Israeli Pilots Earn Their Wings and a Degree from BGU
Israeli Pilots Earn Their Wings and a Degree from BGU
January 3, 2011
Medical Research, Press Releases
JANUARY 4, 2011 — The 161st Flight School graduation ceremony took place last week in which the new Israeli Air Force pilots earned their ‘wings’ and a bachelor’s degree from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU).
The IAF Flight School is widely considered to be the most prestigious and challenging path in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Its graduates are an elite few who have passed three years of grueling tests as cadets, including obtaining an officer rank of lieutenant in order to become pilots and navigators.
The elaborate ceremony was attended by President of the State of Israel Shimon Peres; Minister of Defense Ehud Barak; Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi; IAF Commander Maj. Gen. Ido Nehushtan; as well as the family and friends of the Flight School graduates.
Maj. Gen. Ido Nehushtan noted that, “courage in the skies and strong roots in the ground are the essence of the IAF’s legendary legacy. Now you are part of it, as aircrew fighters. Dear graduates, the ‘wings’ also symbolize the high expectations of your future. Today you are joining the most elite of our fighters: those fighters whom the people of Israel entrust with their safety every day.”
A commander of the IAF Flight School, who was one of the first graduates of the BGU/IAF program established six years ago, explained to a group of BGU donors at the Hatzerim base in the Negev that “the relationship between the base and the University is one of a kind. BGU is capable of being flexible with the constraints of the pilot training course. They pay attention to the students’ difficulties. In fact, the joint effort between the IAF Flight School and the University is the fulfillment of Ben-Gurion’s dream of developing the Negev.”
The IDF has approved four bachelor degree tracks from BGU: IT management, government and politics, computer science, and economics and management.
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
Stories Like This
