56th Board of Governors Meeting Program

Sunday, October 18, 2026

Sde Boker

4:00 pm Board Committee Meetings

Ben-Gurion's Desert Home

5:45 pm Bus departs from Kedma Hotel to the Sylvan Adams Sde Boker Campus
A4BGU Board members only

6:00 pm A4BGU 2026 Annual Board Meeting
A4BGU Board members only
Ben-Gurion Archives, room #205, Sylvan Adams Sde Boker Campus

7:00 pm Bus departs from Kedma Hotel to the Sylvan Adams Sde Boker Campus

7:10 pm Under the Desert Skies: Together At Last
A celebratory opening gala of music, connections, and new beginnings. Featuring: Milestones, an ensemble of the Bikkurim School of Music graduates, who came together after October 7

Sylvan Adams Sde Boker Campus

Monday, October 19, 2026

Beer-Sheva, Marcus Family Campus

8:00 am Bus departs from the hotel to Beer-Sheva

8:45 am Gateway to the Future

Dedication of the Ernest Scheller, Jr. Gate of Innovation, the official main entrance to the North Campus
North Campus

9:30 am Opening Plenary Session

Joya Claire Sonnenfeldt Auditorium

11:10 am The Hostage: Released Captive and Author Eli Sharabi in Conversation with Prof. Daniel Chamovitz

Joya Claire Sonnenfeldt Auditorium

12:15 pm Lunch with the Next Genertion

Meet BGU's graduate students and learn first hand how they are shaping the future

Udi Garden

1:15 pm See It, Touch It, Experience It: Student Innovation Up Close
Breakout tours showcasing hands-on student practice

Various campus locations

2:45 pm BGU Radio Live! Rise of the Machines

Annual Zlotowski Event

The beloved radio show returns, this time exploring AI and the future it is shaping today

W.A. Minkoff Senate Hall

3:30 pm Bus departs from Beer-Sheva to the Kedma Hotel

6:30 pm Bus departs from the Kedma Hotel

Sde Boker

6:50 pm One Night in the Kibbutz: Dancing, Fields, and Celebration
A joyful, immersive evening of hora, music, food, and community — bringing to life the spirit of the first settlers

Kibbutz Revivim

Tuesday, October 20, 2026

Sde Boker

8:10 am Bus departs from Kedma Hotel

8:20 am Ben-Gurion Society Breakfast with Special Guests

An intimate gathering featuring a distinctive Israeli voice

Desert Shanti House Youth Village
(By invitation only)

6:15 am - 12:00 noon Time Out: A Morning Reset

Slow down and recharge. Choose from a bike ride along the scenic Zin Valley trail at sunrise, yoga, or sound healing — or simply enjoy the hotel’s facilities at your own pace

Kedma Hotel

12:00 noon Lunch at the hotel

1:00 pm Bus departs from the hotel to Beer-Sheva

Beer-Sheva, Marcus Family Campus

2:15 pm Confronting Antisemitism Today: Understanding the Past, Shaping the Future
Annual Kreitman Event

A timely conversation exploring the persistence and evolution of antisemitism alongside ways to responds with knowledge, courage and action

W.A. Minkoff Senate Hall

3:15 pm The Art of Conducting: Live with Constantine Oberlin

Experience the transformation of movement into music in an interactive encounter with internationally acclaimed conductor Constantine Oberlin

W.A. Minkoff Senate Hall

4:00 pm Our Roots Define the Path Forward
Ceremony Recognizing our Loyal Friends and Supporters. Featuring a classical musical performance by the BGU Chamber Music Performance Course, under the musical guidance of Daniel Lachish

5:00 pm Happy Hour: Meet the Minds of BGU
A relaxed outdoor gathering with drinks, music, and conversations with BGU researchers. Browse informal research showcases and experience our vibrant campus spirit
Kreitman Auditorium Plaza

6:00 pm Conferment Ceremony of Honorary Doctoral Degrees

Upon:

Prof. Regina Barzilai

Gary deBode

Prof. Tamar Szabó Gendler

Prof. Hagit Messer-Yaron

Prof. David Nirenberg

Maestro Constantine Orbelian
Eytan Stibbe

6:00 Reception

6:30 Ceremony

Joya Claire Sonnenfeldt Auditorium

8:00 pm Dinner Reception

Zlotowski Student Center

Wednesday, October 21, 2026

Sylvan Adams Sde Boker Campus

8:30 am Bus departs from the hotel

9:00 am This is What Impact Looks Like
Showcase of interdisciplinary research delivering practical solutions to real problems, with Professors Yuval Elovici, Neta Sal-Man, Amiel Ishaaya and Tarin Paz-Kagan
George Evens Family Auditorium

10:15 am At the Core: Nuclear Science @ BGU

Where energy, security, and environmental challenges meet—and where the future is being shaped

George Evens Family Auditorium

11:15 am Keren Moshe and the Leaders of Tomorrow: 30 Years of Leadership

Annual Halpérin Event

Keynote: Honorary PhD recipient, Prof. Tamar Szabo Gendler, professor of philosophy, psychology and cognitive science, Yale University

and featuring TED-style talks by recipients of the Halperin Prize
George Evens Family Auditorium

12:00 noon Lunch with students from the Keren Moshe Leadership Program

1:00 pm Bus departs for the hotel

5:15 pm Bus departs from the hotel to Beer-Sheva

Beer-Sheva, Marcus Family Campus

6:00 pm A Walk Along the Path of Human Experience

Celebratory launch of the Young Family School for the Human Experience, showcasing student ideas, research, and creativity exploring one timeless question: what it means to be human

Adjacent to the Cukier, Goldstein-Goren Building for the Humanities and Social Sciences

7:00 pm Dinner

Udi Garden

8:00 pm Electrifying Finale with Balkan Beat Box
An unforgettable outdoor celebration, joined by BGU students, with the internationally acclaimed group known for its powerful fusion of Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and electronic beats

Natural Sciences Amphitheater Lawn

Thursday, October 22, 2026

Sde Boker

Farewell Breakfast & Hotel Checkout

9:00 am Bus departs from the hotel to the Marcus Family Campus

11:00 am Bus departs the hotel to the Airport and Tel-Aviv

11:30 am Bus departs from the hotel to the Marcus Family Campus

Post-Board Programming

Beer-Sheva, Marcus Family Campus

10:00 am Dedication of “Alex’s Patio” in loving memory of Alex Goren, z”l

Helen Diller Family Center

10:30 Global Development Committee Meeting
(For members only)

W.A. Minkoff Senate Hall

12:30 pm Unveiling of the New and Improved ‘Studio Positive’
Special celebration of the renovated space for student movement and wellbeing, made possible through the generosity of Melinda Goldrich

1:45 pm Remembering Caroline Simon: A Legacy of Compassion and Commitment
Honoring a devoted member of the Faculty of Health Sciences, a generous donor, and a tireless volunteer whose compassion touched countless lives

If you wish to arrange personal meetings at the university, this is the designated day to do so.

This is a preliminary program. Be sure to check back later for updates and further details as we continue preparing a unique experience.