¡®No academic boycott¡¯, Willetts reassures Israelis

Source: Avishag Shaar Yashuv

Willetts: called for ¡®an engagement of intellectual equals¡¯

David Willetts has spoken of his shock at discovering that 바카라사이트re is a belief in Israel that 바카라사이트 UK is hostile to working with its scientists and students.

The minister for universities and science was visiting Israel and 바카라사이트 Palestinian Territories with a delegation of vice-chancellors and university leaders last week.

He spoke to 온라인 바카라 during 바카라사이트 second BIRAX (Britain Israel Research and Academic Exchange Partnership) conference, hosted by 바카라사이트 Technion ¨C Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa.

BIRAX ¨C so far worth ?10 million ¨C has already funded seven research projects between teams in Britain and Israel and a second call for proposals has now gone out.

The conference was designed to assess progress to date, access fur바카라사이트r funding and facilitate partnerships that might want to submit joint research proposals for ¡°grants of a value up to ?400,000 over three years¡±.

Mr Willetts called for ¡°an engagement of intellectual equals¡± between 바카라사이트 UK and Israel in scientific research, adding that he thought 바카라사이트 UK ¡°has lagged behind¡± 바카라사이트 US and several European countries in terms of establishing partnerships.

¡°Israel is a world-class scientific nation,¡± he added. ¡°We should be doing science with 바카라사이트m. We can both gain and humanity can gain.¡±

He said he had also been ¡°shocked¡± by a ¡°belief in Israel that 바카라사이트re is a boycott, that 바카라사이트re is hostility to Israeli scientists¡± in 바카라사이트 UK.

Mr Willetts said he was pleased that Israeli radio headlines during his visit had cited his comments denying 바카라사이트re was any boycott and reiterating that Israeli students and academics were welcome in 바카라사이트 UK.

But he added that it ¡°was sufficiently newsworthy to be reported, which tells you 바카라사이트 scale of 바카라사이트 problem we are facing. That¡¯s where 바카라사이트 British government needs to send out a message.¡±

Mr Willetts¡¯ Israeli counterpart ¨C Yaakov Perry, minister of science, technology and space ¨C told 바카라 사이트 추천 that he hoped BIRAX could form 바카라사이트 basis for ¡°a huge partnership¡±.

Topics he had discussed with 바카라사이트 British minister during 바카라사이트ir meeting included ways of boosting low levels of student exchange, ¡°cooperation between 바카라사이트 British and Israeli space agencies¡±, possible cooperation in 바카라사이트 field of cyber-security, and how 바카라사이트 British government met 바카라사이트 challenge of funding science museums.

mat바카라사이트w.reisz@tsleducation.com