Shalom, and welcome to the website of the Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment (hereinafter the Faculty) of the Hebrew University.
My name is Saul Burdman, I am a scientist in the area of plant-microbe interactions. In addition, I teach courses on plant diseases, from their basic biological aspects, to their consequences for agricultural production, society and the environment. Today, I am very happy to be the Dean of the Faculty. I first entered the gates of our Faculty in 1990, when I began my studies in the frame of a bachelor's degree in agricultural sciences. Since then, with the exception of a postdoctoral period of about two years at the University of California, the Faculty has become my home.
The Faculty is the only institution in Israel that grants degrees in agricultural sciences and veterinary medicine, and the leading national institution among those that grant degrees in nutritional sciences. Our academic excellence is recognized in Israel and around the world, and is based on the high-quality and creativity of our academic staff. In fact, the Faculty members and its graduates are responsible for many of Israel developments and achievements in the fields of agriculture and food production, which are highly recognized by the international community. It is our objective to strengthen the Faculty’s position as a leading player in Israel and the world in research and teaching in agriculture, food and the environment, while strengthening the relationship with the agricultural sector and relevant industries in these areas. These three areas- agriculture, food and environment- that are part of the name of our Faculty- are interrelated and play a vital role towards achievement of sustainable development, which is the most important challenge of humanity in the present and in the future.
I firmly believe in the Faculty's vision as defined in 2006: "Feeding future generations through modern, knowledge-based agriculture, while preserving the quality of the environment." This vision was defined years before terms such as climate change/crisis, global warming, food security and even sustainability gained great popularity in the public mind. Only in 2015 the United Nations defined the seventeen goals for sustainable development, including goal number two: "End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture." Not identical in words to the Faculty's vision, but undoubtedly identical in content and spirit. This comparison illustrates the pioneering and relevant role of the Faculty in research, development and innovation in food production and sustainability for the benefit of humanity. It also emphasizes the importance of our mission in terms of teaching, which is to provide excellent training to our students, so that they can become leaders in the fields of agriculture, food, nutrition and environment in academia, in public and governmental organizations and in the private sector.
Being part of a globalized world, we firmly believe in internationality and this is reflected in our aforementioned vision. We are convinced that free flow and exchange of knowledge and ideas between people from different countries and cultural backgrounds, strongly enrich us as individuals and benefit society. Therefore we are always striving at strengthening scientific collaborations with international partners, developing international study programs and promoting student exchanges. Please see here some examples of international collaborations and visit the site of our International School of Agricultural Sciences.