Celebrating the Bessie Lawrence International Summer Science Institute (ISSI)

On Monday 1 July Weizmann UK hosted a special evening celebrating the Bessie Lawrence International Summer Science Institute (ISSI) with guest speaker Prof. Yardena Samuels, eminent cancer researcher and alumna of the ISSI.

Over 100 guests, many of whom have spent a summer in Rehovot since the inception of the programme 55 years ago, gathered at the IET London, Savoy Place. It was an opportunity to connect with alumni from 1969 to 2023, hear fascinating stories of how the ISSI programme has made a profound impact on the careers of many, and to hear about Yardena's fascinating research. Guests also saw an inspirational film featuring several alumni describing how the programme changed their lives, which you can watch here.

The evening was opened by Weizmann UK Chair Dr. Arabella Duffield, an alumna of the same ISSI cohort as Yardena!

The impact of the ISSI programme is far reaching, with alumni reaching incredible heights in both science and industry. To safeguard the future of this important programme, we were delighted to launch the Bessie Lawrence ISSI Fund. This will enable Weizmann UK to continue to send 10 of the most passionate young scientists to Israel each year. to read more about the value of the ISSI programme, click here.