Americans for Ben-Gurion University

06/12/2026

As the FIFA World Cup gets underway, new research from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev is raising important questions about the growing role of AI in youth sports—including soccer, basketball, baseball, tennis, and Olympic development programs.

BGU Prof. Ofer Ezer and his colleagues warn that AI systems used to track, rank, and predict athletic potential may create what researchers call "digital determinism," where data collected in childhood influences future opportunities long before athletes reach the professional level.

“It's time to think together as a society about the place and degree of autonomy we are willing to give to algorithms in photographing, ranking, predicting, and determining the development path of the future generation,” says Prof. Ezer.

As organizations like FIFA increasingly adopt AI-powered tools, the research highlights the need to ensure technology expands opportunity rather than limiting it.

Read more on J-Wire:

Discover the impact of AI on Israel sports, including rankings and analyses that shape young athletes' futures.

06/11/2026

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev is set to launch one of Israel's first and most comprehensive standalone bachelor's degrees in Artificial Intelligence (AI), beginning in the 2026–2027 academic year.

The innovative program will combine a strong foundation in computer science, mathematics, machine learning, and statistics with hands-on experience in cutting-edge fields such as generative AI, natural language processing, computer vision, and robotics.

"The new degree is another step in Ben-Gurion University of the Negev's leadership of AI in Israel," said BGU President Prof. Daniel Chamovitz. "The University has been researching and embracing this field for a long time, including the establishment of the National Institute for Artificial Intelligence. Now the next stage of a dedicated and unique degree in artificial intelligence has arrived."

Led by Prof. Eran Treister and supported by one of Israel's largest AI research communities, the program will provide students with access to advanced computing infrastructure, a robotics laboratory, and collaborations with leading technology companies.

Read more about training the next generation of AI innovators:

The program will integrate advanced technological tools alongside a robotics laboratory and close cooperation with tech giants.

06/10/2026

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev researcher Dr. Lukas Furtak is part of the team to discover the first direct mass measurement of a supermassive black hole in the first billion years after the Big Bang utilizing the James Webb Space Telescope.

Located in the distant galaxy Abell2744-QSO1, the black hole has a mass equivalent to 50 million Suns and is more massive than all the stars in its host galaxy combined.

QSO1 belongs to a mysterious class of early-universe objects known as "Little Red Dots," first identified by the James Webb Space Telescope in 2022. The findings challenge long-held theories of galaxy formation and provide new insight into how some of the universe's largest and most enigmatic objects came to be.

Read more on Space Daily: https://spacedaily.com/d-the-james-webb-space-telescope-has-just-captured-the-first-direct-measurement-of-a-black-hole-50-million-times-the-mass-of-the-sun-sitting-in-an-ancient-galaxy-where-it-outweighs-every-star-around-i/ (

According to the official ESA Webb announcement on 27 May 2026, two papers published the same day, one in Nature and a companion in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, report the first direct mass measurement of a supermassive black hole in the first billion years after the Big Bang.....

06/09/2026

Just 6 sessions left! Register now to join BGU's live online summer semester, The Front Row. The next interactive lecture is by Prof. Nurit Agam, titled "The Desert Dial: Why Deserts Hold the Key to Better Climate Models." Register here: https://americansforbgu.org/events/front-row/

06/08/2026

This World Ocean Day, we're highlighting the groundbreaking coral reef restoration work taking place at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev's Eilat campus.

Through the work of Prof. Nadav Shashar, Dr. Asa Oren, Dr. Natalie Chernihovsky, and Dr. Jenny Tyniakov Shashar, researchers are using innovative artificial reef construction and biodegradable 3D-printing technology to help restore marine ecosystems and support coral growth.

Their work has produced reef structures comparable to 20–30 years of natural coral growth in just two years, demonstrating how science and innovation can help protect our oceans for future generations.

