Story perspectives

John Paulson Donates $250 Million for Hebrew University Expansion

By Drooid · Oct 20, 2026, 2:19 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

John Paulson donated $250 million to Israel’s Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
The university will rename its Mount Scopus campus the Alina and John Paulson Campus.
The gift will fund a new Faculty of Engineering.
A portion will support trauma and post-trauma recovery research.
Another portion will create a think tank linking faculty expertise to public needs.

History

Historical Context

The Israel Science Foundation, founded in 1972 and renamed in 1991 under the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, received a $100 million endowment from the Science Ministry in 1995 to expand university research. That year it awarded $12 million to the Hebrew University’s Institute for Trauma Studies, and a later $250 million Paulson donation renamed Mount Scopus, linking historic academic prestige to today’s high-tech and mental-health agenda.

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Story summary

John Paulson donated $250 million to Israel’s Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
The university will rename its Mount Scopus campus the Alina and John Paulson Campus.
The gift will fund a new Faculty of Engineering.
A portion will support trauma and post-trauma recovery research.
Another portion will create a think tank linking faculty expertise to public needs.

1 / 2