Amb. Ronald S. Lauder Receives Honorary Doctoral Degree from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Amb. Ronald S. Lauder Receives Honorary Doctoral Degree from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
November 24, 2009
BEER-SHEVA, November 23, 2009 – Ben-Gurion University of the Negev awarded American Jewish leader and philanthropist Hon. Ronald S. Lauder an honorary doctoral degree today. The event was held as part of the University’s annual Ben-Gurion Day commemorations that mark the passing of Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion.
At the same ceremony, honorary doctorates were presented to four Israelis: physicist Prof. Hanoch Gutfreund; dancer and choreographer Rina Schenfeld; social activist Prof. Alice Shalvi; and journalist Haim Yavin.
The Ben-Gurion Negev Prize was presented to the head of palliative care in the Negev, Dr. Yoram Singer of BGU’s Faculty of Health Sciences.
University President Prof. Rivka Carmi praised the honorees as “outstanding examples of people, who in their accomplishments and achievements symbolize the best of the State of Israel.”
A former U.S. ambassador to Austria, Lauder maintains a deep commitment to his heritage within a mosaic of charitable and professional endeavors reaching around the world. He established the Ronald S. Lauder Foundation, a philanthropic organization that is dedicated to rebuilding Jewish communities in Central and Eastern Europe.
The foundation also supports student exchange programs between New York and various capitals in Central and Eastern Europe.
Lauder is former chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, former president and now chairman of the Jewish National Fund, chairman of the International Public Committee of the World Jewish Restitution Organization and president of the World Jewish Congress.
He also serves as chairman of the Jewish Heritage Council; director of the International Board of Governors of the International Society for Yad Vashem; member of the United States Holocaust Memorial Council, and member of the board of directors of the Jewish Theological Seminary.
He is also a member of the board of directors of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee; member of the board of trustees of the Anti-Defamation League; member of the board of Trustees of The Abraham Fund; chairman of the board of Trustees of the Sakharov Archives at Brandeis University and member of the International Board of Governors of the Tel Aviv Museum.
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.
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