BGU and U-M Partner on Renewable Energy Technologies
BGU and U-M Partner on Renewable Energy Technologies
April 10, 2013
Alternative Energy, Press Releases
BEER-SHEVA, Israel, April 10, 2013 – Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) and the University of Michigan (U-M) have established a research partnership to develop renewable technologies.
The partnership aims to solve major challenges in the areas of advanced vehicle fuels, solar energy and thermoelectric materials. Each university has pledged half of the $1 million that will jumpstart the three-year program.
“BGU has been at the forefront of energy research for more than 30 years,” said BGU Vice President and Dean for Research and Development Moti Herskowitz.
“We look forward to collaborating with the U-M researchers and trust that the agreed model has the potential of generating novel scientific and technological information with potential applications,” he added.
At the memorandum of understanding signing in Ann Arbor. Front row: BGU Vice President and Dean for Research and Development Moti Herskowitz and U-M Vice President for Research Stephen Forrest. Back row: BGU President Rivka Carmi and U-M President Mary Sue Coleman.
U-M Vice President for Research Stephen Forrest said, “Universities need to globalize their activities because we need to solve problems that are larger than one country can manage alone. When faculty at universities from across the world come together, they bring different cultures and different objectives, and when you mix them, you get a lot more than just the sum of the parts.”
Up to six projects will be funded during the first year. An annual technical workshop will showcase the research outcomes.
Beginning immediately, joint faculty teams can apply for grants to pursue projects in one of three areas:
• Advanced vehicle fuels, which could include alternative fuels such as natural gas, hydrogen, electricity, fuel blends, or fuels from biomass
• Solar energy technologies including solar heating, solar photovoltaics or solar thermal electricity
• Thermoelectric materials for devices that create voltage using the direct conversion of temperature differences to electric voltage, and vice-versa
“We are very excited about the potential for innovation in renewable energy as a result of this new partnership,” says Doron Krakow, executive vice president, American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. “It is always a source of pride to see significant collaborations between BGU and American universities develop.”
ABOUT AMERICANS FOR BEN-GURION UNIVERSITY
By supporting a world-class academic institution that not only nurtures the Negev, but also shares its expertise locally and globally, Americans for Ben-Gurion University engages a community of Americans who are committed to improving the world. David Ben-Gurion envisioned that Israel’s future would be forged in the Negev. The cutting-edge research carried out at Ben-Gurion University drives that vision by sustaining a desert Silicon Valley, with the “Stanford of the Negev” at its center. The Americans for Ben-Gurion University movement supports a 21st century unifying vision for Israel by rallying around BGU’s remarkable work and role as an apolitical beacon of light in the Negev desert.
About Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev embraces the endless potential we have as individuals and as a commonality to adapt and to thrive in changing environments. Inspired by our location in the desert, we aim to discover, to create, and to develop solutions to dynamic challenges, to pose questions that have yet to be asked, and to push beyond the boundaries of the commonly accepted and possible.
We are proud to be a central force for inclusion, diversity and innovation in Israel, and we strive to extend the Negev’s potential and our entrepreneurial spirit throughout the world. For example, the multi-disciplinary School for Sustainability and Climate Change at BGU leverages over 50 years of expertise on living and thriving in the desert into scalable solutions for people everywhere.
BGU at a glance:
20,000 students | 800 senior faculty | 3 campuses | 6 faculties: humanities & social sciences, health sciences, engineering sciences, natural sciences, business & management, and desert research.
For all press inquiries, please contact:
James Fattal, J Cubed Communications
516.289.1496
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