University news and updates at a glance

University news and updates at a glance

In two articles recently published in leading journals (Ugarit Forschungen and Semitica), Prof. Gershon Galil of the University of Haifa (Department of Biblical Studies) presented important information about the period of David’s reign, based on new archaeological and epigraphic data unearthed in northwestern Syria and southern Turkey.

University news and updates at a glance

University news and updates at a glance

The University of Haifa and the East China Normal University (ECNU) in Shanghai signed a memorandum of cooperation on the construction of the Shanghai-Haifa International Research Center, the first of its kind in Shanghai for Israeli and Chinese academia. The joint fields of research already agreed upon include neuroscience, mathematics education technology, computing and data management, and environmental management. The collaboration between the universities will enable Israeli and Chinese researchers to submit research proposals to Chinese research funds. “This is another step in the University of Haifa’s international activity, and it will open up new horizons for the university’s researchers, in terms of the growing academic knowledge and capabilities of the Chinese academia, in terms of research infrastructures, and in terms of resources,” said Prof. David Faraggi, the University of Haifa Rector, who signed the agreement with his Chinese counterpart, the President of ECNU.

In the Community Ecology Lab, headed by Prof. Leon Blaustein, researchers have found a salamander tadpole which has two heads. Researchers at the lab, Dr Ori Segev and Antonina Plavikov, noted that while they had observed an incidence of deformity, especially among the limbs of salamanders,  in the past such cases of two heads were more rare.  The reason for this deformity is unknown,  but the chief theories are pollution of water sources, changes in radiation and the influence of a small population.