Conference Circuit

Brackish water, Desalination and Regional Development is the theme of the 10th annual Israel Desalination Society Conference at Sapir College.

By GREER FAY CASHMAN
Conference Circuit 88 (photo credit: Courtesy)
Conference Circuit 88
(photo credit: Courtesy)
Sunday, November 16
  • THE GALA opening of the UJC General Assembly will take place at the Jerusalem International Convention Center (Binyanei HaUma) at 8 p.m. Plenary sessions of the four day conference will be addressed by President Shimon Peres, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, Defense Minister Ehud Barak, Minister for Social Services Isaac Herzog, Opposition Leader Binyamin Netanyahu, Knesset Speaker Dalia Itzik, IDF Chief of General Staff Gabi Ashkenazi, and Governor of the Bank of Israel Stanley Fischer. Past and Present MKs and government ministers will participate in breakout sessions on the impact of the turbulent economy, education, Jewish-Arab relations and related issues. Dan Gillerman, former Israel Ambassador to the United Nations will talk about Iran's ticking time bomb, and of course there will be many other topics of global Jewish concern.
  • JEWISH PHILANTHROPY in the United States and its Influence on the Third Sector in Israel in a Changing Environment' is the subject of an English language seminar commencing at 2.30 p.m., Room 503, Maiersdorf Faculty Club, Mount Scopus campus; under the auspices of The Center for the Study of Philanthropy in Israel of the Paul Baerwald School of Social Work and Social Welfare and the Joint Distribution Committee. For further details telephone: 02-588 2192, or e-mail: philanthropy@savion.huji.ac.il
  • A LECTURE in Hebrew on 'Flowers and game Theory' will be delivered by Prof. Avishai Shmida of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem at 5 p.m. at the Wise Auditorium, Edmond J. Safra campus, Givat Ram; in the "Why?" series of lectures and musical programs sponsored by the Hebrew University Authority for Community and Youth. Admission is free of charge. For further details, telephone: 02-6586256. http://community-youth.huji.ac.il http://community-youth.huji.ac.il/>
    • Monday, November 17
  • BRACKISH WATER, Desalination and Regional Development is the umbrella theme of the 10th annual IDS (Israel Desalination Society) Conference to be held in Building 9 (Beit Akademia), Sapir College, Shaar HaNegev. Experts from several of Israel's institutes of higher learning together with representatives of the Foreign Ministry, the Ministry for Environmental Protection, the Ministry of Agriculture, the National Water Authority and Mekorot the National Water Carrier will be among the speakers. The conference begins at 9.20 a.m. Participants arriving by public transport should be aware that a conference bus will be waiting at Ashkelon Railway Station at 8.45 to transport them to Sapir College. Those who have already registered will be given first preference. Others will be accommodated on a first come first served basis. For registration and further information contact the conference organizer Prof. Jack Gilron from the Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research, who is available to answer questions about the event. jgilron@bgu.ac.il or telephone 08-656-3534; or 052-468-4138.
  • THE JAMES-FRANCK SYMPOSIUM 2008 will be hosted by The Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Jerusalem with the participation of German academics and a delegation from the German Ministry of Science. In addition to discussions on specific scientific subjects, the symposium will also focus on the future of Israeli-German cooperation in research. The opening session, at 7 p.m. will be held at the Konrad Adenauer Conference Center, Mishekenot Shaananan with the participation of Raleb Majadle, Minister of Science, Culture and Sport, Israel,.Dr. Annette Schavan, Federal Minister of Education and Research, BMBF, Germany. The keynote address will be delivered by Nobel Prize Laureate Prof. Aaron Ciechanover, of the Haifa Technion who will speak on The Importance of International Collaboration as a Catalyst of Scientific Achievements.
  • INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN Law, Human Rights and English Law will be discussed by international law expert Prof. Kristin Chinkin of the London School of Economics at 6 p.m. at the Maiersdorf Faculty Club, Hebrew UniversityMount Scopus campus; under the auspices of The Minerva Center for Human Rights at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. To register, telephone: 02-588 1156 or e-mail: mchr@savion.huji.ac.il
  • FOLLOWING THE War in the Caucasus: What's Changed in Ossetia? is the thought provoking title of a lecture to be delivered by Dr. Reuven Enoch followed by Commentator: Chen Bram at 10.30 a.m. in the Abba Eban Conference Room, Harry S. Truman Research Institute for the Advancement of Peace, Mount Scopus campus, the Hebrew University Jerusalem. For further information, call: 02-588 2329.
