Technion – Israel Institute of Technology
The Technion – Israel Institute of Technology (Hebrew: הטכניון – מכון טכנולוגי לישראל Ha-Tekhniyon — Makhon Tekhnologi le-Yisrael) is a public research university in Haifa, Israel. Established in 1912 during the Ottoman Empire and more than 35 years before the State of Israel, the Technion is the oldest university in the country. The university offers degrees in science and engineering, and related fields such as architecture, medicine, industrial management and education. It has 19 academic departments, 60 research centers and 12 affiliated teaching hospitals. Since its founding, it has awarded more than 100,000 degrees and its graduates are cited for providing the skills and education behind the creation and protection of the State of Israel.
Technion's 565 faculty members currently include three Nobel Laureates in chemistry. Four Nobel Laureates have been associated with the university. The current president of the Technion is Peretz Lavie, who was ranked in 2012 by the Israeli national newspaper TheMarker as one of the country's 100 most influential people.
The Technion has played a major role in the history of modern Israel. The selection of Hebrew as the language of instruction, defeating German in the War of the Languages, was an important milestone in Hebrew's consolidation as Israel's official language. The Technion is also a major factor behind the growth of Israel's high-tech industry and innovation, including the country's technical cluster in Silicon Wadi.
