Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities

Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities is the national academy of Israel, comprising distinguished scholars in the sciences and humanities, including Albert Einstein, David Ben-Gurion, and Chaim Weizmann. The academy was established in 1961 by the Knesset, with the aim of promoting scientific and academic excellence in Israel. The academy is located in Jerusalem, near the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and has close ties with other academic institutions, such as the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology and the Weizmann Institute of Science. The academy's founding members included renowned scholars like Martin Buber, Gershom Scholem, and Abba Eban.

● History

The history of the academy dates back to the early days of the State of Israel, when there was a need for a national institution to promote scientific research and academic excellence. The idea of establishing a national academy was first proposed by Chaim Weizmann, who later became the first President of Israel. The academy was formally established in 1961, with Abba Eban as its first president, and has since played a significant role in promoting scientific and academic research in Israel, in collaboration with institutions like the Israel Science Foundation and the Ministry of Science and Technology (Israel). The academy has also had close ties with international organizations, such as the Royal Society, the National Academy of Sciences, and the Académie des Sciences. Notable members have included Shmuel Agmon, Hillel Furstenberg, and Jacob Ziv.

● Organization

The academy is organized into several sections, including the Section of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, the Section of Chemical Sciences, and the Section of Life Sciences. Each section is responsible for promoting research and academic excellence in its respective field, in collaboration with institutions like the Tel Aviv University, the Bar-Ilan University, and the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. The academy is headed by a president, who is elected by the members, and has included notable figures like Aryeh Dvoretzky, Joshua Jortner, and Ruth Arnon. The academy also has a number of committees, including the Committee for the Advancement of Science and Technology and the Committee for the Promotion of Young Scientists, which work closely with organizations like the Israel Academy of Arts and Design and the Samuel Neaman Institute for Advanced Studies in Science and Technology.

● Membership

Membership in the academy is limited to a select group of distinguished scholars, who are elected by the existing members. The members include Nobel laureates like Daniel Kahneman, Aaron Ciechanover, and Avram Hershko, as well as other prominent scholars in the sciences and humanities, such as Shlomo Avineri, Menachem Yaari, and Asa Kasher. The members are divided into several categories, including Fellows of the Academy, Foreign Members, and Honorary Members, and have included notable figures like François Jacob, André Lwoff, and Roger D. Kornberg. The academy also has a number of young scholars, who are supported through various programs and grants, in collaboration with institutions like the Feinberg Graduate School and the Sackler Faculty of Medicine.

● Activities

The academy is involved in a wide range of activities, including the promotion of scientific research, the organization of conferences and workshops, and the publication of scientific journals and books. The academy also provides funding for research projects, in collaboration with organizations like the Israel Science Foundation and the United States-Israel Binational Science Foundation. The academy has close ties with other academic institutions, such as the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, and the Weizmann Institute of Science, and has collaborated with international organizations like the European Organization for Nuclear Research and the International Council for Science. The academy also has a number of programs for promoting science education, in collaboration with institutions like the Ministry of Education (Israel) and the Council for Higher Education (Israel).

● Awards_and_Prizes

The academy awards a number of prizes and awards to outstanding scholars, including the Israel Prize, which is considered the highest honor in Israel for academic achievement. The academy also awards the Wolf Prize, which is considered one of the most prestigious international awards in the sciences and humanities, and has been awarded to notable figures like Paul Lauterbur, Peter Lax, and Vladimir Arnold. Other awards include the Sachs Prize, the Landau Prize, and the Katzir Prize, which are awarded to young scholars and researchers, in collaboration with institutions like the Tel Aviv University and the Weizmann Institute of Science. The academy also has a number of other awards and prizes, which are awarded to scholars and researchers in various fields, including physics, chemistry, and biology, in collaboration with organizations like the American Physical Society and the European Molecular Biology Organization.

● International_Cooperation

The academy has close ties with international organizations, such as the Royal Society, the National Academy of Sciences, and the Académie des Sciences. The academy also participates in international programs, such as the European Research Council and the International Council for Science, and has collaborated with institutions like the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the California Institute of Technology, and the University of California, Berkeley. The academy also has a number of agreements with other national academies, including the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Indian National Science Academy, and the Russian Academy of Sciences, and has participated in international events like the World Science Forum and the Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The academy's international cooperation has included notable collaborations with scholars like Stephen Hawking, James Watson, and Jane Goodall.