Ben-Gurion University of the Negev honored seven individuals with honorary doctorates on Tuesday evening during its 55th annual Board of Governors Meeting.
They included social media star Nuseir Yassin, better known as “Nas Daily”, author Nicole Krauss, Russian-Israeli singer Andrey Makarevich, Israeli-Ukrainian artist Zoya Cherkassky, Canadian-Israeli nurse and nursing advocate Prof. Judith Shamian, renowned endocrinologist Prof. Moshe Phillip, and industrialist and philanthropist Sami Sagol.
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev President Prof. Daniel Chamovitz stated, “Ben-Gurion University of the Negev is proud to confer an honorary doctorate upon seven distinguished individuals who embody the legacy of David Ben-Gurion, representing human excellence at its finest and combining exceptional achievements in academic, scientific, and creative excellence, through outstanding service to the University, or through activities of notable benefit to society and humanity as a whole.
“Their acceptance of an honorary degree from BGU reflects that honor back on to our institution and what it stands for, providing a mirror within which we hope to see a bit of ourselves. Their actions and accomplishments are an inspiration to all of us.”
A recipient of the Sandberg Prize for Israeli Art, Zoya Cherkassky explores war, displacement, and prejudice in Israel.
Nicole Krauss is the author of international bestsellers, Forest Dark, Great House, and The History of Love, which won the Saroyan Prize for International Literature and France’s Prix du Meilleur Livre Étranger. To Be a Man, her first collection of short stories, was published in November 2020 and won the Wingate Literary Prize.
Andrey Makarevich is the lead singer-songwriter and guitarist of the rock band Mashina Vremeni (Time Machine), the longest still-active rock band in Russian history. He has made his home in Israel since 2022.
Prof. Moshe Phillip is the inventor of an artificial pancreas, numerous diabetes tests, including one to diagnose infants with Type 1 diabetes. A graduate of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev’s medical school, he is the Director of the Institute of Endocrinology and Diabetes, the National Center for Juvenile Diabetes at Schneider Children’s Medical Center.
Sami Sagol is a longtime philanthropist with a special passion for education. He created the Sagol Neuroscience Network, which supports multi-disciplinary research centers, laboratories, and projects in leading academic, scientific, and medical institutions.
Prof. Judith Shamian is a fierce advocate for nursing worldwide. As the former president of the International Council of Nurses, the Victorian Order of Nurses, and the Canadian Nurses Association, she has campaigned tirelessly on behalf of the profession.
Nuseir Yassin is better known as “Nas Daily,” where he has amassed an audience of tens of millions for his one-minute videos, which have been viewed billions of times. Since October 7, 2023, he has been an outspoken advocate for co-existence between Israelis and Palestinians.