Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have opened a laboratory in Beer Sheva that is the first of its kind in Israel.
NUR (Negev Urban Research) is a modern laboratory that is part of MIT's global City Science network, which includes ten laboratories in countries such as Spain, Mexico, Germany and China, and which seeks to address urban and spatial challenges in desert regions through advanced technology and multidisciplinary approaches.
The laboratory was established as part of Government Decision 625, focused on the development of the Negev, and is supported by various Israeli ministries, academic institutions and international companies to combat the effects of climate change, rapid population growth, multiculturalism and the scarcity of vital resources in the city and region.
Architect Merav Idit Battat, director of the lab, noted that “the Israeli landscape faces global challenges, such as the climate crisis, and local ones, such as the demographic challenge. We have much to learn from the world, but also much to offer from the Negev. At a complex time for Israel, we have created a center that seeks a more just and sustainable future through collaborative platforms and innovative data-driven tools.”
What a pity that it is right in Ben Gurion.
Jewish Israelis are asked for stupid things like a psychometric test, and yet they give priority to a large percentage of admissions to minorities.
It should have been a more democratic University.