Bar-Ilan University’s Gonda (Goldschmied) Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center and the University of Lisbon’s Instituto Superior Técnico (IST) have joined forces to provide an exciting and innovative Joint MSc in Brain and Data Science.
“Collaboration is one of the cornerstones of science,” said Prof. Alon Korngreen, director of the Gonda Brain Research Center since 2019. “Thus, it is essential for the wellbeing of every discipline to generate a good network of collaborations. This is especially true for neuroscience, which is multidisciplinary in nature.
“As a result, we are developing joint degrees with five leading European universities with the help of Bar-Ilan’s International School. IST was the first to be approved and we are extremely excited about this collaboration, which will strengthen the scientific ties between the two universities. The University of Lisbon is the top university in Portugal and one of the best in Europe,” he said.
The Joint MSc in Brain and Data Science combines two sought-after fields, which relate to a broad range of areas in our daily lives – from banking and industry to health and social research.
Prof. Alon Korngreen, director of the Gonda Brain Research Center
Neuroscience (Brain Science) studies provide students with a multidisciplinary knowledge base in the life sciences, behavioral sciences, language, computer science, physics, chemistry, mathematics, and philosophy alongside in-depth courses dedicated to studying the nervous system of humans and animals.
Data Science studies expose students to various advanced technologies, including programming languages, artificial intelligence, and machine learning platforms. In addition, the program provides advanced technological skills for managing, processing, and analyzing Big Data.
“Any interdisciplinary collaboration enriches the partners involved and effectively promotes scientific development,” said Prof. João Sanches, coordinator for the Master’s in Biomedical Engineering and member of the board of directors of the Institute for Systems and Robotics.
“This joint program has all the conditions to be a success as the partners complement each other without overlapping. Right from the beginning, we realized that the cultures and working methods of both institutions were very similar and compatible and therefore, we anticipate that this collaboration will be a huge success,” he said.
Prof. João Sanches, coordinator for the Master’s in Biomedical Engineering
According to Prof. Korngreen, this new degree will have many facets to it including the most obvious – training brain researchers in the field of data science and data science researchers in brain science.
“At Bar-Ilan, emphasis will be placed on issues related to brain research and at IST on topics in biomedical engineering and data science. At both institutions, students will specialize in understanding and deciphering signals from the nervous system,” Prof. Korngreen said.
“In addition, it will also allow us to construct a bridge for collaboration in the fields of research and teaching and will provide students with the opportunity to spend part of their training in another country. This will broaden their scientific horizons and enable them to create relationships that can benefit them and their respective universities in the future,” he said.
Prof. Sanches agreed. “For Portuguese students, this cooperation creates new interdisciplinary experiences, exposure to cultural diversity, networking, and international career opportunities. I believe our students will be enthusiastic about applying for this program and will also become the best ambassadors for it after their international experience. There is no doubt that this collaboration will last a long time and will benefit everyone involved,” said Prof. Sanches.
Students enrolled in the MSc in Brain and Data Science at either university may participate in the program. The first year, starting in October 2021, will be at the home university and the second year at the partner university. This degree will be taught entirely in English and graduates will receive a degree certificate from both institutions.
“Through this unique degree, we’ll expose students to fresh ideas, pioneering scientific concepts, different ways to conduct research, and innovative ways to explore science – with double the number of experts,” concluded Prof. Korngreen.
Find out more about this new degree here or email us with your questions.
This is the second joint Master’s degree with a foreign university that Bar-Ilan University has established recently. In July, Bar-Ilan announced that it had signed an agreement with the University of Strasbourg in France to offer the first joint MSc in Chemoinformatics between an Israeli and French university.
