University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Tel Aviv University Sign MOU Promoting Academic Cooperation

From the Office of Gov. Larry Hogan:

Governor Larry Hogan joined officials from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) and Tel Aviv University (TAU) in Israel on Wednesday, Sept. 21 for the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that promotes academic cooperation between the two universities. The agreement, which is the first one between the two universities, establishes a framework for the joint development of research, exchange of academic and administrative staff and students and the exchange of academic information and publications. The agreement, which comes as UMBC celebrates its 50th anniversary this week, will be in place for five years with the potential to be extended as special projects develop. Dr. Antonio Moreira, vice provost for academic affairs, signed the agreement for UMBC, and Dr. Raanan Rein, vice president, signed for Tel Aviv University.

“Like Maryland, Israel values the importance of investing in higher education and developing partnerships to accelerate the groundbreaking research coming out of our universities,” said Gov. Hogan. “I am proud to join UMBC and Tel Aviv University for the signing of this historic agreement, which will ensure that Maryland remains at the forefront of the research community and will further strengthen Maryland’s academic bond with Israel.”

“UMBC is excited to sign this memorandum of understanding with Tel Aviv University, a top research institution in the world.This partnership will advance research and provide opportunities for faculty, staff and students to participate in exchanges and important academic collaborations,” said Dr. Moreira.

“This is an important move in strengthening Tel Aviv University's ties with leading research institutions in Maryland,” said Dr. Rein. “TAU and UMBC have many similarities and mutual research interests, and we share the same values. This MOU should serve as a springboard for joint academic initiatives.”

UMBC leads the collaborative Center for Hybrid Multicore Productivity Research (CHMPR), a six-year-old National Science Foundation (NSF) center that is supported by funds from government agencies and private companies. NSF recently approved Tel Aviv University to be the first international research partner site for the center, joining five other universities in the United States that are currently collaborating as CHMPR partners. The center, directed by Yelena Yesha, professor of computer science and electrical engineering at UMBC, allows universities to address challenging computational issues by applying computer science tools in the processing algorithms required to optimize their performance and scalability for applications in various industries.

UMBC faculty have previously collaborated with TAU and other Israeli universities for individual projects and exchanges. Leading aquaculture researcher Yoni Zohar, professor and chair of the department of marine biotechnology, is currently on sabbatical in Israel, spending time at TAU.

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