The Hebrew University of Jerusalem is proud and honored to have four of its Alpha students win at The Israel Young Scientists and Developers competition, initiated and led by the Bloomfield Science Museum. Eight Hebrew University Alpha students submitted their work to the competition (out of 47 nation-wide).
The University's four winners are:
- Ittai Eden for his research on phylogenetic dating at Tel Megiddo, at the Institute of Earth Sciences, in the laboratory of Dr. Ron Shaar
- Hallel Shohat for his research on the development of copper-based ink at the Institute of Chemistry, in the laboratory of Prof. Shlomo Magdassi
- Michael Kanon for his research on the development of a brain-controlled keyboard for paralyzed patients combined with a word prediction algorithm, at the School of Engineering and Computer Science and Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, in the laboratory of Prof. Naftali Tishby.‎
- Shaharit Pilzer for her research on the characterization of brain mechanisms in premenstrual syndrome at the Hadassah Medical School, in the laboratory of Prof. Gadi Goelman
In the coming months, winners will represent Israel in international scientific competitions around the world and will also receive scholarships for academic studies.
The Israel Young Scientists and Developers competition of the Bloomfield Science Museum in Jerusalem is a national competition, now in its 21st year, and is held annually as part of National Science Week.
The awards ceremony for the competition winners was held in the Knesset building during Science Day events in the presence of the Minister of Science and Technology.
We are proud of all of our Alpha students and honored to have our winners represent the Hebrew University on the national and international stage.
Alpha is an innovative program for gifted high school students (10th and 11th graders) which facilitates their participation in the world of contemporary scientific research. The program's aim is to provide for the specialized needs of gifted students by enriching their scientific knowledge, exposing them to scientific research at a high level, and providing the skills required to formulate and implement independent scientific research at a level consistent with academic standards.
The program offers gifted students a meaningful intellectual experience combined with social activities and appropriate emotional support. During the program, Alpha students learn to cope with intriguing intellectual challenges and are involved in social activities with gifted peers from all over the country.
The Alpha program at the Hebrew University is made possible through a joint initiative between the Future Scientists Center and the Ministry of Education's Department for Gifted and Talented Students.
Alpha is a national program intended for gifted students from all sectors who would like to focus on science and technology in their secondary education. In addition to intellectual abilities, candidates for the program are required to demonstrate qualities such as a high level of motivation, independent learning ability, diligence, initiative, creativity, enthusiasm, persistence, and appropriate behavior in school.
The Program's goals are to advance the abilities of gifted students, assist them in realizing their individual potential, and nurture a new generation of trailblazing scientists. Alpha aims to expose gifted students to the fundamentals of scientific research: first-hand, personal experience of a scientist's work; access to new areas of knowledge, scientific thinking, and modern research methods; and developing the skills necessary for carrying out scientific research. The program also aims to cultivate personal qualities such as motivation, ethical values, interpersonal relations, team work, independence, self-confidence, responsibility, and self-management.