03/08/2026
SCE, the Sami Shamoon Academic College of Engineering, is being awarded the 2026 “Defense Minister’s Shield”—a prestigious military decoration, granted to organizations and institutions demonstrating their outstanding commitment to those serving in Israel’s Reserves.
This commendation recognizes SCE’s broad and consistent support system provided to its students and faculty members who were called up for Reserves duty since the outbreak of the “Iron Swords” War. At a festive ceremony to be held with the participation of the Minister of Defense, Israel Katz; I.D.F. Chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant-General Eyal Zamir; and Commander of the Reserve Forces Corps, Brigadier-General Benny Ben-Ari; alongside representatives of other academic institutions.
Since October 7, 2023, over 2,000 SCE student-reservists have been summoned to serve; this is an unprecedented number in the Israeli higher education system. Many of these student-reservists served for hundreds of days, some were drafted under “Order 8” (urgent, emergency). They had to cope with significant mental stress, physical burdens, and academic studies. It is important to note that almost half of SCE’s outstanding students serve in the Reserves, doing their military duty.
Behind this data, there are people with personal stories and complex experiences from their service and warfare—that even affect them for a long time after they return from the battlefield. Bearing in mind that returning to routine academic studies is not easy, SCE has been pro-active throughout the entire period of the war, enveloping returning student-reservists with broad support, tailored to suit their academic, personal and emotional needs. The college considers their support a valuable, national responsibility. Since the start of the war, SCE has provided these student-reservists with a comprehensive support system, including: personal academic considerations; easements and extensions; personal mentors and remedial classes—towards maintaining a high academic level and continuity in their studies.
Besides the academic solutions, SCE provides emotional and economic support and a variety of activities that strengthen personal and community robustness, such as special lectures, workshops, and targeted activities for students back from the front. All this stems from awareness of responsibility—seeing, asking, listening, identifying distress, even after the return from Reserves duty.
In the words of Prof. Jehuda Haddad, SCE’s founder: “Being granted the ‘Defense Minister’s Shield’ is a sign of great honor and recognition of our significant deeds. The college has had the privilege of educating valuable and dedicated students who serve in the Reserves, and who have revealed their sense of responsibility and outstanding leadership throughout. Our academic, moral and national responsibility is to stand beside them and to grant them all the support they need to go on and succeed. We are very proud of our students and of those who serve in the Reserves.”