When I first arrived at the Weizmann Institute of Science (WIS), Tel Aviv, in May 2013 as a summer trainee, little did I know that I will be spending a good part of my life in Israel. There is some inexplicable aura of scientific aptitude in the beautiful campus nestled just outside the bustling city of Tel Aviv. It was rather an easy decision to return for a Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics at the institute after graduating with an Integrated BS-MS in Biology from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Kolkata.
Unparalleled quality
WIS is a rather unusual destination for graduate school, as compared to other major schools in the U.S. and Europe as it offers only MSc and Ph.D. programmes in natural sciences (Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics/CS, Biology). Quite naturally, the student/post-doc body is compact leading to thought-provoking scientific conversations, often leading to interesting scientific collaborations. In addition to roughly 250 professors across 18 departments, there are numerous staff scientists, many of whom serve as an immediate source of guidance and mentorship.
Weizmann supports services for almost all major advanced scientific tools and techniques. This enables the students and other researchers to answer tough questions. For instance, discoveries at the institute have enabled the treatment of diseases such as multiple sclerosis, lung cancer, prostate cancer, and lymphoma. Not only is the quality of science unparalleled, but also, Weizmann Institute is a great place to work. The continual support of the mostly English-speaking administrative staff makes it probably the best place to be for an international student in Israel.
Co-curricular activities
Outside the lab, the institute provides ample opportunities for personal and professional growth. There are multiple student clubs such as Entrepreneurship, Debate and LGBTQ clubs that train students with various hard and soft skills such as innovation, management and persuasive speaking. In fact, I have been involved in establishing the Weizmann Biotech Club, which is a forum for Ph.D. students and post-docs to interact with life-science industry leaders, learn about the industry trends and provide career development support.
Finally, Israel is a great place to begin one’s professional career. It is known to be the “start up nation” and provides a plethora of opportunities to engage with the booming innovation ecosystem of the country for aspiring technology entrepreneurs.
Israel is opening its doors to foreign entrepreneurs with the recent launch of an innovation visa, that comes with generous support from the Israel Innovation Authority.
The writer is a Ph.D. student at the Dept. of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel
