Israel) June 27, 2012 - To bolster their global relationships
and bilateral academic exchange and cooperation, a U.S. delegation of
university presidents and chancellors will explore opportunities for
academic and research collaboration, learn about state-of-the art research
initiatives, and study the unique academia-industry ties that have turned
Israel into the “Start Up Nation.” The delegation will be in Israel July
1-9, for the University Presidents Seminar sponsored by Project Interchange,
an educational institute of AJC.

"Israel is a leader in technical innovation,” said North Carolina State
University Chancellor Randy Woodson. “Sharing information on the strong ties
between higher education and industry will provide meaningful examples for
NC State's continued efforts to support a strong economy in North Carolina."
Resonating with her colleague, California State University San Marcos
President Dr. Karen Haynes said, "Cal State San Marcos is a young,
22-year-old, public university-one of very few actually built for the 21st
century, with hallmarks of creativity and innovation. I look forward to
learning more about how Israel has fostered national innovation and how that
is developed and nurtured in its universities as lessons learned to bring
home to my institution."

For the first time, a president of a historically black college will be
participating. Spelman College President Beverly Tatum, who heads America’s
oldest historically black college for women, was instrumental in Atlanta’s
Rabin-King initiative, which promotes Yitzhak Rabin’s and Martin Luther King’s
ideals of equality, integration, peace, collaboration and the value of
education.

The delegation will be meeting with senior Israeli government and academic
officials and leaders of civil society across the social and political
spectrum, and will be traveling to the West Bank to meet with Palestinian
leaders. They will network with their counterparts at Tel Aviv University,
Hebrew University and the Weizmann Institute, among others.

Seminar delegation chair, University of California Davis Chancellor Linda
P.B. Katehi noted, “As chancellor of a top American public research
university with a strong international presence and aspirations to build on
our existing global relationships, it is important that I have a deep
understanding of Israel and its neighbors. From what I have been told by
peers who have already participated in Project Interchange, the program is
an excellent way to learn a great deal about Israel and its place in the
ever-changing Middle East. I look forward to our upcoming visit and seminar
with tremendous anticipation.”
“This impressive delegation of university leaders opens the door to enhanced
academic ties between Israel and a wide cross-section of U.S. campuses,”
said Project Interchange Executive Director Sam Witkin. “The interest
Israeli world-class research and educational facilities have generated
attests to the country’s role as a global player in education and
innovation.”

Chancellor Harvey Perlman, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, stated, “The
Middle East plays a critical role in the world, and one cannot fully
appreciate the issues it generates without being there. I am looking forward
to visiting with our Israeli colleagues in higher education and others so
that I can better understand their perspective, and also explore enhancing
or facilitating the University of Nebraska’s relationships in Israel. UNL
has a major initiative in the use of water in agriculture, and the Israelis,
because of their circumstances, have been exceptionally creative in this
field.”
Chancellor Dorothy Leland, University of California, Merced, noted, “I look
forward to joining other higher education leaders to visit such a richly
diverse country. Experiencing aspects of Israel firsthand will complement my
knowledge of the region attained through my previous travels abroad. This
visit will also open opportunities for academic and research collaborations
in a country with a remarkable density of start-up technology companies.”
“I believe Project Interchange will allow me to gain a much better
understanding of Israeli culture, especially from my position as president
of the largest Catholic university in Texas,” said Dr. Louis Agnese,
President, University of the Incarnate Word. “Specifically, I expect to gain
a greater awareness of the complex issues facing Israel, particularly as
they pertain to higher education. I would also like to explore reciprocal
educational opportunities, which are known as sister school agreements. We
have a strong desire to establish sister school opportunities between the
University of the Incarnate Word and like-minded universities in Israel. I’m
a firm believer these types of opportunities allow students from diverse
backgrounds to engage in positive dialogue that can help close the cultural
gaps that often separate them.”
The Project Interchange intensive seminar will offer the group broad
exposure to the complex issues facing Israel and the region, with briefings
by Israeli and Palestinian thought leaders and experts. Venture capitalist
Jon Medved will share insights into what makes Israel the Start Up Nation.
The delegation will also visit Sderot to get a first-hand look at life under
rocket fire.

Recent Project Interchange delegations have included U.S. energy experts,
French and German political leaders, Chinese and Indian-American academic
leaders, Latina students, college newspaper editors, counter-terrorism
experts from Europe and the United States, and journalists from across the
world, with upcoming seminars planned for Indian parliamentarians and
American civil rights leaders.

The University Presidents and Chancellors delegation includes:

• Seminar Chair: Linda P.B. Katehi, Chancellor, University of
California, Davis

• Louis Agnese, Jr., President, University of the Incarnate Word, San
Antonio, TX

• Lawrence Biondi, President, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO

• Karen Haynes, President, California State University San Marcos

• Elliot Hirshman, President, San Diego State University

• Dorothy Leland, Chancellor, University of California, Merced

• Harvey Perlman, Chancellor, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

• Beverly Tatum, Spelman College, Atlanta, GA

• Randy Woodson, Chancellor, North Carolina State University, Raleigh,
NC

# # #

About Project Interchange:
Project Interchange, a non-profit institute of AJC (American Jewish
Committee), is the only non-profit, non-political organization that develops
and conducts educational seminars in Israel for current and emerging United
States and international leaders. Celebrating its 30th anniversary, Project
Interchange has brought over 6,000 influential figures to Israel from more
than 70 countries, offering them broad exposure and first-hand understanding
of the complex issues facing Israel and the region.
www.projectinterchange.org
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