AJN Agency.- The Innovation Centers of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Ben Gurion University of the Negev won two of the world’s most prestigious awards for entrepreneurship in higher education.
ASPER-HUJI Innovate, the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship of the Hebrew University, received the “Outstanding Emerging Entrepreneurship Center” award. The recognition was announced during the GCEC conference, an event organized by leading academic innovation organizations from around the world. The GCEC, the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers, is made up of entrepreneurship centers from more than 300 universities, and annually awards prizes to the most outstanding centers. In this year’s awards, the Hebrew University won the “Most Outstanding Emerging Entrepreneurship Center” award along with Yale University and East Carolina University.
“There is virtue in perseverance: in 2019 we were proud to be finalists, and this year we are delighted to receive the award. We feel that it provides important validation for the innovation center and the Hebrew University and will contribute significantly to our global brand, ”said Dr. Amnon Dekel, CEO of ASPER-HUJI Innovate.
It is important to note that this is the first time that an institution outside the United States has won this award. Fortunately, this year the Hebrew University was not the only recognized Israeli institute: Ben-Gurion University of the Negev won the award for “Outstanding Student Leadership and Engagement.”
The award winners were announced at the GCEC conference held in Baltimore earlier this month, hosted by representatives from Loyola University of Maryland and the University of Baltimore. The awards were announced in 9 categories, including “OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONS TO BUSINESS CREATION”, “EXCELLENCE IN SPECIAL BUSINESS EDUCATION”, “EXCELLENCE IN BUSINESS TEACHING AND PEDAGOGICAL INNOVATION”, “EXCEPTIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS IN RESEARCH OF COMPANIES »and OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE CREATION OF COMPANIES».
A total of 65 academic institutions were taken into account, of which the Israelis obtained two prizes out of twenty. The award ceremony was held this year for the second time.
ASPER – HUJI Innovate Deputy Director Ayelet Cohen represented the Hebrew University at the event. “We were delighted to represent the Hebrew University at the GCEC conference, and to have been invited to present our Innovation Leaders program, which prepares students to lead innovation communities,” he said. “During the awards ceremony, we were delighted to discover that we had been chosen as the World’s Leading Emerging Entrepreneurship Center. I thought about our love for education and working with students, and our incredible team that helps 6,000 students a year discover and develop their entrepreneurial skills, and use them to make the world a better place. Our program supports 12 business communities. Some promote the connection between our students and different industries, such as cognitive science, electrical engineering, and space technology. Others, such as the women-led innovation community or the Arabic-speaking community, contribute to building a more inclusive business society. In total, our program engages with dozens of startups and social impact organizations that have raised accumulated millions of dollars and create an ongoing positive impact on our society and the environment. “
