The Hebrew University Lab: Research Today for a Better Tomorrow

The Israeli Presidential Conference 2011 will feature a unique exhibition about groundbreaking, interdisciplinary research at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where visitors will be able to form an unmediated impression of the research currently underway in University laboratories. The research projects selected for this exhibition are expected to a have a major, beneficial impact on our future.

The exhibition, The Hebrew University Lab: Research Today for a Better Tomorrow, features some 40 research projects. Visitors to the exhibit will see firsthand how diverse disciplines come together to impact upon areas such as Healthcare for Tomorrow, A Sustainable Tomorrow, Nutrition & Plants for Tomorrow, A Safer Tomorrow, and Tools for Tomorrow. Visitors will be able not only to view but in some cases also to experience these new developments and to speak with some of the researchers behind the innovations.  Guests of the Israeli Presidential Conference are invited to visit the exhibition, which is open to all, throughout the conference.

Healthcare for Tomorrow 

We all share a vision of better healthcare – more accessible to all, safer and more effective; able to prevent, treat, and cure conditions that until now have baffled mankind. Many scientists at the Hebrew University have chosen to devote their careers to realizing this goal. This section of the exhibition highlights how researchers from diverse disciplines use their unique perspectives, knowledge, tools, and technologies to develop Healthcare for Tomorrow.  

Sustainable Tomorrow

The future of our planet concerns us all. While human activity has until now mainly had a negative impact upon our environment, researchers at the Hebrew University are working on projects to help sustain our world – to ensure a clean water supply into the future, to improve soil and air quality by finding natural, and often more affordable, means to replace the chemicals so widely in use, and more.  This section of the exhibition focuses on a number of innovative approaches from a variety of disciplines to protecting and improving our environment in order to ensure a Sustainable Tomorrow.

Nutrition & Plants for Tomorrow

As the world's population continues to increase in an era of decreasing natural resources such as land available for agricultural use, the quest to provide everyone with sufficient and healthier food, without further harming the environment, is a difficult challenge. Researchers at the Hebrew University are working together to develop plants and other food sources that will improve the quality of life for people around the globe for years to come.

A Safer Tomorrow 

Safety is a basic human need, and we all seek safety for ourselves, our families, our communities, and our world.  In an increasingly small global playing field, old and new feuds coupled with new challenges and tools have posed increased threats to human safety.  Scholars from differing disciplines at the Hebrew University are working avidly to improve our personal safety in the face of dangers that unfortunately are likely to continue into the future: natural disasters, crime, terrorism and war. These laboratories are testing cutting-edge technologies for meeting one of humankind's most basic needs – the need for self-preservation and safety. In doing so, they are ensuring a Safer Tomorrow.     

Tools for Tomorrow

The French philosopher Henri Bergson claimed, “Intelligence is the faculty of making artificial objects, especially tools to make tools.” Tools, particularly those used to make even more sophisticated tools, are the foundation of human development and one of the most conspicuous products of technological advancement.  The Hebrew University researchers showcased in this section have chosen to devote their laboratories to developing new tools and technologies -- Tools for Tomorrow.