Record Number of M.Sc.'s Presented at Weizmann Institute Graduation Ceremony

REHOVOT, Israel - June 3, 1997 - A record number of master's degrees and a large number of doctorates were awarded at the Feinberg Graduate School's annual graduation ceremony at the Weizmann Institute of Science last night (Monday, June 2). Among the 161 graduates was a high proportion of immigrants from the former Soviet Union, reflecting the huge wave of immigration to Israel from that area earlier this decade.

Eighty-nine M.Sc.'s - the largest number awarded since the school was founded in 1958 - and 72 Ph.D.'s were presented at this year's graduation ceremony. Fourteen of the M.Sc.'s (15.7 percent) and 11 of the Ph.D.'s (15.3 percent) went to Soviet immigrants.

In addition to these immigrants, the graduate population also contained a significant proportion of foreign students, reflecting the school's international ethos. Twelve of the M.Sc.'s (13.5 percent) and seven of the Ph.D.'s (10 percent) went to students from countries as diverse as Argentina, Canada, China, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Mexico, South Africa, Spain, Yugoslavia and the United States.

Forty Ph.D.'s and 40 M.Sc.'s were awarded in the life sciences, 14 Ph.D.'s and 13 M.Sc.'s in physics, 12 Ph.D.'s and 19 M.Sc.'s in chemistry, five Ph.D.'s and 15 M.Sc.'s in mathematics and computer science, and one Ph.D. and two M.Sc.'s in science teaching.

The graduating group showed some distinct gender divisions, with women making up almost half the degree recipients in the life sciences. But women comprised far smaller proportions in chemistry and in mathematics and computer science, and this year were absent entirely from physics.

The keynote speaker at the ceremony was Zionist history authority Prof. Anita Shapira of Tel Aviv University, who spoke on "Truth and History."