Boris Mints, at The Blogs

Feb 6, 2024, 2:31 PM

After the Second World War, as the destructive dust of this global conflict subsided, the world fell into two camps. Countries were either Communist or Capitalist. An imposing iron wall of suspicion, tension, and enmity stood over them, dividing nations for the next half-century. The...

Dec 8, 2023, 12:05 PM

Europe’s Jews Need Friends

On December 7 the Conference of European Rabbis (CER) honoured President Macron of France in the Élysée Palace, his official residence, with the distinguished Lord Jakobovits Prize. In recent weeks, Jewish communities throughout Europe have been facing a growing hostility. Shockingly, uncertainty and uneasiness have...

Feb 23, 2023, 7:53 PM

A year on, no one knows when and how this madness will end

Exactly a year has passed since the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. The so-called “special military operation” turned quickly into a fully-fledged war. Once more, on the continent of Europe, tanks, artillery, aviation, and infantry are involved in devastating battles. Tens of...

Feb 1, 2023, 10:21 AM

Leading minds offer the gift of hope

Over the past week I was fortunate to be in Paris, listening to some of the stars of global academia giving their insight into the “New World Order”. Anyone that follows the news knows that there was much to talk about: from the vicious conflicts...

May 3, 2022, 5:30 PM

A conference to address the crises of today

The world seems awash with conflict and crisis. Russia’s continued war against Ukraine has, to a certain extent, destabilised Europe. It has damaged, displaced, and destroyed countless lives. A lack of water security and the global refugee crisis also count among the chronic issues plaguing...

Apr 12, 2022, 6:05 PM

I will continue to publicly oppose Putin’s authoritarianism

Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed the war on Ukraine is a ‘peacekeeping mission.’ Mikhail Klimentyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP

From the very beginning my interaction with Vladimir Putin was tense. In the second half of the 1990s, I was simultaneously serving as the secretary of Council of local self-government in the Russian Federation and the head of the Department of the President of the...

Feb 28, 2022, 7:35 PM

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has parallels with 1939

Ukrainians rest in the Kyiv subway, using it as a bomb shelter in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, February 24, 2022. Russia has launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, unleashing airstrikes on cities and military bases. Photo by Oleksandr Khomenko/ Credit: UPI/Alamy Live News

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has rightly shocked the world. It is the most tragic event of our century so far, with parallels to Hitler’s invasion of Poland in 1939. The excuses and justifications given for these two invasions are strikingly similar, both groundless and horribly deceptive....

Feb 17, 2022, 1:27 PM

The Israeli institute looking to solve the World’s ‘wicked problems’

The technical term ‘wicked problem’ is a useful description of the most urgent and serious global challenges – from poverty and inequality to climate change. Deeming a problem as ‘wicked’ is not a matter of good vs. evil, but is a concept used by social...

Dec 6, 2021, 1:05 PM

The Matanel Garden, COP26, and Israeli innovation – tackling climate change

In the heart of Tel Aviv University, students, staff, and visitors alike are now able to witness the growth of a remarkable “Green Wall”, a biodiverse wall of living vegetation over 30 metres in height, which will grow and develop over the coming decades. This...

Nov 5, 2021, 3:09 PM

We must support efforts to address global challenges head on

Together with my team, I was truly honoured to present Dr. John N. Nkengasong with this year’s Boris Mints Institute Prize for Global Challenges in a live ceremony from Tel Aviv University. This academic award is given in recognition of outstanding proponents of global solutions...

About Me

Dr. Boris Mints is a businessman, philanthropist and committed supporter of cultural and social projects. He is currently the Chairman of the Council of Patrons of The Conference of European Rabbis (CER), which is the primary Orthodox rabbinical alliance in Europe. He is also a President and Founder of The Boris Mints Institute, which is based at The Gershon H. Gordon Faculty of Social Sciences in Tel Aviv University, and honorary Professor of Tel Aviv University. In 2016, Dr Boris Mints expanded his family philanthropic contribution by creation of The Mints Family Charitable Foundation. He also established the Museum of Russian Impressionism in Moscow in 2014.