"Since falling in love with the sea at age 12 while swimming among the coral reefs of Naama Bay, I've wanted to inspire the next generation to understand, protect, and preserve these ecosystems for generations to come." — Prof. Nadav Shashar.

Through research, conservation, and education, they are not only restoring reefs—they are inspiring tomorrow's environmental leaders.

Learn more about this project and how to support it here:

Explore the fascinating world of reef restoration with Ben-Gurion University of the Negev's Marine Biology and Biotechnology program in Eilat.

06/05/2026

This World Environment Day, we're celebrating researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev whose work is helping us better understand and protect our planet.

Prof. Uri Roll, Ph.D Student Noa Yaffa Kan-Lingwood, and Prof. Yaron Ziv are advancing environmental science in the Negev and beyond. From protecting species and habitats to studying the resilience of desert ecosystems, their research is helping build a more sustainable future.

06/04/2026

𝘾𝙖𝙣 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙗𝙪𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙛𝙚𝙣 𝙙𝙪𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙮 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙜𝙣𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙮 𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙠 𝙤𝙛 𝙗𝙞𝙧𝙩𝙝 𝙙𝙚𝙛𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙨? Researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev tackled this agonizing question by analyzing more than 264,000 pregnancies over a 20-year period.

"The study results showed that NSAID medications are safe for use in the first trimester of pregnancy and are not associated with the development of birth defects overall. The findings are supported by a large-scale, population-based database, which allows for a more accurate assessment of the safety of using these medications in the early stages of pregnancy," said Dr. Sharon Daniel, Biostatistician and Epidemiologist in BGU's Department of Public Health.

The findings provide important data to help physicians and expectant mothers make informed decisions when managing pain and fever during early pregnancy.

Read more:

Two Ben-Gurion University, Soroka and Clalit studies analyzing over 250,000 pregnancies found no link between painkiller use and birth defects or delivery complications, amid Trump and Kennedy claims against acetaminophen use in pregnancy

06/02/2026

What if microbes know who their neighbors are and change their behavior because of it?

Researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, led by Prof. Itzhak Mizrahi and Dr. Sarah Morais, are studying how microbial communities interact to reduce methane emissions and improve agricultural sustainability.

The research challenges long-held assumptions that organisms compete solely for survival, revealing that microbes adapt and shift their behavior in response to their environment and the organisms around them.

As Prof. Itzhak Mizrahi explains, “Just by using pairs or three, four, or even five microbes, we can see what type of decision a microbe will make as a function of the environment.”

The finding could change how we think about microbiomes, from human health and probiotics to agriculture, biotechnology, and environmental sustainability. Instead of focusing only on individual “good” microbes, the research highlights the importance of building the right microbial communities.

Because in the microbial world, it turns out that who your neighbors are may matter just as much as where you live.

Read more on The Times of Israel:

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev scientists say microbial communities adapt and adjust how they use resources in discovery that may help reduce methane emissions from cows

06/01/2026

📢New Dates Announced!
The 56th Ben-Gurion University Global Community & Board of Governors Gathering will take place in Israel from October 18–22, 2026!

Experience inspiring conversations, immersive Negev experiences, and a special pre-Global Gathering Shabbat in Jerusalem alongside the global BGU community.

Register now and be part of this unforgettable week: https://americansforbgu.org/events/global-gathering/

05/28/2026

Built on more than 20 years of research at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, MotionAnalytics is developing AI technology that identifies people by the way they move, not just by facial recognition.

The company’s MotionID platform is already reporting over 90% identification accuracy in operational video pilots.

Co-founders Prof. Raziel Riemer and Adi Nathan say the technology introduces “a new biometric dimension” that works in conditions where traditional systems fail, including poor lighting or hidden faces.

“Human movement contains a unique, measurable biomechanical signature,” said Prof. Raziel Riemer of BGU’s Department of Industrial Engineering and Management.

Read more below ⬇️

Built on decades of university research, the pre-Seed startup identifies individuals not by their faces, clothing, or devices, but by the way they move.