The cornerstone for the Guangdong Technion Israel Institute of Technology (GTIIT) was laid in Shantou, yesterday. The first Israeli university in China, which will be operated by the University of Shantou, reflects growing academic cooperation between the two countries. The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by thousands of guests including former Israeli President Shimon Peres, Hong Kong-based billionaire Li Ka-shing, who has made many investments in Israel, Israel’s Minister of Science, Technology and Space Ofir Akunis, and Technion President Peretz Lavie. The collaborative venture will be led by Noble Prize laureate Prof. Aaron Ciechanover. The first students will begin their courses in 2016.
Li Ka-shing donated $130 million for the project through his foundation. At the ceremony he said, "In this day and age, no one has an iota of doubt that technological innovation underpins a country’s ability to create collective wealth, and that it is the key impetus to individual success. Creativity is the defining centerpiece of our time powering us into the future. Establishing a creative paradigm is not easy to set right, only through education and the rule of law can we build a free and fair, fun and fruitful future for all."
Peres said, "The establishment of a Technion campus in China is one more proof that Israeli innovation is breaking down geographic borders. China is one of Israel’s major partners in technology and hi-tech and more than 1,000 Israeli companies are active in China. I hope that the economic cooperation between the two countries will continue to expand, as both countries have much to share with, and learn from, one another."
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on December 17, 2015
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2015