Natan Sharansky (who has changed the spelling of his last name from Shcharansky) was one of 35 scientists and scholars from throughout the world and Israel recently named Golda Meir Fellows at the Hebrew University. Sharansky received the fellowship award at the recent third annual Golda Meir Fellowship Awards Assembly.
Speaking on behalf of all of the award recipients, Sharansky described the great difference between scientists in the Soviet Union, who must sacrifice their own convictions, and scientists in democratic countries like Israel, with freedom of expression.
Sharansky, a mathematician and computer scientist, will devote the year of his fellowship to his research and to work on his memoirs. The resources of the university’s Marjorie Mayrock Center for Soviet and East European Research will be made available to him for his work.
The Golda Meir Fellowship program was created as a living memorial to the late Israeli Prime Minister as a way of attracting outstanding university graduates and postgraduates from throughout the world to pursue research and study at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
More than 80 Golda Meir Fellowships have been awarded since the program was inaugurated three years ago, with the Fellowships going to lecturers, post-doctoral scholars and graduate students from some 15 countries and Israel.
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