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IMAGES: YORAM ASCHEIM; MAHYAN GON, THE HEBREW UNIVERSITY OF JERUSALEM


THE HEBREW UNIVERSITY OF JERUSALEM


Agriculture, food & the environment


Since its inception as the Institute for Agricultural Sciences in 1942, the Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has generated breakthroughs aimed at human wellbeing, environmental protection and economic strength. We talk to dean Benny Chefetz about what it has to offer


Why is the Robert H. Smith Faculty a great option for students who want to be involved in the field of sustainability? The faculty is the only academic body in Israel to provide a degree in agricultural sciences, and when young people look at the future and its challenges, agriculture is one of them. According to current predictions, by 2050


there will be around 10 billion people on Earth. If things stay as they are, the agricultural sector will have to increase production by about 70 percent. That’s a huge task, especially if you consider that available land and water is decreasing, which means having to produce more with less. What’s more, our faculty allows students to


focus on food and environmental sciences, too. Agricultural production, the food industry and the environment are linked: not only do we need to increase the amount of food we produce, but we also need to make our food systems smarter and ensure all this doesn’t affect the health of the environment. Once we have these fields in one place, teachers can talk to each other and join forces, and this is the uniqueness of our campus. That’s why students come here — to improve the quality of life of many people, not just Israelis.


6 Israeli Academia | 2022


How do you implement interdisciplinary collaboration at the faculty, in practice? Students are registered to a particular program, but we make sure that, during the course of their studies, they’re exposed to other areas of interest related to their main field of research. We also have a student-run entrepreneurship


and innovation club, FaculTech, which focuses on food production. We encourage students from different programs to apply as a team; we want them to think outside the box and look at the big picture, rather than focus on narrow topics.


How do you prepare students for life beyond the university walls? A few years ago, we realized that we, in academia, should be heavily invested in strengthening links with the industry. Building solid ties with relevant sectors would help us better serve our students, properly preparing them for life after graduation. To bridge the gap, we launched a new program,


Academia to Industry. Over the course of one year, students learn how to run an industry project before taking part in a relevant internship. We’re proud to be the first experimental faculty in the country to promote this type of collaboration.


ABOVE: Students in the field at the Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture RIGHT: Research student at the Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture


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