As Israel and Singapore are world leaders in innovation and cyber research, university heads meet over collaboration


As Israel and Singapore are world leaders in innovation and cyber research, university heads meet over collaboration

Two heads are better than one – so when Israel and Singapore are both leaders in innovation and technology and have an extensive record of collaboration in research and development, commercial business, arts and culture and more, collaboration in research benefits both synergistically. 

 

A delegation of senior leaders of Tel Aviv University (TAU) headed by its president Prof. Ariel Porat has in Singapore with top university and government leaders to explore new avenues for joint research collaboration in cyber security, artificial intelligence, ageing, climate change, medicine and other fields.

 

TAU has long-held relationships with various institutions in Singapore under the framework of the decades-long bilateral relations between the two countries. The Israeli delegation noted that the visit was an important step in the university’s strategic focus on advancing academic ties with leading global institutions.

 

Porat visited Singapore to participate in the International Academic Advisory Panel (IAAP) to the Singapore Government on higher education. The presidents of top global universities such as the University of Oxford, McGill University, Australian National University, and University of Tokyo were among those in attendance, as well as industry leaders.

 

The TAU delegation met with leading Singaporean universities and government institutions responsible for academic research including the National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore, and the National Research Foundation. 

 

The visit included a special focus on cyber security research collaboration, which is one of TAU’s top strengths. It came before this year’s Cyber Week hosted at TAU; one of Israel’s largest cyber security summits. In 2015, TAU forged its first joint cyber research program with Singapore. The Blavatnik Interdisciplinary Cyber Center at TAU, a key engine of Israel’s prowess in the field with over 200 researchers from different disciplines, and the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore oversee the collaboration. The program has since expanded to focus on a range of issues including mobile app security, new anti-phishing technology, and the cyber security of smart cities.

 

Porat explained that “as Israel’s top university for innovation and entrepreneurship, Tel Aviv University sees great potential in augmenting collaborations with institutions in Singapore, which is recognized as a fellow powerhouse in emerging and cutting-edge technologies.” 

 

TAU vice president of international collaboration Prof. Milette Shamir added: “This trip represents another significant step in TAU’s strategic efforts to expand academic ties in the global arena. Singapore is at the vanguard of many industrious and inspiring achievements. Together with our partners in Singapore, we look forward to driving further international collaboration to benefit students and scientific discovery.”

 

“As the challenges in cyber security continue to intensify, collaboration between countries, sectors, and people are needed to safeguard the systems upon which society relies,” said Blavatnik Interdisciplinary Cyber Research Center chief security officer Dr. Yaniv Harel. “As a global player in cyber research, we’ve demonstrated the joint achievements that our teams produce, and we look forward to forging new ways to solve complex cyber security issues with partners in Singapore.”


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