The annual meeting marking the beginning of the new academic year

Professor Eduard Yakubov, president of HIT, had conducted the annual update meeting, marking the opening of the new academic year, to which he invited all the institute's faculty and administrative staff.

The president had given an update about the general activities that took place in the institute during the previous academic year, and had presented the participants with the work plan for the 2015-2016 academic year, as well as with the main principles of the five-year plan for 2016-2020.

President of the Institute presents the Innovation Center which located on the entrance floor in building 8.

During this meeting, Prof. Yakubov, referred to the number of students in the institute and had specified in particular the significant rise in the number of new students and the absorption of highly achieved faculty members.

The president also addressed the number of conventions and seminars, held in the institute, the growing number of research grants from competitive research funds both national and international, that the institute had won, and the exhibitions held in the design faculty such as the graduates' exhibition, where 180 works were presented to the public.

Successful opening of the new academic year | Photographer: Maayan Rimmer

In his speech, the president had referred also to visits and industry-academy collaboration, leading to the establishment of an industry-academy- municipality forum. The president had surveyed the great amount of work done in the institute in making higher education accessible to the geographic and socio-economic periphery, including the award of various scholarships. He had referred to the social agenda of the institute as manifested in study programs for special population groups such as Druze, Circassians, Arabs, New Immigrants from France, Belgium, Ukraine, Russia, Ethiopia etc.

The president had specified the physical development in infrastructure that was done as preparation for the 2015-2016 academic year, including the erection of an innovation center with robotics labs, VLSI, computerized labs, sound and image processing (building 8), "Vitrina" gallery- "Design, Science, Technology"(building 6), semi campus for the orthodox religious students (building 1), Cyber lab (building 1) as well as the addition of about 70 parking spots in the parking lot.

Successful opening of the new academic year | Photographer: Maayan Rimmer

In light of the institute's vision "To become a leading outstanding scientific-technological academic institution in the fields of engineering, science, design and technology, which combines dynamic academic teaching with applied research and development, working closely together with the industry and other Israeli sectors", the president had defined and presented a five-year plan for 2016-2020, as well as major targets for the 2015-2016 academic year, including new programs, physical development of the campus, dormitory building project and strengthening the connections with both industry and the academy.

Successful opening of the new academic year | Photographer: Maayan Rimmer

At the end of the meeting the participants were invited to ask questions and offer suggestions for further developing and advancing the institute and the well-being of the students.

The president had ended this important meeting wishing the students, the academic and administrative staff a healthy and prosperous academic new year.