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“An advisory committee we convened, composed
of industry leaders, informed us that what they
are looking for is a good foundation in the main
subjects. The world of engineering and science
is changing at an incredible pace, but the basics
remain the same. I believe that a good foundation
also includes a touch of the interfacing topics, to
paint a broader picture.”
Are you planning curriculum changes accordingly?
“The undergraduate curriculum has not undergone
significant changes in years, and it’s time. We are
working to give it greater depths, which will be
made possible by reducing the number of courses,
enabling the students to focus more. As already
mentioned, we are placing greater emphasis on the
basic subjects.”
Tell us a little about your own professional area of
interests.
“This has gone through several changes, and even
now, it is constantly changing. There are those
who are interested in one scientific question and
dedicate their research career to delve into its
depths. For me, it is different: I prefer to fan out to people. In my view, the dean is first and foremost an
several areas, to contemplate several things at once,
sometimes in fields that are quite distant from one
another.
“At the university, I was drawn to the study of
the structure of matter, to chemical physics,
and I dedicated a significant amount of time to
interdisciplinary questions at the interface of
mathematics, physics, and chemistry. Then I moved
to explore the properties of polymers and developed
an interest in mathematical tools and in nonlinear
mechanical properties. From there, I also edged into
the realm of vibration theory.”
What does nonlinearity actually mean?
“In the real world, nothing is linear, and this leads
to the emergence of some phenomena. Take chaos,
for instance: We may know the exact initial state of
a system, but it inevitably develops so unexpectedly
that we can’t exactly tell what would be the result.
A classic example is weather and the atmosphere.
In my research, I study much simpler systems, in
an attempt to understand how nonlinearity can
actually help us, which engineering solutions can be
based on nonlinear dynamics, and how nonlinear
phenomena such as vibrations can be used, for
example, to accumulate energy.”
Apropos of chaos and the unexpected, growing up,
were you religious?
“No. I became religious when I was a student in
Russia. The times were very unstable, everything
was changing from one moment to the next, really
a chaotic period. When you see how the world’s
largest state ceases to exist within the period of
two weeks, when you are right at the heart of this
upheaval—in Moscow, when all norms are breached
and everything becomes devoid of meaning, it has
a profound effect on you. I always had an interest
in philosophy, but it was forbidden. Suddenly,
when everything opened, an entire world became
accessible. Thousands of people flocked to study
Judaism courses in Moscow. You could say that I was
somewhat carried along this wave, it seems to fit my
psychological makeup. When you know about chaos,
about quantum behavior, you realize that science
has tremendous predictive power, but not an
absolute one. Science refuses to answer questions
of meaning, which is a good thing.”
On his role as dean:
A significant part of the role is the connection with
attentive ear. I am not always able to help, but I can try
to understand the problem. And it is important for me to
say this to all the students, faculty members, and staff.
So you are OK with not knowing everything?
“What for?”
You said that you like to branch out into several
areas at the same time. Your new role adds
management responsibilities to your plate. What
are you finding in this area?
“Management is a profession in itself, which I
also love. The role of the dean also requires a
considerable investment of time and the capacity
to support the others. First, I need to have profound
knowledge of the entire faculty and to mediate
between the faculty and the Technion. Fortunately,
we have an excellent team here that helps with
everything, but ultimately, there are decisions that I
have to make myself, and they are not always simple.
In addition, in my view, the dean is first and
foremost an attentive ear. I am not always able to
help, but I can try to understand the problem. And it
is important for me to say to all the students, faculty
members, and staff: I’m always ready and willing to
listen.” 
Faculty of Mechanical Engineering | MEgazine | 33