I recently had the pleasure of joining Gov. Ron DeSantis and Jamal Sowell, Florida’s secretary of commerce, on a business development mission to Israel. The FAU delegation included Board of Trustee members Dr. Jeffrey Feingold and Brad Levine; Daniel Flynn, Ph.D., FAU vice president of research; and James Sullivan, Ph.D., executive director of FAU’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute.

As one of two sponsors of the Florida-Israel Institute, FAU has long-established ties with several Israeli universities that already are benefitting education and innovation in business, engineering, marine science, medicine and more. During this trip, the FAU delegation strengthened existing relationships and signed several new Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) to provide additional research and educational opportunities for students both here at FAU and in Israel:

- MOU with the University of Haifa to collaborate on research in marine science and engineering, invasive species, and harmful algal blooms. We also agreed to collaborate on exchange programs for faculty and students in support of marine sciences and diplomacy programs.

- MOU with Tel Aviv University to collaborate on neuroscience research, from molecular genetics studies to behavioral analyses and disease states.

- MOU with Ariel University for student exchange opportunities and health-related research opportunities including diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and addiction research.

- MOU with agricultural research organization Volcani Center to develop advanced technologies to improve monitoring, communications, data analytics and machine learning in the agricultural industry.

The trip also included a visit to U.S. Ambassador David Friedman’s residence and a ceremonial meeting of Florida’s cabinet members at the embassy in Jerusalem.

I am grateful for the opportunity to attend Gov. DeSantis’ Business Development Mission to Israel. FAU is working hard to expand our ties with higher education and research in the State of Israel, and this mission trip helped further our success with these endeavors.