Page 7 - Hadassah Academic College - President’s Report 2021

Dear Friends,

This has been a year like no location on campus, will enhance our ability to
other. A year in which we have ensure the optimal integration of all members
had to reshuffle our priori- of our diverse student body, and strenghten
ties and rethink our strategies their sense of belonging.
and practices. A year that has
tested the limits of solidarity, We have forged ahead with a number of in-
human creativity, and innova- ternational partnerships and projects - some
tion. uniquely restructured to suit the new reality,
and continue to internationalize selected com-
Albert Einstein once said that ‘’the measure ponents of our curriculum to promote the shar-
of intelligence is the ability to change.” It gives ing of knowledge, and the cultural competence
me great pride to report that HAC has not only of our students and faculty. We also continue
embraced and internalized changes this past to encourage new research initiatives, and are
year, but also continues to thrive and grow. Our proud of the growing number of published aca-
students - many from underprivileged commu- demic books and articles written by HAC fac-
nities - both suffered from financial hardship, ulty from year to year.
and were isolated and challenged by the un-
familiar realm of remote learning. The imple- This year we witnessed a very difficult period
mentation of digital instruction across HAC’s of violence between Israel and her neighbors,
entire curriculum precipitated a major shift in and worrisome internal tensions between Jews
and Arabs. Despite all the unfortunate events
our pedagogy and teaching methodologies.
This process required considerable creativity, we experienced, however, HAC continues to be
humility, and imagination, as a result of which committed to ensuring that we can all live, work,
we have emerged stronger, united, and more and study together peaceably in the future.
attuned to one another’s needs. The innovative All this would not have been possible without
digital teaching platforms we implemented will the dedicated support of our loyal donors, who
endure, and we are committed to their effective believe in our mission to educate the citizens of
development in the future. tomorrow: ambitious, focused, and determined
professionals dedicated to excellence and in-
I am also thrilled to note a few other ground-
breaking achievements this year. With the novation, and to shaping local and global com-
launch of The Blender, HAC’s Center for Inno- munities based on equal opportunity, diversity,
vation and Entrepreneurship, in March 2021, and mutual respect.
the College has now become an active player We extend our heartfelt thanks for your con-
within Jerusalem’s dynamic and innovative tinued support.
business ecosystem. In June 2021, we inaugu- With warm regards,
rated the Azrieli Center for Diversity and Inclu-
sion in Higher Education and Employment, the
first of its kind at any Israeli institution of higher
education. This initiative, which consolidates all
of our student support services into one central Professor Bertold Fridlender
President, HAC

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