JERUSALEM — In one of the most substantial philanthropic investments in its history, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has announced an extraordinary gift from renowned investor and philanthropist John Paulson and the Paulson Family Foundation. The transformative contribution is structured to address critical areas of national importance across Israel, targeting comprehensive academic expansion, medical innovation, cutting-edge engineering, and societal resilience. Specifically, the funding will fuel the creation of an independent Faculty of Engineering, significantly broaden the university’s biomedical and medical education systems, accelerate trauma and post-trauma recovery initiatives, and establish new frameworks dedicated to driving public impact and community engagement.
The historic gift also brings symbolic and operational renewal to the university’s historic home on Mount Scopus, honoring the founding vision of the institution as it enters its second century of operation. At a time when Israel faces complex societal and technological demands, this philanthropic commitment represents a profound vote of confidence in the nation’s academic ecosystem, scientific enterprise, and enduring human capital.
A central pillar of the newly announced funding is the establishment and development of the Hebrew University’s new Faculty of Engineering. Israel’s technology sector has long relied on world-class academic institutions to generate the research, ideas, and talent necessary to sustain its reputation as an engine of international innovation. The new faculty is designed to significantly enhance that capacity by integrating engineering disciplines directly with the university’s existing strengths in computer science, mathematics, life sciences, and medicine. By breaking down conventional disciplinary silos, the initiative aims to build a modern incubator for cross-disciplinary research that directly confronts complex technological, environmental, and social challenges.
The expansion into a fully developed engineering faculty builds upon a strong foundation of prior support from the Paulson Family Foundation. In earlier initiatives, the foundation helped reshape the university’s physical and scientific landscape through major investments in technological infrastructure on the Edmond J. Safra Campus. These previous endeavors include the development of the Paulson Bar-El Building for Computer Science & Engineering as well as the John Paulson Building for Electrical Engineering. The new gift expands this collaborative legacy, elevating Hebrew University’s technological enterprise to an entirely new scale and providing students and faculty with the resources required to turn theoretical breakthroughs into applied solutions.
In tandem with the technical advances in engineering, a major portion of the gift will be directed toward the Hebrew University’s medical and biomedical ecosystem. Israel’s healthcare system and biomedical research landscape require continual modernization to meet both routine and acute national healthcare demands. The investment will enable the university to advance its emerging model for medical education, expanding its reach, deepening its underlying technological and research foundations, and refining the curriculum to train the next generation of physicians and clinical investigators.
This modern framework for medical education is intended to integrate basic scientific inquiry with advanced clinical practice, strengthening the nation’s long-term healthcare infrastructure. By bolstering biomedical laboratories, supporting clinical translational research, and fostering cross-disciplinary cooperation between medical practitioners and bioengineering researchers, the university aims to position itself as a preeminent center shaping the future of global medicine. The resulting ecosystem is anticipated to accelerate discoveries from the laboratory bench to the patient bedside, addressing unmet medical needs both domestically and across the broader international community.
Recognizing the urgent challenges facing Israeli society, the gift places a vital and dedicated focus on trauma and post-trauma recovery. Psychological trauma and long-term recovery have emerged as pressing societal priorities requiring rigorous, evidence-based academic intervention. Through the resources provided by the Paulson Family Foundation, Hebrew University will expand specialized research programs examining the biological, psychological, and social mechanisms of trauma. This research will work toward the development of innovative clinical interventions, therapeutic practices, and rehabilitative frameworks designed to support individuals and communities working through severe adversity.
Complementing the trauma recovery initiatives is the establishment of a new impact and community think tank. This dedicated body will serve as a bridge between the university’s advanced academic expertise and the urgent practical needs of the public. By creating structured pathways for researchers, policymakers, community leaders, and civil society organizations to interact and collaborate, the think tank will ensure that academic research directly informs public policy, social initiatives, and community resilience strategies. The initiative reflects an intentional institutional effort to make academic research an active participant in public life and an engine of direct societal benefit.
Prof. Tamir Sheafer, President of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, framed the contribution as a decisive milestone in the university’s institutional narrative, connecting its original founding principles with its contemporary national responsibilities.
“Over a century ago on Mount Scopus, the Hebrew University was founded on a powerful idea: that where history had known destruction, the Jewish people would build a future through knowledge, discovery, and education,” said Prof. Sheafer. “John Paulson’s extraordinary gift carries that vision forward into our second century. Beyond its immense magnitude, this contribution reflects profound philanthropic leadership. In these challenging times, John’s visionary support serves as an inspiring beacon to friends and leaders across the global Jewish community—demonstrating the vital importance and enduring impact of investing in Israel’s academic and scientific foundation. This gift empowers us to recruit world-class faculty, support exceptional students, equip cutting-edge laboratories, and transform bold ideas into life-changing breakthroughs. It is far more than a historic act of philanthropy; it is a profound expression of belief in Israel’s human capital and a partnership in building our shared future.”
The investment directly supports the Hebrew University’s strategic plans for academic growth and faculty renewal. A significant portion of the allocated resources will be channeled into the recruitment and retention of top-tier academic talent from around the world. In an increasingly competitive global market for scientific leadership, modern facilities, competitive research grants, and well-equipped laboratories are essential to attracting premier researchers. The funding will ensure that both established scholars and promising early-career investigators receive the institutional backing necessary to conduct high-risk, high-reward research across engineering, medicine, and the sciences.
Simultaneously, the gift reinforces the university’s commitment to its student body by expanding fellowships, scholarships, and research opportunities. Exceptional undergraduate and graduate students will gain access to modernized laboratory environments and mentorship programs, fostering the development of skilled scientists, engineers, educators, and public leaders capable of leading Israel and the global community forward.
The renewed focus on the Mount Scopus campus holds deep historical and emotional significance for the Hebrew University and the international community. Mount Scopus serves as the foundational cradle of the university’s intellectual mission. In 1918, three decades prior to the formal establishment of the State of Israel, the cornerstone of the university was laid upon the mountain slopes overlooking Jerusalem. Seven years later, in 1925, the university officially opened its doors, realizing an ambitious vision championed and nurtured by some of the most influential Jewish thinkers and scientists of the twentieth century, including Albert Einstein and Sigmund Freud.
The original founders envisioned an institution that would not only serve as a sanctuary for Jewish learning and intellectual inquiry, but also as an academic powerhouse that would contribute fundamentally to human knowledge at large. By connecting this historic legacy with the contemporary naming and revitalization of the campus, the Hebrew University reaffirms Mount Scopus as an enduring symbol of national renewal, resilience, and forward-looking optimism.
The university’s contemporary achievements reflect this century-long tradition of rigorous academic inquiry. In the 2026 Shanghai Ranking, one of the most widely referenced evaluations of global academic quality, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem was ranked 89th in the world. This standing underscores the institution’s position among the elite tier of international research universities, driven by its high-impact publications, scientific citations, and distinguished faculty.
As the Hebrew University embarks on its second century of operation, the comprehensive partnership with John Paulson and the Paulson Family Foundation provides a vital catalyst for institutional development. By uniting the strategic modernization of engineering and medical infrastructure with dedicated research into societal trauma and community recovery, the initiative links the university’s pioneering past to the urgent needs of the present and the opportunities of the future. The landmark commitment stands as an enduring investment in Israel’s intellectual strength, ensuring that the founding promise made on Mount Scopus over a century ago continues to foster discovery in the service of humanity.