American Friends of the Hebrew University

Congratulations to Hebrew University Professor Emeritus Haim Sompolinsky on receiving the prestigious 2026 Dirac Medal and Prize! 👏

A pioneer in theoretical neuroscience, Prof. Sompolinsky has helped reshape our understanding of how the brain supports memory, learning, and computation—and what these discoveries can teach us about intelligence in both brains and machines.

Join us in celebrating this remarkable achievement!

The Hebrew University proudly congratulates Prof. Haim Sompolinsky on receiving the 2026 Dirac Medal and Prize, one of the world's most distinguished awards in theoretical physics.

Prof. Sompolinsky is Professor Emeritus at HUJI's Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences (ELSC) and the Racah Institute of Physics, as well as a professor at Harvard University. A pioneer in the field, he is also the first Israeli scientist to win the Lundbeck Foundation's prestigious Brain Prize, the highest international honor in brain research.

His groundbreaking work has helped establish the field of theoretical neuroscience and elucidated how collective activity in neuronal networks supports memory, computation, and learning, reshaping how we understand intelligence in both brains and machines.

Mazal tov, Prof. Sompolinsky!

Learn more: https://international.huji.ac.il/news/prof-haim-sompolinsky-awarded-2026-dirac-medal

Why do some growing surfaces suddenly wrinkle instead of staying smooth?

Researchers at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem have identified a previously unknown geometric principle that explains this phenomenon, offering new insight into how complex shapes form in nature.

Published in Physical Review Letters, the discovery could influence the future design of soft robots, medical devices, deployable spacecraft components, and self-assembling materials—demonstrating how fundamental research can lead to real-world innovation.

Read more:

Beyond Wrinkles: Scientists Discover a New Rule That Explains Why Growing Shapes Suddenly Crumple New finding could help explain everything from flower petals to future self-folding materials August 3, 2026 - Upon blowing up a balloon, it grows and

Great discoveries deserve a path to real-world impact.

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and ICL Group have announced a new strategic collaboration to help transform breakthrough scientific research into market-ready industrial solutions.

By bringing together world-class academic research and industry expertise, this partnership will help accelerate innovation and expand the impact of discoveries beyond the laboratory.

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and ICL GROUP announced a strategic collaboration to accelerate the journey from breakthrough scientific discoveries to real-world industrial applications.

As a global leader in specialty minerals and sustainable industrial solutions, ICL Group brings the large-scale manufacturing infrastructure and commercial expertise needed to transform academic innovation into real-world impact.

Through this partnership, TAMI, ICL's research, development and innovation center, will serve as an ex*****on partner for Yissum Technology Transfer Company of the Hebrew University, to help scale up breakthrough laboratory discoveries into market-ready industrial solutions.

Learn more: https://international.huji.ac.il/news/strategic-collaboration-accelerate-path-scientific-discovery-industrial

Looking to take your research to the next level?

The Fulbright Israel U.S. Postdoctoral Fellowship offers U.S. Ph.D. graduates and early-career researchers the opportunity to conduct cutting-edge research at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem while collaborating with leading international scholars.

Applications for the 2027–2029 academic years are now open. Deadline: September 15, 2026. Learn more in the post below.

Study History Where History Was Made.

Applications are now open for the Fulbright U.S. Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Israel (Academic Years 2027–2029).

For scholars of history, theology, religious studies, Jewish studies, Israel studies, archaeology, anthropology, classics, Middle Eastern studies, and related fields, Israel offers an unparalleled research environment.

Few places in the world provide such extraordinary access to primary sources, archaeological sites, historical landscapes, archives, libraries, museums, and diverse religious communities. Whether your work explores the ancient world, biblical studies, the history of Judaism, Christianity, or Islam, the modern Middle East, cultural heritage, or contemporary Israeli society, Israel offers unique opportunities for original scholarship.

A Fulbright Postdoctoral Fellowship enables you to:
📚 Work alongside leading scholars at Israel's universities and research institutes.
🏛️ Access world-renowned archives, manuscript collections, museums, and archaeological excavations.
🌍 Engage with diverse intellectual communities.
🤝 Develop lasting international collaborations.
✍️ Strengthen your research while gaining first-hand insight into one of the world's most historically and culturally significant regions.
Fellowship benefits include:
• Stipend of $95,000 for up to two academic years
• Reimbursement of airfare for fellows (and spouses)
• Partial reimbursement of children's educational expenses
• Affiliation with an Israeli host institution that best matches your research interests

Whether your work examines antiquity, sacred texts, cultural heritage, conflict and coexistence, or the modern history of Israel and the Middle East, there is no substitute for conducting research where many of these histories unfolded.
Application deadline: September 15, 2026.

