UC Irvine-Israeli university engineering exchange program established

A $2 million endowed gift from Henry and Susan Samueli will establish an exchange program between engineering students, faculty and researchers at UC Irvine and major Israeli universities.

Two Israeli universities already have signed on to the exchange program with The Henry Samueli School of Engineering at UCI: Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, the oldest university in Israel, and Tel Aviv University, the country’s largest university. Additional Israeli schools are expected to join.

“This program will further enhance engineering research and education by providing opportunities for international collaboration between research staff, graduate students and world-renowned faculty,” Chancellor Michael Drake said. “The generosity of Henry and Susan Samueli further solidifies the University of California, Irvine’s role as a global leader among engineering schools.”

Henry Samueli is co-founder, chairman and chief technical officer of the Irvine-based semiconductor company Broadcom Corporation. The Samuelis have been longtime supporters of engineering at the university.

“It’s our honor to help initiate this program, which will build new bridges between the engineering industry and the world’s great research universities, ultimately benefiting both science and industry,” Henry Samueli said.

Beginning in fall 2008, two to three researchers will receive funding through the program, allowing them to travel between the established partner universities to collaborate with graduate students and other researchers.

“I am confident that this exchange program will infuse new energy into the innovative research being conducted at The Henry Samueli School of Engineering, while developing and fostering valuable relationships in global engineering science,” said Nicolaos G. Alexopoulos, dean of The Henry Samueli School of Engineering. “This inaugural engineering exchange program will enhance our interactions with outstanding scholars and researchers in Israel, while laying the foundation to expand similar programs with other international academic communities and universities.”
About The Henry Samueli School of Engineering – Founded in 1965, The Henry Samueli School of Engineering at the University of California, Irvine is one of the nation’s fastest growing engineering schools, attracting talented faculty and students from across the nation and abroad. Its mission is to provide outstanding education to students through a combination of classroom learning and laboratory experience, distinguishing itself through an emphasis on cross-disciplinary research and education. Home to five academic departments, and affiliated with two dozen research centers and state-of-the-art experimental facilities, the school generates the latest in leading-edge, interdisciplinary science and technology. Additionally, more than a third of the school’s 105 faculty members are fellows in professional societies and 11 have been elected as members of the National Academies.

About the University of California, Irvine: The University of California, Irvine is a top-ranked university dedicated to research, scholarship and community service. Founded in 1965, UCI is among the fastest-growing University of California campuses, with more than 25,000 undergraduate and graduate students and about 1,800 faculty members. The second-largest employer in dynamic Orange County, UCI contributes an annual economic impact of $3.7 billion. For more UCI news, visit www.today.uci.edu.

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