Exclusive: Hebrew University chemistry professor accepts academic invitation from Tehran

Although hostility between Israel and Iran has never been worse, an Israeli professor happily accepted the offer.

By JUDY SIEGEL-ITZKOVICH
Updated: AUGUST 10, 2015 00:19
The Hebrew University (photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)
The Hebrew University
(photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)
Although hostility between Israel and Iran over the US-Iranian nuclear control agreement has never been worse, an Israeli academic has recently received a warm invitation from Tehran.
Prof. Renata Reisfeld, a chemistry expert from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, was invited to become a member of the editorial board of the Tehran-based International Journal of Environment, Energy and Waste.
Reisfeld happily accepted the offer last week.
Reisfeld, the Enrique Berman Professor of Solar Energy at the Hebrew University’s Institute of Chemistry, told The Jerusalem Post that Maryam Pazoki, assistant professor at the Faculty of Environment at the University of Tehran, sent her the official invitation.
“The Iran Solid Waste Association (ISWA) is eager to promote academic, practical and simultaneous interdisciplinary research regarding technical, social, and cultural aspects of environment, energy, and waste,” Pazoki wrote to the Israeli chemist.
“It has decided to set up a peer-reviewed, open-access International Journal of Environment, Energy and Waste available both in printed and electronic versions,” she said, adding, “I would like to invite you to join our elite group of managing editors and editorial board. It is my honor to have your name and support for participating in selection of editors occasionally. I am sure that with your support, we can make our ambitious goal a reality.”