Supporting Outstanding STEM Students at Israel’s Open University

Open_University

Announcing the 2025-2026 Laureates of the Graduate STEM Research Grants

Thanks to a generous grant the Zuckerman Family Foundation, the Open University of Israel awarded six merit-based scholarships to advanced STEM graduate students for the 2025–2026 academic year. All six recipients hold full-time positions in Israel’s technology sector while pursuing demanding research-based master’s degrees — a combination that requires exceptional commitment.

Open_University_of_Israel

2025-26 Recipients

Zoya Shaham

  • M.Sc. Computer Science, Open University of Israel

    Research software testing methodology, combining temporal logic and combinatorial testing to produce more accurate and efficient test coverage from abstract system requirements. Also serves as a teaching assistant on the university's Introduction to Software Testing course.

Israel Clark

  • M.Sc. Computer Science, Open University of Israel

    Focuses on modeling cognitive systems using artificial intelligence. Clark began his academic studies at the Open University while still in high school, drawn by the flexible distance-learning model. He also works as a teaching assistant alongside his research.

Niv Ben Elul

  • M.Sc. Computer Engineering, Open University of Israel

    Develops transparent "glass box" debugging methods for no-code platforms, making complex system processes interpretable for non-developer users. A Technion graduate and former member of a technological military unit, Ben Elul aims to apply his research in software architecture and pursue a PhD.

Shalev Goldstein

  • M.Sc. Computer Science | ★ SoCG 2026 Publication, Open University of Israel

    Works in computational geometry and algorithmic robotics, focusing on Multi-Robot Motion Planning (MRMP). His research paper was accepted to the Symposium on Computational Geometry (SoCG) 2026, a CORE A* ranked international conference — a significant research milestone achieved during the scholarship period.

Avital Parasha

  • Computer Applications & Computer Science, Open University of Israel

    Pursuing an advanced cross-disciplinary degree combining computer applications and computer science.

Previous award recipients

2025–2026 Scholarship

Recipients were selected from a pool of more than 50 active thesis students in Computer Science, based on:

  • Recommendation of their academic supervisor
  • Demonstrated academic standing and research progress
  • Commitment to dedicate five full days per week to research and to submit and defend their thesis by 10 September 2026

About the Open University of Israel

The Open University of Israel provides rigorous, research-active university education through a flexible distance-learning model. It serves students who balance academic study with professional work, military service, caregiving, or geographic constraints — enabling access to high-quality STEM education that would otherwise be out of reach.