Howard and Anne Alper’s connection to the Technion began in 1982, when Howard visited Israel as a Lady Davis Visiting Professor at Hebrew University. Among the several Israeli institutions where he presented, the Technion stood out as exceptional, a discovery that would become a shared passion with his wife, Anne.
“The Technion, then and now, is akin to MIT on a global scale,” says Howard, a Companion of the Order of Canada and Distinguished University Professor at the University of Ottawa, renowned for his groundbreaking research in catalysis. What captivated him wasn’t just the caliber of research, it was the Technion’s pioneering approach to transdisciplinary collaboration. “It’s one of the few universities in the world that promotes, nurtures and encourages inter and multidisciplinary research and education across the whole spectrum of programs and initiatives.” For Howard, this approach is essential. In his view, the ability to deploy human and financial resources across disciplines to tackle the world’s greatest challenges in health, energy, and environment is what separates truly great universities from the rest. The Technion, he says, has “finessed this incredibly well.”
For Anne, the Technion’s excellence is inseparable from a broader question she believes all donors should ask themselves: do people actually know what the Technion is doing? “Maybe they’ve heard of Hebrew University or the Weizmann,” she says. “But do people know the Technion? You want to make a donation to an institution because of what it’s doing; that will be more effective, that making a donation, however small or large, will have great leverage there.”
Over the years, their connection to Technion deepened. When their granddaughter competed in the Maccabiah Games, they got to see Haifa in a different light, giving Anne and Howard an intimate look at the city itself and revealing another dimension of what makes the Technion so distinctive. “The whole cultural nature of the city of Haifa really adds to that,” Anne recalls. Howard agrees: “This is a city that is very diverse.” That diversity is reflected on campus, where 13% of Technion students are Arab Israelis, the highest proportion of any Israeli university. For a couple who have spent their lives championing collaboration, it resonated deeply.
Howard’s personal experience of Israeli-Canadian scientific exchange has only reinforced his commitment. Over his career, he has hosted more than 30 Israeli students, postdoctoral fellows, and visiting researchers in his laboratory, both Arab and Jewish Israelis. “Because they learn a lot, but they also give a lot,” he says. “Working together seamlessly, you can’t exaggerate that. Incredible.” He points to the Technion’s three Nobel Prizes in chemistry as evidence of an institution that delivers excellence. “Ingenuity and creativity at the highest level,” he says. “And there, it’s astounding.”
Howard is also candid about the challenges the Technion has faced since October 7, 2023, particularly in recruiting international students. “Things will slowly improve,” he says with characteristic optimism. “There may be some setbacks, but things will slowly improve in relations between Technion and universities in Canada. That’s very important.” He is particularly passionate about the role Technion Canada can play in forging those connections, not just philanthropically, but by actively matching the Technion’s research priorities with leading academics and institutions across Canada. “Talking to leading people in Canada can create new opportunities in a very positive manner,” he says.
It’s precisely this belief in partnership and impact that underpins Howard and Anne’s decision to make a legacy gift to the Technion. Their gift will invest in new faculty members with unique scientific potential, support groundbreaking research, and provide essential equipment. Howard describes this kind of flexible, visionary funding as critical for the Technion to maintain “even greater competitive advantage and leadership, not only in Israel, but globally.”
It’s a gift rooted in Howard and Anne’s indominable belief in science as a force for good, and their conviction that the Technion transforms challenges into opportunities that improve quality of life for all people.
Thank you, Howard and Anne, for your unwavering support, your vision for a better world through science, and your commitment to ensuring the Technion continues to lead the way in research and innovation for generations to come.