Tel Aviv University Trust marked Tel Aviv University’s 60^th Diamond Anniversary with a Champagne Cocktail and Charity Auction at Christie’s to launch its Student Scholarship Campaign.

The event was hosted by Christie’s and sponsored by the internationally renowned jewellers de GRISOGONO.  TAU President Professor Joseph Klafter and the Founder and Creative Director of de GRISOGONO, Fawaz Gruosi, both were in attendance to greet guests and speak during the 45-minute event programme. President Klafter announced the launch of the 60^th Anniversary Student Scholarship Campaign remarking that ‘TAU students are our ‘Diamonds’ brilliant, multi-faceted and tough, facing intense pressure, but managing to excel and to shine’.   He said that TAU has many centres of excellence including in areas such as brain studies, nanotechnology, renewable energy and cyber, and has research partners around the world including Cambridge and Oxford as well as with top institutions in China and India. In addition to President Klafter, guests heard one of the University’s many brilliant minds, Prof. Yael Hanein, Director of TAU’s Centre of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, who gave a short presentation on her work in developing nanodevices that interface with the brain.

Over the course of the evening, over 250 guests were treated to a dazzling display of de GRISOGONO jewels, which lit up Christie’s Ante Room. 

During the evening, Anke Adler-Slottke, Christie’s International Director and renowned auctioneer, led an auction which included two sensational jewellery pieces and 2 invitations to the Cannes Film Festival Party donated by de GRISOGONO as well as some very special experiences at Tel Aviv University including a week’s internship in the Nanomedicine Laboratory of leading cancer researcher, Professor Ronit Satchi-Fainaro and an opportunity to participate in an archaeological dig led by internationally- renowned expert Professor Israel Finkelstein at the World Heritage Site Megiddo.

The event was certainly a fitting launch to celebrate a momentous year for Tel Aviv University, which ranks among the top 10 schools in the world to produce start-up founders and ranks the first in Israel and among the top 100 Innovation Universities globally