Full Breakdown
Holon Institute of Technology Launches New Presidency Focused on Industry-Integrated Education
By Drooid · · How we work
New Leadership and Strategic Vision
Professor Refael Barkan assumes the presidency of the Holon Institute of Technology (HIT) after six years as vice president for innovation, entrepreneurship, and internationalization. He frames his mandate as a response to “exponential” technological change, arguing that academic programs must be reshaped to keep pace with industry evolution and national needs.
Applied Academic Model and Internship Pilot
HIT’s core approach, described as an “applied academic model,” embeds industry standards directly into curricula across engineering, science, design, and medical-technology faculties. Faculty members are required to maintain active industry roles, enabling them to translate real-world challenges into classroom instruction. A campus-wide internship pilot links every degree track to practical work experience, aiming to give students hands-on exposure to teamwork, “soft skills,” and “power skills” before graduation.
Interdisciplinary Programs Linking Technology, Medicine, and Design
Under Barkan’s direction, HIT emphasizes a triangular integration of technology, medicine, and design. The institute’s Digital Medical Technologies undergraduate track—created by Barkan and recognized as a technological pre-med program—combines data science, artificial intelligence, and health sciences. Partnerships such as the collaboration between the Faculty of Design and Sheba Medical Center illustrate efforts to redesign health environments through architecture, cognitive psychology, and advanced tech, targeting improved patient experiences.
Enrollment Growth and Alignment with Market Needs
Responding to a nationwide decline in computer-science enrollment, HIT redirected resources toward fields with rising demand, including microelectronics, hardware engineering, and physical infrastructure. The shift produced a reported 20 % rise in undergraduate enrollment for electrical and electronics engineering and a 13 % increase in first-year industrial engineering and technology-management students. Barkan notes that the market’s expansion in semiconductors, hardware infrastructure, and data science creates a “trade-off” that the institute’s curriculum is designed to meet.
Verbatim Quotes
- “There is a trade-off happening in the market,” — Refael Barkan, incoming president of Holon Institute of Technology
- “We could not remain indifferent to the social and geopolitical situation,” — Refael Barkan, incoming president of Holon Institute of Technology