Message from Prof. Moshe Lewenstein, Deputy President, Bar-Ilan University
Reaching the level of a doctorate is quite a feat in anyone’s book. After years of studying and research, to finally have achieved such a goal is remarkable and something of which to be incredibly proud.
This year, Bar-Ilan University had 291 students graduate with doctorates in different fields. What is most interesting is that a new record was set for the university at this year’s graduation ceremony – of the 291 students who received their PhDs, 61% were women. Over the years, we have focused our efforts on encouraging more female researchers to follow their dreams and every year, we see an increase in numbers enrolling in our doctoral programs. (You can read the full article here.)
In addition, we continue to see growth in the number of international students choosing Bar-Ilan University for their doctoral research and we are happy to welcome them to the Bar-Ilan family.
You can read more about our PhD graduation ceremony, which took place at the end of November, in this newsletter.
Another area that is constantly developing is our collaborations with overseas universities and degree programs. The Bible Department is an example, with a recent collaboration with the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) in New York having taken off in November and another partnership with a prominent institution in the US in process.
Sharing knowledge and expertise between universities is always an advantage for our faculty and students, but during a time when so much is happening online, it is of even more benefit. We are extremely pleased to have so many collaborations taking place in all faculties, whether for research purposes or for the richness and diversity of professors and lecturers from overseas, who take time to give lectures to our students and vice versa.
In closing, I’d like to leave our graduates with two things to remember.
Make your voices heard. Make an impression on your world, if not the world. As Betty Reese, mother of Reese Witherspoon, who holds a PhD in Pediatric Nursing, said: “If you think you are too small to be effective, you have never been in the dark with a mosquito.”
Some of you might be taking positions in companies or at universities. Some might be continuing their research in a postdoctoral position. While you stride confidently toward your future, toward your dreams, keep in mind the advice of Nachmanides, to “always practice speaking all your words calmly, serenely, to any person and at any time”.
Best of luck to all our new alumni. Thanks for choosing Bar-Ilan University.
Prof. Moshe Lewenstein
Deputy President, Bar-Ilan University
