The Technion – Israel Institute of Technology celebrates 100 years

I have just returned from Israel – evacuated on an Australian air force jet no less – where I was honoured to attend the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology’s festive centennial ceremony at its historic building in Haifa’s Hadar neighbourhood, attended by Israeli President Isaac Herzog and his wife Michal.

The event marked the opening of the Technion’s board of governors meeting and featured the presentation of the prestigious Technion Alumni Medal to two distinguished graduates: Major General (Res.) Nitsan Alon and former minister of science and technology Izhar Shay.

In an emotional moment, Alon dedicated his medal to the families of the hostages, while Shay dedicated his award to the memory of his son Yaron Ori (Noni), who fell defending Kibbutz Kerem Shalom on October 7.

President Herzog delivered a moving address celebrating the institution’s transformation from humble beginnings to international prominence.

“This moment is a defining moment for the Technion but also for Zionism as a whole, because we are celebrating tonight – the bold spirit of Zionism’s dreamers,” he said. “Their spirit is not only the story of this single institution, but the story of restoring the moral weight and the voice of the heart and soul of an entire nation.”

The president highlighted the Technion’s remarkable growth from just 17 students in its opening cohort to becoming “a bustling centre of research and learning for thousands, a symbol of academic excellence and international cooperation”.

“An institution that produces Nobel Prize winners and is a magnet for the best and brightest talents. The Technion became the best version of who we are as a nation. And I believe it still whispers to us – everything we can still become,” Herzog added.

Technion president Professor Uri Sivan reflected on the institution’s extraordinary journey, invoking David Ben-Gurion’s famous words, “In the State of Israel; to be a realist, one must believe in miracles.”

“The very fact that we are standing here today proves that claim. We’ve come a long way since that humble beginning … to becoming a leading research university positioned at the international forefront with Nobel laureates and campuses in the US and China,” Sivan said.

Board of governors chairman Scott Leemaster emphasised the Technion’s foundational role in Israel’s development, referencing the documentary Technion 10².

“The film makes the extraordinary case that without the Technion, there would probably be no Israel. It’s a fact that a small group of visionaries defied the odds to create this hub of creativity, technological innovation, and science, for Israel and for the world,” Leemaster said.

Accepting the Technion Alumni Medal, which recognises graduates who have achieved extraordinary accomplishments in science, medicine, engineering, technology and architecture, and who have made significant contributions to Israel’s advancement, Alon said, “Receiving the Alumni Medal from the Technion, my academic home, is an especially moving moment for me. The foundations of my career were laid here. The days that we studied engineering and science here became a critical component of my ability to serve our country.”

Shay received his medal “in recognition of his significant contribution to Israeli society and its economy; in appreciation of his outstanding achievements in the tech sector and public service; and for being a visionary leader and a role model for Technion alumni”.

Following the death of his son on October 7, Shay founded Next October, which promotes the establishment of Israeli startups in memory of the war’s victims and works to heal and unite Israeli society.

“As a Technion graduate, I feel the need to express my gratitude to this institution, which is not only a home for engineers, scientists and entrepreneurs, but also one of the supporting pillars of the State of Israel,” Shay said.

The centennial celebration underscored the Technion’s evolution from a small technical school to one of the world’s leading technological universities, embodying the transformation of Israel itself over the past century.

I am proud to represent the Technion in Australia is it embarks on the next chapter in its illustrious history.

Yoash Dvir is the CEO of Technion Australia.