The Academic Advisory Committee’s role is to identify, monitor and evaluate new and emerging trends in education and employment to inform professional educators within the ORT network of schools. The Committee comprises established academics with active research and publications within education and related domains. The Committee has six members whose profiles are presented here and whose research is available in the forum.

ACADEMIC ADVISORY COMMITTEE

    • Prof. Alexei Semenov

      Vice-President of ORT Russia
      Member of World ORT Board of Trustees
      Co-Chair, World ORT Academic Advisory Committee

      Prof. Alexei Semenov received his MS and PhD from Moscow State University and his Prof. Sci (Math) from Steklov Mathematical Institute. He is a member of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Math Division) – the National State Academy, and the Russian Academy of Education (General Education Division).

      Prof. Semenov is a prominent mathematician and computer scientist. In 2006 he received the Kolmogorov Award (RAS) for “outstanding results in the field of mathematics”. Today he is the chair of the Department of Mathematical Logic and Theory of Algorithms at Lomonosov Moscow State University.

      Prof. Semenov has led several auspicious Russian science and mathematics education organizations and has experience of teaching math at different levels from primary through secondary to university. He has worked most prominently in schools for mathematically gifted children (including the Kolmogorov boarding school of MSU). In 2009 Prof. Semenov was awarded the UNESCO Prize for the Use of ICTs in Education.

      See Prof. Alexei Semenov articles on the Academic Advisory Forum

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    • Prof. Sidney Strauss

      Emeritus Professor, School of Education, Tel Aviv University
      Co-Chair, World ORT Academic Advisory Committee

      Professor Sidney Strauss gained his PhD and became a postdoctoral fellow from the University of California at Berkeley. He held professorships at Tel Aviv University and MIT and established and headed the Centre for the Advancement of Teaching at Tel Aviv University. Professor Strauss has been the recipient of numerous competitive research grants and was the Chief Scientist at the Israeli Ministry of Education from 2005-2008. He was elected as a foreign affiliate of the USA National Academy of Education (2006-present).

      See Prof. Sidney Strauss articles on the Academic Advisory Forum (1)

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    • Dr. Jorge Grünberg

      Rector, Universidad ORT Uruguay
      Deputy Chairman, World ORT Academic Advisory Committee

      Dr Grünberg gained his PhD in Educational Studies from the University of Oxford in 2000 and has authored of over fifty academic papers. Prior to this, he studied a master’s in education studies also at Oxford and a BSc in Computer Engineering from the University of Uruguay.

      Dr Grünberg has been Rector of the Universidad ORT Uruguay since 1996 and, before becoming Rector, was Dean of the School of Engineering and Professor of Information Systems. He has been a Senior Fellow of the National Academy of Engineering of Uruguay since 2012. He has founded several societies and associations including the Uruguayan Society of Informatics, the Association of Private Universities of Uruguay, and the Oxford University Uruguay Alumni Association.

      See Dr. Jorge Grünberg articles on the Academic Advisory Forum (2)

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    • Prof. Ilya Levin

      Professor, School of Education
      Tel Aviv University, Israel
      Member, World ORT Academic Advisory Committee

      Prof. Ilya Levin received his Ph.D. degree in Computer Engineering in 1987 from the Institute of Computer Technologies, Riga. Since 1987 he was the Head of Department in the Institute of New Technologies (USSR). From 1993 to 2002, Ilya Levin was the Head of the Computer Systems Department in Holon Institute of Technology, Israel. From 2003 to 2006, he was an Associate Professor of the School of Engineering at the Bar Ilan University. Presently, Ilya Levin is a Full Professor in the School of Education of Tel Aviv University. His recent research interests include Computer Design, Digital Society, and Technology Education.

      See Prof. Ilya Levin articles on the Academic Advisory Forum (1)

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    • Prof. Philippe A. Halban

      Emeritus Professor of Medicine, University of Geneva
      Member, World ORT Academic Advisory Committee

      Philippe Halban received both his M.A. and Ph.D in biochemistry at Oxford University. After postdoctoral training and first appointments in Geneva, he pursued his research and taught at Harvard Medical School before returning to Geneva as Professor of Genetic Medicine and Development until retirement in 2015. His research has been devoted to diabetes and he has received several major international scientific prizes. He served as president of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes and has been a member of advisory boards for both universities and non-profit organisations. Dr. Halban has a longstanding interest in education and was actively involved in developing a problem-based learning curriculum for the Medical School in Geneva.

      See Prof. Philippe A. Halban articles on the Academic Advisory Forum

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