Israel Institute for Advanced Studies
The Israel Institute for Advanced Studies (IIAS), established in 1975, is dedicated to the advancement of research and learning at the highest level. Each year the Institute hosts 3-5 collaborative Research Groups. The members of the Groups create multidisciplinary learning communities of academics from around the world who engage in IIAS joint research projects, free of their normal teaching obligations and administrative duties. The Institute attracts scholars who constitute the vanguard in their various disciplines. In addition to Research Groups that convene for a period of up to ten months, the IIAS annually hosts six Advanced Schools representing the following disciplines: Economic Theory, Theoretical Physics, Life Sciences, Mathematics, Humanities and Computer Science & Engineering. The Advanced Schools, each directed by a scholar of international standing, attract doctoral candidates and postdoctoral scholars from all over the world, who are given an opportunity to interact with leading scholars involved in their respective fields of research.
Core activities
Research Groups bring together a diverse group of scholars at the IIAS to engage in research questions of common interest. Group fellows participate in group integrative thinking and rich dialogue, while advancing their own individual research. In any given year, the Institute hosts three to five Collaborative Research Groups, composed of scholars from Israel and abroad. Research groups are composed of eight fellows as well as additional visiting scholars. A wide range of disciplines and topics is represented by the Research Groups hosted at the Institute.
The IIAS hosts six Advanced Schools annually, led by General Directors, who are award-winning international scholars, including Nobel Laureates, imparting their vision for the future of their academic discipline. The Advanced Schools are designed to facilitate the mentoring of promising doctoral and postdoctoral students by experts in their fields, as well as to familiarize the students with the most recent advances in their disciplines and establish professional networks.
The Schools focus on the following disciplines: physics, life sciences, economic theory, mathematics, the humanities and computer science & engineering. The topics covered by the Schools represent the cutting edge of intellectual curiosity and exploration. The Schools range in length between 6-14 days, and feature lectures, roundtables, and informal presentations by participants of their own research.
The Advanced Schools have created some of the longest standing traditions and greatest sources of pride at the IIAS.
All of the Institute’s core activities have conferred a unique status on the Institute, distinguishing it among its peers. At a time when universities are moving toward greater specialization in research and scholarship, the IIAS provides the interactive academic space necessary to stimulate and broaden scholarship and research.
Research environment
The IIAS is located in the Edmond J. Safra Givat Ram campus of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The Institute provides a warm and supportive environment for all scholars. They are provided with an office, a computer, administrative services, and access to all the Hebrew University libraries and the National Library.
