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TWO MILLENNIA OF ACADEMIC HERITAGE
Jerusalem is home to 17 academic institutions and has an academic heritage spanning back more than two millennia when King Solomon,
“the wisest of all men,” built the Temple in the Holy City. Thanks to the help of cutting- edge research from the Hebrew University
(ranked 23rd in the world) and Hadassah University Medical Center’s world-class labs, Jerusalem has emerged as a modern-day leading
hub of academic knowledge, attracting thousands of academic leaders to global conferences in the past year alone.
“In recent years, the university’s administration has made intense efforts to attract the best students, teachers and researchers, and to equip them with the best tools to succeed. In turn, our faculty and students have made world-class contributions in diverse fields, ranging from the arts and humanities to the basic and applied sciences,” explains Professor Menahem Ben-Sasson, President of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
There’s a reason why Time Magazine named Jerusalem the world’s top emerging technological hub in 2015. Hebrew University
ranks no. 1 in the 2018 QS World University Rankings report and sits among the top one percent of the world’s 26,000 higher education
institutions. Not only does the university count the father of physics, Albert Einstein, as a founding father, it also boasts eight Nobel
Laureates; nearly 10,000 patents for 2,600 inventions; and 4,000 research programmes that explore everything from Alzheimer’s
medication to medical marijuana.
Jerusalem is playing on these strengths, standing out in the global arena in terms of academic research, biotechnology and medical
innovation, and computer vision and image processing. Thanks to the seemingly endless amount of collaboration possibilities—
blending scientific knowledge with the latest breakthroughs emerging from the medical world—Jerusalem has started laying
down a strong foundation for future conferences, with Israeli representatives of scientific international associations attracting international
colleagues to the city for events like the first-ever International Tourism Security Summit, the OurCrowd Global Investor
Summit, with over 10,000 participants, the International Nanotechnology Conference, and the UNESCO 13th World Conference on
Bioethics, Medical Ethics & Health Law.
As more associations are drawn to the destination, Jerusalem is stepping up as a global academic powerhouse and gaining a reputation
as a place where international industries can come and learn from the city’s wealth of academic talent. ICRS, the International
Symposium on the Cannabinoids which will be held in 2021, is also testament of this. START UP NATION Jerusalem is ranked the fourth-most promising cultural destination around the world since it’s chock-full of holy and historic sites (such as the Muslim Dome and Christian
Church of the Sepulchr) all sitting within walking distance in the walled Old City. But the capital is quickly proving that despite
a rich past, it takes investment in its future seriously.
The high-tech hub has rightfully earned the title as “Start Up Nation,” boasting the largest number of per-capita start ups and venture
capital investments in the world. One of the best examples of success sprouting from the city itself: in March, Intel acquired Mobileye
for $15 billion. The Israeli technology company, which develops vision technology for Advanced Driver Assistance Systems and
autonomous driving, got its start in the halls at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. With this type of home-grown success, Jerusalem
is showing the world its power as an innovation hub where delegates can learn from global pioneers at local institutions, working
together to share medical and scientific knowledge.
ASSOCIATION SUCCESS IN THE CITY
In just a few hours on a direct flight from Europe, delegates can be exploring a city that’s been the centre of culture, religion and
history for thousands of years. Not only does Jerusalem offer delegates the chance to meet in the world’s holiest city that’s as rich in
culture as it is in business, it gives them the opportunity to be part of a growing knowledge hub and build a legacy both for their
association as well as for the dynamic city.
For associations who need financial assistance or are looking to boost delegate attendance, the Jerusalem Conventions & Visitors
Bureau (JCVB) acts as a one-stop-shop and has helped the city host more international delegates than any other in Israel, assisting
with everything from financial incentives of up to €50,000 to marketing and technological tools geared toward hotel and venue
booking. While the bureau is only a few years old, it has learned from some of the best around the globe to develop the tools associations
need in order to successfully plan and host congresses. In November this year, JCVB will host 25 key leading figures in medical
and scientific associations for a three-day visit to show them first-hand the innovative and evolving spirit Jerusalem has to offer
associations planning congresses in the city.
