Freie Universität Berlin Awards Professor Hanoch Gutfreund an Honorary Doctoral Degree
v. l. r.: Prof. Ziegler, Präsident der FU Berlin; Prof. Weinelt, Dekan des Fachbereichs Physik der FU Berlin und Prof. Hanoch Gutfreund, ehemaliger Rektor und Präsident der Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Image Credit: Arne Sattle
Prof. Dr. Hanoch Gutfreund, Festakt im Henry-Ford-Bau
Image Credit: Arne Sattle
Physicist and former rector and president of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem recognized for his scientific contributions and policy work.
News from Sep 03, 2021
The physicist Professor Hanoch Gutfreund has been awarded an honorary doctoral degree from Freie Universität Berlin. Gutfreund is the director of the Albert Einstein Archives at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He also served as rector and president of the university. The honorary degree was presented to him at a ceremony on September 1, 2021.
The Department of Physics at Freie Universität conferred the honor upon Gutfreund as a testament to his extraordinary scientific achievements, especially his work on the theory of neural networks. The university noted that their decision was based on Professor Gutfreund’s reputation as a leading expert on the history of the theory of relativity, quantum theory, and statistical physics – a reputation he has earned through his impressive scientific record and his vast network of international contacts.
One of his greatest accomplishments in the area of scientific policy was the establishment of an international network to safeguard Albert Einstein’s intellectual property and continue his legacy. In addition, Professor Gutfreund’s extraordinary tenure as rector and president of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem led to significant academic and institutional developments there. He was also responsible for strengthening the university’s ties with other international institutions, including German universities, and in particular with Freie Universität Berlin.
At the Department of Physics at Freie Universität, Gutfreund assisted physics professor Gerhard Simonsohn in transferring his documentation of historical sources on the persecution of Jewish scientists and scholars at German universities during the Nazi era to Yad Vashem – The World Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem.