Ben-Gurion University, Israel to Establish Agricultural Research Institute in India

India,November 10^th, 2020 — Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) and ABAN Group LTD celebrated the launch of a new initiative to build an agricultural research institute in Chennai, India in a virtual ceremony

The virtual signing took place in the presence of Prof. Daniel Chamovitz, BGU President, Mr. Reji Abraham, Managing Director ABAN Group, Ms. Anitha Nandhini, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of India in Israel, Ms. Rakhee Mayuri, First Secretary, Embassy of India in Israel, Mr. Jonathan Zadka, Consul General of Israel in Bengaluru, Mr. Saleindra Bhaskar, President, ABAN informatics Pvt. Ltd, Prof. Noam Weisbrod, BGU, Director, Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research (BIDR), Prof. Avigad Vonshak, French Associates Institute for Agriculture and Biotechnology of Drylands, BIDR and Prof. Limor Aharonson-Daniel, BGU Vice President for Global Engagement.

BGU is among the world leaders in the field of desert agriculture and water related research and will be consulting regarding the establishment, development, launch and operation of the joint Academic Research Institute.

Interested students who have finished their undergraduate studies in an academic institution in India and meet academic and administrative requirements of BGU can apply to study towards a certificate course, postgraduate Diploma, or master’s degree at BGU. The research component of the degree will be carried out at the ABAN-BGU Academic Research Institute under the guidance of the faculty of the university and / or staff trained by BGU, in one of the following fields dryland agriculture and biotechnology, hydrology and water quality desert studies, ecology, and conservation.

ABAN and BGU both believe food security is the key to the future and therefore the Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research (BIDR) at BGU is the perfect academic partner for this initiative.

BGU President Prof. Daniel Chamovitz, said, “As part of the international research community, it is our obligation to share our scientific knowledge for the benefit of all the world’s citizens. We have been deepening our knowledge and researching myriad aspects of desert agriculture up close for more than 50 years. We are proud to be leading global research in these fields and therefore it is natural for Ben-Gurion University of the Negev to direct the academic establishment of an agriculture institute in India. The institute will assist in developing appropriate solutions to the agriculture of India. In addition, the students will benefit from studies at BGU at our Sde Boker Campus, and then carry out relevant research in the new Institute under the mentorship of BGU scientists.”

BIDR Director Prof. Noam Weisbrod who visited India earlier this year to evaluate the site for the new institute commented : “Through this partnership with ABAN, we are looking forward to being able to offer the vast knowledge and experience we develop here at the BIDR to students in India in general and Tamil Nadu in particular, so that they will be able to have an impact in their home country. This new generation of local scholars will receive the tools to tackle some of the most pressing concerns of the modern world: the need for an efficient and modern agriculture to optimize and improve food production, and the methods and technologies to increase and improve water availability and quality, all while keeping in mind the environmental concerns.”

BGU’s Vice President for Global Engagement Prof. Limor Aharonson-Daniel who has been working steadily for the past year and a half with Mr. Sailendra Bhaskar, President, ABAN informatics Pvt. Ltd  to bring this agreement to fruition, said,  “I am delighted that despite the challenges set by Covid19 we were able to move forward with this important project, reinforcing BGU’s mission of Combating desertification and exploring global challenges by bringing together water, food, energy and environmental research.”