The Academy’s President Prof. David Harel participated in early October in the prestigious Science and Technology in Society (STS) Forum, held annually in Kyoto, Japan. The forum was inaugurated in 2004, and it brings together global leaders from various sectors, including policymakers, business executives, scientists, and media representatives, to discuss critical topics related to the progress of science and technology.

 

During the conference, Prof. Harel participated in a special meeting titled “The Role of Science in the Era of Uncertainty” along with academy presidents from leading scientific institutions around the world, including The Royal Society, the Science Council of Japan, the French Academy of Sciences and more.

 

In his address to the meeting, which happened to take place on October 7, exactly a year after the terrible massacre, Prof. Harel expressed concern over growing academic boycotts against Israel due to the ongoing war. Prof. Harel stressed that boycotts impede global scientific progress and urged colleagues to maintain collaboration with Israeli researchers, reinforcing that science knows no borders and should remain a unifying force.