On the other hand
Between the soccer world cup and a visit from Prince William, Israelis have had more than enough inducement to keep them in a state of continuing excitement…writes Michael Kuttner.
Soccer and royal visits however are not enough to halt the march of innovations and positive achievements. Here is a sample of this week’s headline making subjects.
MORE MEDICAL ADVANCES
* Israeli researchers announce that the discovery of drug resistant protein in feline AIDS may be able to help in the advancement of anti AIDS drugs for humans.
* A multidisciplinary team at Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem recently employed an innovative technology to treat cancer metastases near the spinal cord–a first for Israel. The new surgical radio-spinal treatment, carried out in a specialized radiation treatment unit in Hadassah’s oncology department, is performed with the help of state-of-the-art Spine SRS software, designed by Germany’s Brainlab for the precise treatment of cancer metastases near the spinal cord. It enables the physician to match MRI and CAT scan images within an accuracy of less than one millimeter.
Hadassah is the only hospital in the Middle East to use this software in a clinical setting. In addition, Hadassah’s patients are among the first in the world to be treated with this new technology.
A MODEL FARM
Starting with wheat fields and an almond grove, a full-scale sustainable educational farm now taking root in Israel’s Jezreel Valley will be an international showcase for cutting-edge Israeli technologies in precision agriculture, high-yield growth with less water, and preventing soil erosion and infestation.
Staffed by Volcani Institute experts, the model farm will be supported by an on-site laboratory, which will expedite the otherwise lengthy process of applying findings to the field. Trainings, seminars and workshops will be offered on a regular basis.
The farm will serve as a model of excellence for developing, testing and demonstrating methods that can reduce the negative impacts of unsustainable farming methods, protect scarce natural resources, and benefit farmers in Israel and worldwide.
ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS
Israelis demonstrate once again why educational excellence makes the country a leader in academic fields.
77,100 Israeli residents received academic titles from institutions of higher education in Israel during the 5777 (2016/17) school year, according to a report issued on Wednesday by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), on the occasion of the end of the 5778 (2017/18) school year.
According to the report, 41,600 of the graduates came from universities, 25,800 from academic colleges, and 9,700 from education colleges.
TOURISM IS BOOMING
Walking the streets of Israel’s cities and towns one can easily see that tourists from all over the world are visiting Israel. If you haven’t been here yet have a listen as to the reasons for this upsurge.
DEFEATING THE DESERT – AN ONGOING BATTLE
Israel is world renowned for its success in reclaiming the desert and making the land fertile again. Watch this video and marvel at the latest advances being made by the innovation nation.
