Ariel University in Israel Appoints a New President: Professor Yehuda Shoenfeld

Ariel, Israel, April 13, 2021 --(PR.com)-- The Trustees of Ariel University have approved the appointment of Professor Yehuda Shoenfeld as the next President of Israel’s newest university, following the recommendation of the University’s Executive Committee under the stewardship of Adv. Marc Zell.

A graduate of the Faculty of Medicine of the Hebrew University, Prof. Shoenfeld is one of the world’s leading experts in autoimmune diseases. He is the founder of the Shlomo and Pola Zabludowicz Center for Autoimmune Diseases, an innovative and first-of-its-kind center at the Sheba Medical Center. He established acclaimed research laboratories at both Beilinson Hospital and the Soroka Medical Center.

Prof. Shoenfeld (MD, FRCP, MaACR) has served as full professor at the Sackler School of Medicine at Tel Aviv University.

Prof. Shoenfeld has published over 2000 peer-reviewed articles and has authored or edited some 65 medical texts for physicians and the general public. Among his publications is the Israeli Medical Encyclopedia with 5,000 entries, contributed by 1200 Israeli physicians.

After his appointment Prof. Shoenfeld remarked, “There is an amazing energy at Ariel University that ignited my imagination. I hope to help Ariel University grow as a center of research excellence and creativity in science, healthcare, and the humanities for the benefit of Israel, the Middle East and the world at large.”

Prof. Shoenfeld will assume his position in June, replacing Professor Yehuda Danon, who has served as the University's President since 2012. During his tenure, Prof. Danon oversaw Ariel’s certification as Israel’s newest university. He was also instrumental in bringing about the opening of the Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson School of Medicine at Ariel.

In addition to approving the appointment of the President, the Trustees elected a new Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Mr. Adiv Baruch, replacing the late Prof. Moshe Arens. Mr. Baruch is a leading figure in the Israeli high-tech industry and serves as President of the prestigious Israel Export Institute and as Chairman of the Institute of Technology and Innovation. He founded Ness Technologies, one of Israel’s earliest and largest information systems and technology service companies. Mr. Baruch is active in the fields of medical IT, cyber, smart cities and financial solutions worldwide. He has been one of the leading figures in promoting commercial relations between Israel and the Arab world under the Abraham Accords. Mr. Baruch graduated from the Industrial Engineering and Management and Information Systems faculty at the Technion.

Upon his appointment, Mr. Baruch said, “I am proud and excited to accept the responsibility of Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Ariel University which is advancing research in diverse fields. I look forward to working with the faculty, administration, students and lay leadership to further promote the University as a leading international institution of higher education.”