Tel Aviv University student takes first prize at Broadcom Foundation competition

Tel Aviv University graduate student Benjamin Klein won first place at the fourth annual Broadcom Foundation University Research Program on June 4 in Irvine, California. His project, 'From image to text and back using deep learning,' was awarded with an unrestricted cash prize of $10,000.

'We applaud the Broadcom Foundation's ongoing work to encourage student excellence and promote closer ties between industry and academia,' said Prof. Joseph Klafter, president of Tel Aviv University. 'This latest award also reinforces the alliance between Broadcom and the creativity, innovation, and quality of science and technology in Israel and at TAU.'

'For the second year in a row, TAU graduate students have taken top honors in the Broadcom Foundation University Research Competition—last year with the silver and this year with the gold,' added Paula Golden, president and executive director of Broadcom Foundation and director of community affairs at Broadcom Corporation. 'The consistent excellence in quality and depth of research by TAU graduate students is indicative of the university's status as a world-class center of innovation.'

Sharing insight and innovation

Klein, who was among finalists from 12 universities, shared insights into his engineering research and how its future application will contribute to advancement of society. More than 400 distinguished Broadcom engineers judged the finalists on a three-minute presentation with a single slide and a four-hour poster session where they demonstrated the scientific rigor, technological sophistication, and innovation of their work.

Henry Samueli, Broadcom Corporation's co-founder and chairman of the board, spearheaded the competition to celebrate both academic excellence and social awareness by graduate students whose engineering innovations will yield unlimited benefits to society at large.

Broadcom Foundation's mission is to advance education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) by funding research, recognizing scholarship, and increasing opportunity. The goal of the University Research Competition is to encourage young researchers throughout the world to become the next generation of great innovators in electrical engineering and related fields.

The competition strengthens the already strong link between TAU and international partners like the Broadcom Foundation. Broadcom Vice President Dr. Shlomo Markel also serves as the chairman of the board of RAMOT, TAU's technology transfer organization.

Provided by Tel Aviv University