How Ben-Gurion University leads the way forward for Israel and the world
Journeying through Ben-Gurion University’s (BGU) three campuses in Beer-Sheva, Sde Boker, and Eilat, you’ll discover a powerful story of excellence in the face of adversity.
Growing up in an arid area of Kenya, Sharon Chemweno experienced firsthand the challenges of rain fluctuations and limited irrigation facilities in agriculture. She therefore wanted to join the best institution to gain knowledge on efficient irrigation techniques and agricultural production.
Chemweno found precisely that at the Sde Boker campus of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU), where she is currently a PhD student enrolled in the Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research (BIDR) program. She is using her research to tackle one of the most pressing issues facing her home country: food insecurity.
“As water is scarce in desert regions, it is crucial to understand the best ways to manage this resource,” Chemweno said. “The BGU Desert Agriculture Research Institute has provided me with top-notch techniques and insights in this field.”
On May 7th, Chemweno will be among the featured speakers during Remarkable Resilience. Excellence in the Face of Adversity, Americans for Ben-Gurion University’s (A4BGU) special virtual experience showcasing BGU’s transformative role in a post-October 7th Israel.
During A4BGU’s fifth annual signature virtual event, attendees will journey through BGU’s three campuses in Beer-Sheva, Sde Boker, and Eilat, discovering a powerful story of overcoming adversity in exceedingly challenging times. BGU is standing strong in wartime and spearheading the entire nation’s recovery from the Hamas attacks through the institution’s four pillars: education, research, building up the Negev, and community service and social justice.
BGU’s outstanding students and faculty will join the virtual experience to tell the story of the University’s excellence in the face of adversity, rooted in the unique roles of all three campuses. The Beer-Sheva campus is the “brains” of BGU, home of its world-changing research and innovation. The University’s “heart” is the Eilat campus, hub of its community service initiatives. The Sde Boker campus is BGU’s “soul,” where its namesake and Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, began implementing his blueprint for the nation’s future by working to make the desert bloom.
“Through this deep dive into Ben-Gurion University’s brains, heart, and soul, our program will powerfully demonstrate that BGU is leading the way forward not only in the South but also for all of Israel through its excellence in the face of adversity,” said Doug Seserman, CEO of A4BGU.
Doug Seserman, CEO of Americans for Ben-Gurion University (A4BGU). Credit: Preston Rescigno.Attendees of the May 7th virtual experience will hear inspiring stories from across the University’s campuses, such as the firsthand accounts of Chemweno as well as Prof. Simon Barak (Sde Boker), whose research focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms of plant tolerance to harsh environmental stresses such as heat, drought, and high soil salinity; Prof. Reli Hershkovitz (Beer-Sheva), Dean of the BGU Faculty of Health Sciences, who played a critical role in supporting medical students post-October 7th; and Prof. Nadav Shashar (Eilat), a coral reef restoration pioneer who gives students hands-on opportunities in marine conservation.
Chemweno’s decision to pursue her PhD at BGU was driven by both her academic interests and her personal experiences growing up in an arid region. BGU’s global recognition in desert agriculture research and its specialized Desert Agriculture Research Institute have provided her with the knowledge and tools to develop efficient irrigation and nutrient management techniques which are vital for enhancing agricultural productivity in arid regions.
“I decided to join BGU because it is a globally recognized institution specializing in research related to desert agriculture and precision agriculture,” she said. “I also wanted to study here because of its impressive international student body which is home to students from over 30 different countries.”
After completing her program at BGU, Chemweno plans to return to Kenya and implement the knowledge she has gained in desert agriculture, particularly in irrigation and nutrient management.
“My goal is to improve agricultural production in my region, addressing the current issues of food insecurity caused by erratic rainfall and climate change,” she said. “I believe that precision agriculture can make a significant impact, helping to achieve food security in arid regions.”
For the second consecutive year, A4BGU’s signature virtual event will be hosted by Tel Aviv-based digital and television journalist Natasha Raquel Kirtchuk, a lead anchor for i24 News. In its first three years, A4BGU’s annual virtual event, “Celebrating the Remarkable,” had spotlighted BGU’s latest innovative breakthroughs in science and technology. Today, the event has pivoted to reflect the University’s renewed mission in a post-October 7th world.
BGU was directly and disproportionately impacted by October 7th compared to other Israeli academic institutions in terms of the number of students, faculty, and staff who were killed, wounded, kidnapped, and called to IDF reserve duty. Yet in no way did that stop BGU’s community from leading the recovery from the attacks both regionally and nationally, through a wide array of volunteer and community service efforts.
Remarkable Resilience. Excellence in the Face of Adversity takes place on Wednesday, May 7th, 2025, at 12 p.m. ET. Register to attend at: a4bgu.org/remarkableresilience