CLOSING CEREMONY
M.Sc. Program in Plant Sciences 2010/2011
The closing ceremony for the 2010-11 International M.Sc. Program in Plant Sciences was held on Wednesday evening, September 21, 2011. The festive occasion marked the end of an intensive 12-month program of study for thirteen students from Nepal, Brazil, Ghana, Mexico and Ethiopia, who arrived at the Faculty one year ago to pursue their M.Sc. degree. For most, this had been their first time in Israel.
Excitement was in the air as students, guests, lecturers and staff gathered in the Reisfeld Residence clubroom to break the ice and mingle over a buffet and refreshments. The students were eager to celebrate a year's worth of hard work and achievements.
Among the guests was Dina Gidron, the Israel representative of the Pears Foundation of the UK, a major scholarship donor of The Hebrew University. Other guests included alumni of last year's M.Sc. program, Nutritional Sciences, who have remained at the Faculty for a second year to pursue the M.Sc. thesis stream.
Prof. Aharon (Ronnie) Friedman, Dean of the Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food & Environment opened the ceremony, expressing the Faculty's pride in the students and the program. Prof. Yehoshua (Shuki) Saranga, academic chair of the M.Sc. in Plant Sciences, spoke about the students' transformation from hesitant newcomers to budding future researchers, praising their performance and potential contributions to the world's hunger problems.
Miri Ben-Haim, Director of the Division for External Studies, echoed their sentiments and noted that for the first time in the M.Sc. program's history, all thirteen students opted to continue their studies in the Faculty in the thesis track, many as Pears Scholars.
Dina Gidron rounded up the speeches by saying that the M.Sc. program is the flagship for the Pears Foundation and a great source of pride. Though the students were at the beginning of their academic careers, she expected they would flourish, and hoped they would remain in contact with Israel in general, and with The Hebrew University in particular. The Foundation's newest initiative, the Pears Alumni Association, will create just the platform to engage alumni the world over in ongoing cooperation and knowledge sharing.
Two days prior to the ceremony, the thirteen Plant Sciences students had presented their research exercises in a live video event, the Pears Webinar in Plant Sciences, the first of its kind for the program and for the Faculty. Led by Prof. Shuki Saranga, the webinar was broadcast online, and is currently available on YouTube.
With the congratulatory speeches over, the students, who had formed a choir during the year with musical coordinator Ruth Lavie, sang traditional Hebrew songs of determination, peace, and joy. Without a doubt, the students had overcome a number of obstacles and had every reason to celebrate. The entire event was characterized by warmth and goodwill, a night that the graduates will truly never forget.
We wish them continued success in their future ventures.
