To mark its 40th anniversary, the German-Israeli Foundation for Scientific Research and Development (GIF) hosted a three-day event at Schloss Elmau attended by high-profile guests. In a LinkedIn post, they wrote:
“Celebrating 40 Years of German-Israeli Scientific Collaboration! 🇩🇪🤝🇮🇱
We just concluded an incredible, landmark three days at Schloss Elmau, celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the German Israeli Foundation (GIF).
The breathtaking scenery of Schloss Elmau provided the perfect environment for deep focus, creative thinking, and open dialogue. The inspiring setting truly elevated our discussions, allowing our participants to step away from daily routines and connect on a deeper level.
This gathering was more than a celebration of our past. It was a dynamic, forward-looking workshop mapping out the future of binational science. Our 40 dedicated GIF alumni from Germany and Israel, representing a wide range of academic fields from both countries, dove into an intense retreat to share experiences and shape the future of collaborative research.
The retreat was followed by a magnificent anniversary evening and a closing morning session that brought together around 100 participants from academia, research organizations, and the broader GIF community. We were honored to hear deep reflections on four decades of GIF by Prof. Daniel Zajfman and Prof. Michael Brenner alongside a thought-provoking keynote lecture on digitalization and the crises of democracy from Prof. Byung-Chul Han.
The event also highlighted strong institutional backing, with representatives from BMFTR and MOST present and an inspiring address by Prof. Dr. Katja Becker, President of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) – German Research Foundation. A special thank you goes to our Board of Governors members, who actively participated throughout the event, lending their strategic guidance and scientific expertise to our mission.
The gathering concluded with powerful closing remarks by Dr. Marcus Pleyer, State Secretary at the Bundesministerium für Forschung, Technologie und Raumfahrt (German Federal Ministry of Research, BMFTR), who emphasized the critical role of continued scientific trust in navigating global challenges.
In the coming days, we will share a detailed overview unpacking the core activities and takeaways from this exclusive event.
Thank you to everyone who made this milestone unforgettable. Here’s to the next 40 years of shared discovery and deep trust!”
Source: GIF