Posts

Message from our Program Manager - December 20, 2023

Image
  Dear LCLUCers, friends of LCLUC, international colleagues and friends, As if the continuing war in Ukraine, was not enough, we are now witnessing the war in the Gaza strip bordering Israel. The atrocities that occurred in southern Israel on Oct 7 – the massacre and hostage-taking by Hamas terrorists – have prompted the Israeli military to respond with efforts to dismantle the terrorist organization, leading to infrastructure destruction and civilian casualties. Pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian protests in many countries have shaken societies globally. Media attention remains focused on discussions and tensions surrounding these events. Of particular concern have been the troubling incidents on US campuses, marked by hateful exchanges that have occasionally escalated to an outpour of antisemitic slogans and sometimes violence. In short, my wishes a year ago for a “peaceful New Year” appear to have totally missed the mark (or did I jinx it?). In keeping with the LCLUC tradition...

Message from our Program Manager - December 2022

Image
  Dear LCLUCers, friends of LCLUC, international colleagues and friends, The past year has been marred by the gloomy war in Ukraine, with the threat of an escalation to a global, nuclear conflict. The atrocities by the aggressor towards the civilians and the current destruction of the civilian infrastructure in the center of Europe is unimaginable for the 21th century. On the other hand, it seemed that the world got accustomed living with the COVID virus. They say, a bitter joke in Kiev, once the bombs and rockets started falling on Ukrainian cities, was that to the question “What’s the situation with COVID at your place?”, the answer would be “What is it?”.   We all became experts in virtual meetings and review panels. But with time we gradually started socializing and attending in-person meetings. Although the mask regimes have been until recently less strict almost everywhere, the statistics show some increase in infections, and I see again more masks donned inside sh...