A consortium of universities and research institutes, headed by University of Haifa, will establish the Israel Center for Mediterranean Sea Research. A committee of Israel’s Council for Higher Education adopted the recommendation of Israel Academy of Sciences to establish the center, whose work will include research of Israel’s off-shore economic potential.
In addition to University of Haifa, the consortium will include Technion, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Bar-Ilan University, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Weizmann Institute of Science, Geological Survey of Israel, and Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research Center. The Israel Center for Mediterranean Sea Research will be headed by Zvi Ben-Avraham, a geophysics professor at Haifa, and a founder of the university’s School of Marine Sciences.
The center is expected to focus on research into gas extraction, marine infrastructure, desalination, and related topics. The budget for the facility is estimated at 60 million shekels, or $15 million for its first three years.
The initiative for a national Mediterranean Sea research center was highlighted in a report by the Israel Academy of Sciences that revealed a requirement for more academic attention to marine research in Israel. Recently discovered gas and other resources in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Israel underscored the country’s need for trained researchers and scientists in the field to better understand and guide development of these resources.
Aaron Ben-Ze’ev, University of Haifa’s president, calls the Mediterranean Sea “strategic asset for Israel” adding, “the Mediterranean possesses magnificent resources, a developed infrastructure, economic promise, and international trade potential. The resources hidden beneath the surface can significantly strengthen Israel’s energy economy, can contribute to closing social gaps, and can ultimately increase Israel’s political strength at home and abroad.”
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Photo: A. Kotok/Flickr
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