    • Tuesday, November 18
  • ARIEL UNIVERSITY Center of Samaria will host the Seventh Annual David Bar-Illan Conference on the Media and the Middle East. The conference is in memory of the brilliant pianist who gave up a musical career for journalism and politics. David Bar Illan was a former Editor in Chief and hard hitting columnist of the Jerusalem Post. He also served as director of communications and policy planning for then Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. In that capacity, he was a leading spokesman for Israel who was much sought-after by the international media. Eloquent, passionate and handsome, he did much to enhance Israel's image abroad. The conference, beginning at 9 a.m. will be held in the Lax Auditorium of the Raab Building on the Ariel campus. Keynote speaker will be Douglas J. Feith, a former US Undersecretary for Defense for Policy and Director of the Hudson Institute Center for National Security Strategies. He will share his views on journalism and national security. There will also be a panel discussion on the Israeli Media and its impact on government policy related to terrorism; and another panel discussion on whether Israel's media needs more or less regulating. Free round-trip transportation to Ariel is available from Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Raanana. For registration and further details contact Hannah Weiss 052-451-4011 or e-mail anglodtp@netvision.net.il
  • THE 17TH International Conference of the Israel Society for Quality will take place at the Ramada Hotel, Jerusalem and will be linked with Israel's 60th anniversary celebrations. In a letter to participants, conference chairman Oren Nakar writes: "The frequency of change in our lives is constantly increasing; with this increase caused by technological changes, disappearing barriers of time and place and the bridging of cultural gaps. This fact therefore demands that the quality professions cannot stagnate. In other words, these changes require us to consider quality in wider and maybe even different dimensions than what we have done in the past. We have been taught that "the rules of the game are changing" and "if you don't move forward, you will fall behind". Today, standing still means going backwards; and this includes the fields of quality". Topics to be discussed include: The Strategy and the Future of Quality Management ;The Role of the Quality Manager; Quality Education; Organizational Excellence' Environmental Quality; Information Security; Safety;; Business Continuity Management;; Homeland Security; Project Assurance;; Innovations in Standardization; RAMS; Metrolog and other relevant subjects.
  • MINORITIES IN Iraq: The Current Situation and Perspectives of Acceptance will be discussed in English by Dr. Mirza Hassan Dinnayi - Former Advisor to Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, and 'Article 140 and the Future of Minorities in Iraq' by Mr. Said Pirmurat; 12 noon, in the Truman Conference Room, Ground Floor, the Harry S. Truman Research Institute for the Advancement of Peace, Mount Scopus campus, Hebrew University of Jerusalem. For further information, call: 02-588 2329.
    • Wednesday, November 19
  • THE IDEA of an Israeli-Palestinian Confederation and its Impact on the Region will be discussed at the next meeting in the Afternoons with IPCRI series. Speakers will include: Ahmed Qurei, Head of the Palestinian Negotiating Team and Former Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority; MK Israel Hasson, Member of Knesset and former Deputy Director of the Shin Bet; Saeb Erekat, Chief of the PLO Steering and Monitoring Committee; an Ephraim Sneh, Former Deputy Minister of Defense. The meeting will be held at the Ambassador Hotel, Jerusalem at 3 p.m.
    • Thursday, November 20
  • WITHIN THE framework of guest lecturers hosted by the Ariel University School of Architecture, architect Yaakov Yaar will speak on the approach to a location, using the analogy of a tea pot, and asking what is more important, the tea pot or its contents? The lecture will take place at 3 p.m. in the Raab Auditorium, Building 52 on the Ariel University campus.
  • THE ANNUAL Kibbutz Industries conference will take place at the Kibbutz Shafayim Hotel, and will focus on Economic Growth during a time of Crisis. Guest of Honor at the conference will be Eli Yishai, Minister for Industry, Trade and Employment.
  • THE FOUNDATION for the encouragement of young entrepreneurs will host a meeting of new and veteran mentors at the Visitors Center of the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, 54 Ahad Ha'am Street, at 9 a.m. Among the subjects tabled for discussion is Israel's 60 year journey towards economic independence: "Where we were and what we accomplished."
  • THE CENTER for Jewish Ethics which is headquartered at Mishkenot Shaananim in Jerusalem and usually holds its conferences at the Konrad Adenauer Conference Center is moving on this occasion to Tel Aviv, and at 3 p.m. will convene at the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange to discuss the Crisis in Financial Markets and where the fault lies for the collapse. Among the speakers will be Dr. David Klein former Governor of the bank of Israel, Prof. Avi Ben Bassat, former director-general of the Finance Ministry, and several academics whose areas of expertise are in finance and business management. For further details telephone: 02-529-2224
    • Sunday, November 23
  • AN INTERNATIONAL conference on Female exponents of the visual arts from the beginning to the end of the 20th century will be held in Auditorium 206 of the Mexico Building on the Tel Aviv University campus. The opening session at 10.15 a.m.will be devoted to the contribution of women architects from Berlin and Vienna to Israel. The keynote address will be delivered by Prof. Tamar Garb of University College, London, who will speak about Feminism: Art History and the Challenge of the Woman Artist.