JERUSALEM, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Five leading Israeli universities will become partners in the establishment and operation of a national nuclear fusion institute, Israel's Ministry of Energy said on Tuesday.
The universities include the Tel Aviv University, Ben Gurion University, Israel Institute of Technology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and Weizmann Institute of Science, the ministry said in a statement.
The state-run Soreq Nuclear Research Center in southern Israel and the Israeli start-up company NT-Tao, which is developing a compact system for nuclear fusion, will also be partners in the project, according to the statement.
The institute will be established with a budget of about 40 million shekels (11.55 million U.S. dollars) for five years.
The institute will strengthen scientific research and manpower in the field so that Israel can contribute to the advancement of fusion technology in the world, the ministry said. ■
