Prof. Eduard Yakubov, president of the Holon Institute of Technology, speaks with the precision and accuracy that one would expect from a mathematician – which he is – combined with the ardor of a veteran college administrator, which suits the man who has served as president of HIT since 2013.
Recently, this writer had a wide-ranging discussion with Yakubov about new developments at HIT in the wake of world events; how the Israel-Hamas war has affected the school; the role of new digital medical technologies; the use of AI; and the impact of HIT’s graduates on the Israeli economy.
“The past few years have been anything but typical,” said Yakubov. “COVID-19 significantly changed and impacted many aspects of education at HIT. Because of COVID, we transitioned to new and innovative teaching technologies. We now know how to utilize remote, Zoom-based, and hybrid teaching techniques.”
During the pandemic in 2020, Yakubov said, no one could have predicted that the use of remote educational technologies would be needed during Israel’s longest war, which broke out in October 2023. Two thousand HIT students were called to military service when the war began, and many are still serving in Israel’s North and South. “I pledged that no student would be left behind,” he asserted, “and we created personalized systems for each student to ensure that they would be able to maintain their studies.”
The geopolitical focus of the world has not been the only thing to change in the past five years. In recent years, the use of AI (artificial intelligence) in all aspects of daily life has grown exponentially. The use of AI in education is an issue that many institutions of higher learning are grappling with, and HIT is no exception in that regard.“Suddenly, the world has found itself in an age of AI,” said Yakubov. “But what is AI? Is it actual intelligence or just a tool? How does it impact our teaching, testing, and research?”
To address these questions and, perhaps more importantly, how the subject is approached on campus, the school created a team led by HIT Prof. Jonathan Schler, a top expert in AI and robotics, to assess this technology’s use at the school. Every faculty and every specialization there now includes courses on AI and courses taught using it.Prof. Yakubov said that the school has established a research center for the responsible use of AI, which will explore the ethical and regulatory boundaries of this technology. Additionally, HIT is developing an English-language master’s degree program in AI and robotics.
“It’s very important to us that it be an international program because today, the entire world is thinking about the place of AI and the place of robotics. Will AI replace a human? Will AI replace the doctor?“Who is responsible when prescribing the proper dose of medicine for patients – the doctor or AI? We want to allow students from Israel and abroad to study this important subject.”
YAKUBOV NEXT turned his attention to the increased energy needs, caused in large part by technological advancements.
“We are thinking more and more about the fact that the world is increasingly moving from gasoline-powered vehicles to electric vehicles. It requires us to understand how much electrical energy we will need in three or four years. Add AI, which also demands a great deal of energy, data mining, and Bitcoin. How will we produce enough energy for the country in the next three or four years?” he asked.“And how do we make sure that this is green energy?” he added.
To that end, he explained that HIT is a strategic partner with the Israel Electric Company in promoting these areas in research and is incorporating this information into classes on the subject.
Balancing the world’s increasing energy needs, HIT is developing a program in climate studies and sustainability. “We all know that the climate is undergoing dramatic changes,” Yakubov said. “It affects longevity, our health, it causes drastic changes in temperatures, and affects many things, including the economy.”
Another new area that HIT has become involved with is bioconvergence – the combination of biology, engineering, medicine, and data science. The school has recently established a research center in medical technology and bioconvergence.
“We are always keeping our finger on the pulse,” said Yakubov. He points out that HIT has partnered with leading Israeli hospitals such as Sheba, Assaf Harofeh, Beilinson, and Rambam, as well as with HMOs (kupot holim) to understand the real needs of medical data analysis, especially during this post-pandemic period and in wartime.The school’s digital medical curriculum is constantly being refreshed and renewed. “Our graduates are in high demand in health tech and data analytics,” he said.
No less important, he stressed, is the integration of haredi (ultra-Orthodox) students into higher education. Recently, HIT opened studies in the medical technology program to a group of 18 haredi women studying at Mivchar College in Bnei Brak. The school has plans to introduce additional programs to the haredi population in other areas. “We are leading in this area and making it available to additional populations,” he said.Currently, HIT is in the midst of constructing the largest building on campus. The five-floor Faculty of Medical Technologies will accommodate 1,000 students and will feature a center for innovation, labs, and research hubs.
THE HOLON Institute of Technology was founded in 1969 and became an independent public academic institution of higher education in 1999, certified by the Council for Higher Education. Today, the school has nearly 8,000 students and offers 20 BA and MA programs. Ultimately, said Yakubov, its graduates make a tremendous impact on the Israeli economy.
“Since its founding 55 years ago,” said the president, “HIT has responded to real-world needs. Our graduates helped found Israel Aerospace Industries’ electronics division after the Yom Kippur War in 1973. Our share in defense companies is very substantial. Hundreds of our graduates work for companies such as IAI, ELTA, Elbit, Rafael, and Check Point. They hold key positions in these companies. Therefore, we play a large role proportionately within the defense industries and the defense establishment.
“Unlike at some other institutions, our students often work while they study, so they’re already embedded in industry. Many of them complete several projects with and for industry partners. We also bring industry professionals to teach and supervise theses, and we encourage faculty to engage with external companies. This keeps us on the cutting edge and ensures that our defense tech capabilities remain superior. If we have learned one thing, it is that our enemies are also armed with very advanced weapons,” he stated.
Yakubov said that Israel must double the number of engineers, applied engineers, applied scientists, and technologists every five years and bring creative, more efficient, accurate, cheaper, and faster solutions.“These are the challenges, and our graduates are the ones who make their contribution to these things. I am convinced that the right way is not only to think about increased connections between academia and industry but that the right model is to make a physical connection between academia and industry.
“When the industries open departments, start-ups, and incubators on academic campuses, it will shorten the path and the time. This will give us, together with the industries, an understanding of which direction to steer the students. We must do this. There is no other way,” he asserted.
“I am convinced that in the next decade, academia will make a real connection with the industrial institutions. The challenges in security, defense, medicine, climate change, energy, and water are existential matters and are of the utmost importance. I see academia as serving the real successes of the country. Academia must serve and strengthen the state and the economy,” he said.
Yakubov concluded our conversation by suggesting that Israelis must reach for a common goal to ensure the country’s success. While Israel will develop new technologies and applications of AI and cybersecurity, ultimately what is most important is being together and preserving unity. “If each of us looks for what joins and connects us,” he said, “rather than what separates us, we will succeed.”