Closer cooperation with Bar-Ilan University

In February 2019, the Deputy President of the HWR Berlin Prof. Harald Gleißner visited the HWR Berlin’s partner university Bar-Ilan in Ramat Gan, Israel. Prof. Gleißner discussed the further development of cooperation and exchange with Prof. Moshe Lewenstein, Deputy President of Bar-Ilan University, and Prof. Rachel Dekel, Academic Head of the university’s International School. Intensified internationalization at Bar-IIan University will greatly improve the exchange processes and exchange opportunities for students, teachers and staff. Bar-Ilan University has increased the number of employees responsible for internationalization, a step resulting from the internationalization initiative of the Council for Higher Education, an agency of the Israeli government responsible for university funding.

Prof. Lewenstein was particularly interested in carrying out research projects with the HWR Berlin within the context of cooperative doctoral studies. Possible next steps include a targeted Faculty Exchange, with mutual short-term courses and common scientific conferences and events on specialist subjects. The aim of this increased cooperation is to bring together interested colleagues from both universities, thus initiating cooperative doctoral projects.

The topics pursued at both universities include Entrepreneurship and Smart Cities. During his visit of the new Smart Cities Impact Center at Bar-Ilan University, Prof. Gleißner was able to agree on a further cooperation with Dr. Eyal Yaniv, Chairman of the School of Business Administration and Scientific Director of the Center. For example, Prof. Sven Ripsas, a key representative of entrepreneurship at the HWR Berlin, is planning a visit to Bar-Ilan University in order to shape cooperation options in these fields. The Bar-Ilan Smart Cities Impact Center is supported by many cities and municipalities as well as by companies in the Tel Aviv area. Quite a number of multidisciplinary pilot projects are in progress to better handle the complexity of modern cities and to improve the “function” of these entities - challenges which are also relevant for Berlin.