Please share this opportunity with exceptional early-career scholars who may be interested in conducting postdoctoral research in Israel.

Researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Rutgers University have shown that cooperation can outperform selfishness far more often than previously believed, challenging long-standing assumptions about evolution.

Using mathematical modeling and AI simulations, the team discovered how cooperative communities naturally emerge and thrive—findings with implications that extend beyond biology to artificial intelligence, robotics, and distributed computing.

Research partnerships like these demonstrate how collaboration across institutions can drive innovation with real-world impact.

For decades, evolutionary theory suggested that acting strictly in self-interest was the dominant strategy for survival. But new research shows that cooperation outperforms selfishness far more often than previously thought, challenging long-standing assumptions about how cooperation evolves.

Using mathematical modeling and AI simulations, researchers discovered that cooperative communities naturally emerge and thrive without needing complex social rules or family ties. By simply recognizing different partners and adjusting their behavior accordingly, individuals were able to build stable, cooperative communities that outperformed selfish ones. Beyond offering new insight into how complex biological life evolved, these findings may inform the design of more collaborative artificial intelligence systems, autonomous robots, and distributed computing networks.

The study was led by Dr. Alexander Feigel from Hebrew University's Racah Institute of Physics, in collaboration with Prof. Alexandre V. Morozov from Rutgers University.

Learn more: https://international.huji.ac.il/news/nature%E2%80%99s-loophole-why-cooperation-outsmarts-selfishness

Summer temperatures can be tough on our four-legged family members. ☀️🐶🐱

Experts at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem's Veterinary Teaching Hospital are sharing simple but important tips to help keep your pets safe, healthy, and comfortable during the hottest days of the season.

Swipe through for practical advice every pet owner should know.

Today, we join the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in remembering the nine students and staff members whose lives were tragically taken in the 2002 terror attack.

Each year, the university community gathers beside Tilted Tree, the living memorial created in their honor, to reflect, remember, and stand in solidarity with the victims' families and all those whose lives were forever changed.

As we commemorate their lives, we honor their memory and reaffirm our commitment to a future rooted in learning, resilience, and hope.

May their memories be a blessing. 🕯️

Looking for travel inspiration? 💙

If you're celebrating Tu B'Av, or simply dreaming of your next trip to Israel, Jerusalem offers no shortage of memorable places to explore. From scenic overlooks to charming cafés, here are a few of our favorite spots for a special outing.

Happy Tu B'Av from all of us at American Friends of the Hebrew University! 🌹🇮🇱

Education knows no borders.

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem recently welcomed H.E. Jitender Pal Singh, Ambassador of India to Israel, to its Mount Scopus campus to discuss expanding academic collaboration between Hebrew University and leading institutions across India.

The visit also featured an engaging conversation with Indian students and researchers currently studying at Hebrew University, underscoring the University's commitment to fostering international scholarship, research, and cross-cultural exchange.

We look forward to seeing these partnerships continue to grow and create new opportunities for innovation and discovery. 🇮🇱🇮🇳

A remarkable honor for a remarkable scholar. 👏

Congratulations to Hebrew University Professor Ronit Ricci on being elected an International Fellow of the British Academy—one of the world's highest honors in the humanities and social sciences. Her groundbreaking research continues to deepen our understanding of language, culture, and the exchange of ideas across generations and continents.

Congratulations to Prof. Ronit Ricci on her election as an International Fellow of the British Academy, one of the highest distinctions in the humanities and social sciences.

Prof. Ricci, from the Departments of Asian Studies and Comparative Religion, is one of just 32 International Fellows elected globally this year. Her research on language, religion, and cultural exchange across South and Southeast Asia, including founding Israel's first academic program in Indonesian Studies, has transformed how we understand the movement of ideas across regions and centuries. Her current European Research Council-funded project, Textual Microcosms, studies the history and significance of interlinear translation across the Indonesian-Malay world between the 16th and 21st centuries.

Mazal Tov, Prof. Ricci!

Learn more: https://international.huji.ac.il/news/british-academy-elects-hebrew-university-professor-ronit-ricci-international