Ariel University Center of Samaria is in more ways than one at the heart of Israel.
The city of Ariel is a growing community in the Shomron (Samaria) that has become a melting pot for people of all backgrounds, religions, and beliefs. The Ariel University Center there is not only an educational institution, but also a place that encompasses all the things for which the State of Israel stands. Eldad HaLachmi, VP of Resource Development at the Center, accompanied Israel National Radio's Yishai Fleisher on a tour of the Center to show what the institution has to offer. (Click here to listen to Fleisher's interview of HaLachmi).
Ariel University Center is midway between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean - 25 miles from each. It is also a 35-minute drive from Tel Aviv, and slightly longer from Jerusalem, making it the true heart of Israel. The city of Ariel itself has over 20,000 residents - 11,000 of whom are students at the Ariel University Center. There are also 1,500 members of the faculty and administration who spearhead the learning and research. “More than 10,000 people come here every day to find their future here,” said HaLachmi. “The many different kinds of people here represent the 'real' Israel. This is who we are, because in the heart of the land of Israel we have the whole spectrum of Israeli society.”
One unusual unit is the free electron laser center. Three departments use this laser to develop and research various areas of interest, including especially the power of radiation. Questions the students and scientists are asking about laser radiation are: “Does it cause cancer? Does it heal cancer? What effects does it have on the body?”
Another area of research is the transfer of power from the free electron laser. One idea being investigated is the transferring of power through the air, such as shooting up beams of power to satellites or aircrafts. The study of detection using radiation is an area of research with many practical applications in Israel, which could assist in the detection of explosives, guns, and other unwanted objects on people's bodies, even from great distances. The laser unit is the size of a basketball court. In the worlds of Yishai Fleisher: “I felt like they are on the verge of making tools that will change our lives.”
Several more research centers are in development at Ariel U: a cancer research center, a brain research center, a robotics center, and a research and development center for the Jordan Valley and Samaria. The metal research center is already one of the major centers at Ariel. “The Ariel University research centers are aiming for a better world and to make Israel a much stronger and prouder country,” said HaLachmi.
After Fleisher's visit to Ariel, he said, “I felt like I was in the future and in the past. It's right here – it's Judaism, it's technology, it's knowledge, it's youth, and it's growing up.”
A leadership mission to the Ariel University Center will be held from May 23 to May 29. For more information, visit the American Friends of the Ariel University Center at www.afauc.org.