The 700 Club, the Faculty of Engineering’s new excellence program

The 700 Club offers scholarships and personal academic and professional mentorship from industry experts to outstanding students

At the start of the current academic year, the Faculty of Engineering launched a new excellence program: The 700 Club, a joint initiative by the Faculty of Engineering and KLA-Tencor. The program is aimed at students – particularly women – with a score of 700 or more on the psychometric exams. “The percentage of female engineering students, not just at Bar Ilan, is relatively lower than males, and we consider it a priority to promote women to choose this career path,” says Dina Yamini, Head of the Alexader Kofkin Faculty of Engineering. “Students who get accepted into this exclusive club will enjoy great perks such as scholarships offered by KLA-Tencor, practical on-field learning alongside professional engineers, and academic mentorship by the academic staff.”

Of the first 31 students to be accepted into the club, 19 are female. At a special event celebrating the new program, Vice Dean Prof. Ephraim Zehavi said that “KLA-Tencor’s scholarships are a fine example of a diverse and caring industry, one that makes an effort to expand the future technological generation and benefit our nation.” Ori Tadmor, GM and VP at KLA-Tencor Israel, added: “KLA-Tencor has made it its mission to support and promote academic excellence in engineering by helping students, the next generation of inventors, Israel’s engineers and scientists.”

The so-called “next generation” was represented by students Hagar Kafri and Eilon Kohan. “With these scholarships, KLA-Tencor is planting its seeds at the Faculty of Engineering in Bar Ilan,” they said. “The money and efforts that this tech giant has decided to invest in us was earned with years of hard work. With this support, students will grow and bear fruit, enriching Israel’s prospering hi-tech industry and global research, and contribute to the development and safety of the State of Israel. These will be the fruits of KLA-Tencor’s labor.” Kafri and Kohan took the opportunity to thank the Faculty of Engineering’s academic and administrative staff, noting in particular Ms. Dina Yamini, “who persistently and with true care works around the clock to ensure that all students have a real opportunity to shine.”