Harvard President Praises ‘Start-Up Nation,’ a ‘Magnet for Human Capital’

The University of Haifa is collaborating with Harvard in a number of areas, including marine sciences, archaeology, and environmental studies.

By TPS

The University of Haifa conferred an honorary doctorate upon Harvard University President Lawrence S. Bacow on Monday night, during which he praised the “Start-Up Nation” for “creating, aggregating, and acting as a magnet for human capital.”

Bacow received the honorary doctorate in recognition of his global leadership in higher education, redefining the critical role universities play in developing and sustaining communities and his advocacy for the importance of diversity within education.

In receiving his doctorate, President Bacow praised the “start-up nation” for its ability to draw talent from around the world through the opportunities that exist within the country.

“We live in a world right now where the only truly scarce capital is human capital,” said Bacow. “Israel has demonstrated to the world that a country or a region doesn’t need to be rich in natural resources in order to be a wealthy country. Israel does it by creating, aggregating, and acting as a magnet for human capital. It draws people to Israel from around the world who come to Israel’s universities to study, and people who are attracted to Israel by the opportunity that exists.”

The University of Haifa is collaborating with Harvard in a number of areas, including marine sciences, archaeology, and environmental studies.

Currently, the universities are conducting a joint project on the etiology of large sea mammals, which is considered the world’s most ambitious research initiative on that topic. Bacow described it as one that “may change what we know about some of the most extraordinary animals on the planet.”

“Harvard and the University of Haifa, in their tireless pursuits that they inspire and enable, have never been more important for society than they are now,” Bacow said.