Blavatnik Family Foundation awards $16m. to Tel Aviv University

The $16 million grant will go towards several projects, including the family's cyber research center and a project to fund upcoming Israeli filmmakers.

By LIDAR GRAVÉ-LAZI
Tel Aviv University (photo credit: TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY)
Tel Aviv University
(photo credit: TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY)
The Blavatnik Family Foundation announced on Monday that it was giving a $16 million grant to Tel Aviv University for the advancement of interdisciplinary scientific research, discovery and development.
The grant will support the multi-year Blavatnik Initiative, launched in 2014, which established five new centers and funds at TAU focusing on various fields of science, film production and the recruitment of new researchers.
The current grant follows previous gifts to the university that have totaled more than $40 million.
TAU president Prof. Joseph Klafter said Len Blavatnik’s generous donation provides a significant boost to the university’s development and international status.
“Len Blavatnik has been a major partner of TAU for many years, exhibiting deep commitment to the advancement of excellence in higher education and research in Israel,” he said.
Among the centers that will benefit from the grant are the Blavatnik Center for Drug Discovery which was inaugurated in May 2016. The center combines biological, chemical and computational research in order to develop new medications that will alleviate suffering and save lives.
The Blavatnik Interdisciplinary Cyber Research Center, established in partnership with the Israel National Cyber Directorate, advances awareness and activities in the cyber arena and the challenges that cyber poses to individuals, commercial enterprises and sovereign states worldwide.
The center seeks to become an international leader in its field, and to increase academic awareness and efforts to promote cybersecurity. Research at the center addresses a range of issues including: software security, attacks on hardware and software, encryption, network protocols, political and military aspects of cyber security, cybernetic warfare, social aspects of online security and law enforcement in cyberspace.
The Blavatnik Computer Science Research Fund was established four years ago and supports advanced computer science research, particularly in high-impact areas that contribute to Israel’s economic prosperity.
The grant will also benefit the Blavatnik Student Film Production Fund, which provides financial support to upcoming Israeli filmmakers.
Finally, the Blavatnik President’s Faculty Recruitment Discretionary Fund, managed by the university’s president, bolsters TAU academic development by supporting the recruitment of outstanding young Israeli scientists.
“Israel’s breakthroughs in science and technology over the past 70 years have made it an international force,” said Len Blavatnik, founder and chairman of Access Industries and head of the Blavatnik Family Foundation. “Our goal in supporting Tel Aviv University is to advance the next discoveries and support future generations of Israeli scientists and researchers.”