JERUSALEM — The Hebrew University of Jerusalem has announced an extraordinary philanthropic gift from the Paulson Family Foundation and its founder, John Paulson, marking a transformative milestone that will dramatically expand the institution’s academic, scientific, and societal impact. The historic contribution is designated to support several core strategic priorities of vital national importance, anchored by the development of a brand-new Faculty of Engineering, a sweeping expansion of the university’s medical and biomedical ecosystem, groundbreaking research into trauma and post-trauma recovery, and the creation of an innovative community-facing think tank. In recognition of this monumental support, the university’s historic Mount Scopus campus will be formally named in honor of the transformative gift, linking the institution’s foundational history with its vision for its second century of scholarship.
The scale of the investment is structured to address critical technological, healthcare, and civic challenges facing Israel and the broader global community. At the heart of this initiative is the establishment of the university’s new Faculty of Engineering, an endeavor conceived to serve as a premier engine of national innovation. By uniting cutting-edge engineering disciplines with the university’s world-renowned strengths in computer science, medicine, and the life sciences, the new faculty will cultivate an interdisciplinary environment where researchers and students can pioneer solutions to complex modern problems. The integration of advanced technological inquiry with biological and clinical applications is designed to stimulate technological enterprise, accelerate commercialization pipelines, and reinforce Israel’s competitive standing at the frontier of the international knowledge economy.
In addition to spearheading the engineering initiative, the gift directly targets the reinforcement of the university’s medical and biomedical enterprise, addressing both immediate needs and the long-term resilience of the nation’s healthcare sector. Across the globe, modern medicine is undergoing a profound paradigm shift, and the funding will allow the Hebrew University to expand and refine an emerging model of medical education. This pedagogical framework aims to provide future physicians and healthcare professionals with rigorous, technologically driven training that harmonizes foundational clinical expertise with advanced biomedical discovery. By expanding the reach of this model, deepening its underlying scientific platforms, and enhancing research infrastructure, the university seeks to build an enduring platform with widespread domestic and international influence, directly strengthening healthcare delivery capacity for decades to come.
Crucially, the gift also addresses acute societal vulnerabilities through dedicated support for trauma and post-trauma recovery research. In a region where psychological distress and trauma-related conditions present continuous and complex public health challenges, advancing evidence-based methodologies for healing and rehabilitation is an urgent priority. The university plans to leverage its cross-disciplinary scientific expertise to explore the neurological, psychological, and social dimensions of trauma, working toward innovative therapeutic frameworks and interventions capable of mitigating human suffering. Alongside this clinical focus, the philanthropic support will establish a new impact and community think tank. This platform is envisioned to bridge the gap between abstract academic scholarship and pressing civic realities, fostering direct dialogue between researchers, policymakers, and community leaders to ensure that university-generated insights translate into tangible public benefits.
This transformative commitment represents a profound deepening of the Paulson Family Foundation’s long-standing partnership with the Hebrew University. The foundation, led by American investor and philanthropist John Paulson, has previously directed substantial philanthropic resources toward the university’s academic infrastructure, particularly in technology and exact sciences. Prior major investments on the Edmond J. Safra Campus at Givat Ram include the Paulson Bar-El Building for Computer Science and Engineering as well as the John Paulson Building for Electrical Engineering. These state-of-the-art facilities have already established themselves as foundational pillars of the university’s research activities, fostering high-level scientific inquiry and educating thousands of students who have gone on to assume pivotal roles throughout Israel’s high-tech industry.
Reflecting on the far-reaching implications of the announcement, Prof. Tamir Sheafer, President of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, framed the contribution as a defining moment in the history of the institution. He emphasized that over a century ago on Mount Scopus, the Hebrew University was founded on the powerful conviction that where history had known destruction, the Jewish people would build a future through knowledge, discovery, and education. He observed that John Paulson’s extraordinary gift carries that core vision directly forward into the university’s second century of existence. Beyond the immense financial magnitude of the support, Prof. Sheafer characterized the contribution as an act of profound philanthropic leadership that arrives at a critical juncture, serving as an inspiring beacon to friends, supporters, and leaders across the worldwide Jewish community and demonstrating the enduring importance of investing in Israel’s academic and scientific foundation.
Prof. Sheafer noted that the gift fundamentally empowers the university to recruit world-class faculty members, attract and support exceptional undergraduate and graduate students, equip cutting-edge laboratories with sophisticated instrumentation, and translate bold intellectual concepts into life-changing scientific breakthroughs. He underscored that the investment represents far more than a historic act of traditional philanthropy, describing it as a profound expression of belief in Israel’s human capital and a collaborative partnership dedicated to building a shared, prosperous future. The strategic infusion of capital is anticipated to accelerate faculty recruitment across competitive fields, offering the resources necessary to retain top Israeli minds and recruit distinguished researchers from across the globe.
The naming of the Mount Scopus campus brings an extraordinary historical resonance to this philanthropic partnership. Mount Scopus occupies an incomparable position within the narrative of modern Jewish renaissance and the heritage of the Hebrew University. It was on this elevated ridge, overlooking Jerusalem, that the cornerstone of the university was laid in July 1918—a full generation before the formal establishment of the State of Israel. That ceremonial milestone signaled an audacious proposition: that the revival of a national homeland must be rooted fundamentally in advanced scholarship, free intellectual inquiry, and universal human discovery.
Seven years later, in 1925, the university formally opened its doors to students and faculty, realizing a vision championed by some of the most prominent Jewish intellectuals and luminaries of the twentieth century, including physicist Albert Einstein, who delivered the institution’s first scientific lecture, and psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud, both of whom served on the university’s inaugural Board of Governors. The naming of the campus in connection with this historic gift honors that pioneering heritage, reaffirming Mount Scopus not merely as a historic site, but as a vibrant, living symbol of intellectual renewal, resilience, and forward-looking scientific ambition.
The Hebrew University’s sustained standing on the global stage provides a rigorous academic foundation for these expanding initiatives. Reflecting more than a century of academic prestige and scientific productivity, the university was ranked 89th globally by the prestigious Shanghai Ranking in 2026. This ranking affirms its position among the world’s elite research institutions, a status achieved through continuous excellence in pure sciences, medicine, humanities, social sciences, and applied technology. The infusion of resources from the Paulson Family Foundation is positioned to reinforce this upward trajectory, granting researchers the technological apparatus and institutional support needed to conduct high-impact investigations that resonate worldwide.
By linking its storied past with an ambitious agenda for the future, the Hebrew University aims to demonstrate how higher education can actively shape the civic and technological fabric of a society. From the historic mountain where the institution first commenced operations in 1925, the resources provided by the gift will help realize the foundational principles that have guided the university since its inception: to build through knowledge, educate successive generations of ethical leaders, bolster the resilience of Israeli society, and dedicate scientific discovery to the betterment of humanity. At a pivotal time when Israel and the broader Jewish world are actively confronting historic challenges and contemplating the future, this landmark commitment stands as an enduring vote of confidence in the nation’s human potential and academic promise.