The Open University of Israel (OUI), a pioneering force in accessible higher education, celebrated a milestone anniversary with a high-profile gala in New York City on Nov. 20.
The evening brought together the OUI’s leadership, supporters and community leaders, including Eric Goldstein of the UJA Federation, as well as alumni and friends.
Dr. Albert Bourla, chairman and CEO of Pfizer Inc., was recognized for his visionary leadership of global medicine, in addition to his steadfast commitment to Israel and the Jewish people.
“What began in 1974 as a bold experiment in accessible, top-quality higher education, opening doors and changing lives,” OUI’s president, professor Leo Corry, told the audience, “has evolved into a national engine of growth—and we are just getting started.”
Building on decades of achievement, he announced three new initiatives: a School for Computer Science and Generative AI; a new Hub for Learning Technologies; and a Center for the Advancement of Higher Education—broad efforts to advance digital learning, academic excellence and Israel’s human-capital development.
Ofir Akunis, Israel’s consul general in New York and himself an OUI graduate, reflected on his time at the university, saying he is “proud to be counted among the university’s alumni and deeply grateful for the fascinating and challenging years” it gave him.
He pointed out that “it is not too late to improve our educational environments, and we are not losing hope. Institutions like the Open University show what is possible. All citizens of Israel, wherever they may be, can find in it a place to receive a solid education grounded in knowledge and facts.”
The university’s impact was a recurring theme throughout the program. With 40% of its 50,000 students in STEM fields, OUI is Israel’s leading educator in those areas and a major contributor to the country’s high-tech ecosystem.
The tribute to Bourla underscored that mission.
As CEO of Pfizer, he has championed breakthroughs such as the first Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine of its kind, along with innovations in oncology and global health. However, he was lauded for something deeper: an unwavering commitment to Israel, Jewish continuity and the power of education to shape a more resilient future, values that have guided his leadership of one of the world’s foremost pharmaceutical companies.
Drawing on the Jewish imperative of tikkun olam, Bourla spoke about the shared responsibility to heal, uplift and strengthen the world—a mission in which “we cannot succeed by working alone—and we cannot do it in a single generation.”
He highlighted the university’s embodiment of this ethos since its founding, expanding opportunity and unlocking human potential at scale.”
Looking ahead, he urged the community to invest in the next generation, noting that talent and curiosity, not circumstance, should determine who can contribute to solving humanity’s greatest challenges.”
Eran Broshy, chairman of OUI’s American Friends, said the anniversary comes at a time of great transition, hope and optimism “as we turn the page from collective trauma to the day after, imagining and rebuilding forward.”
He stated that “there is no more important institution to the future of Israeli society than the Open University, with a reach that transcends borders of identity and access to teach all who want to learn.”
