Dr. Gyongyver and Peter Kadas, longstanding friends and supporters of the University from the United Kingdom, have pledged NIS 50 million (~$16 M) towards the University of Haifa’s BE 50 capital campaign. The largest one-time donation in the University’s history, the gift will support the creation of an International Faculty Initiative for Global Climate Change, a virtual community of scholars, spanning universities and research centers across the globe. “The International Faculty of Global Climate Change will initially focus on marine and coastal ecology research in the rapidly changing Eastern Mediterranean basin, with the ultimate aim of using this research to predict the impact of climate change on other waterways and coastal regions,” explains Prof. Dan Tchernov, Scientific Director of the University’s Mediterranean Sea Research Center of Israel. “A consortium of global universities and research centers, employing virtual technology, will offer online educational modules, and employ cutting edge technology to create virtual research platforms untethered by geographical location.” Gyongyver and Peter Kadas received honorary doctorates from the University of Haifa in 2016, in recognition of their significant contribution to the advancement of higher education and research in Israel.