Before I get
to the sessions and the people, let me walk you through the day as it unfolded
— from the Mediterranean shoreline to one of the most vibrant academic Institutions
in the Middle East.
A Ninth-Floor Window on the Mediterranean
I am staying
at the Port Tower hotel, and my room on the ninth floor has quickly become my
favorite place in Tel Aviv. On one side, the city stretches out in a mix of
white low-rise blocks, glass towers, and leafy streets; on the other, the
Mediterranean rolls in, blue and endless. Standing at that window with a cup of
coffee, watching the light change over the rooftops and the water, I felt
refreshed and almost meditative — the kind of quiet calm you rarely expect
before a busy conference day.
Sunrise Run on the Tel Aviv Promenade
I started the
morning the way I like best: an hour of jogging along the beachside promenade.
Tel Aviv’s seafront walkway runs for kilometers along the coast, and in the
early morning it is simply stunning — soft light on the sand, the sound of the
waves, palm trees along the path, and the sea breeze doing its quiet work.
Joggers, cyclists, dog walkers, and early swimmers shared the corridor in an
easy, friendly rhythm. For a runner, there are few better ways to wake up.
A City at Peace with Its Morning
Back home,
much of the news we hear about Israel is about war and conflict. So, I was
genuinely moved by what I actually saw: Tel Aviv was running peacefully. People
were out on their morning walks, smiling, chatting, and greeting one another,
as if the city had its own steady heartbeat. It echoed my experience in
Jerusalem on 8 November, where I spent the whole day on a calm and peaceful
pilgrimage through the holy places. Two very different cities, one common
feeling — peace in everyday life.
After the
refreshing run, there was no time to linger. A quick shower, breakfast at the
hotel, and then straight off to the conference.
Right on Time: Off to Tel Aviv University
Credit for a
smooth start goes to our logistics coordinator, Amit Davidov, whose caring and
timely management made sure everyone gathered in the hotel lobby at 8:15 sharp.
The drive from the Port Tower hotel to Tel Aviv University, in the green Ramat
Aviv neighborhood, takes about 20 minutes. A small lesson I happily took to
heart: let’s not follow “Nepali time” — let’s follow the sharp time, as
planned!
First Impressions of the University
The moment we
arrived, I felt we had stepped into one of the most beautiful corners of the
city. Tel Aviv University — Israel’s largest university and consistently ranked
among the country’s top institutions — sits on a spacious University campus
with wide lawns, shaded walkways, modern architecture, and plenty of open space
for conversations between sessions. It is easy to see why this University has
become a home for some of the most influential cybersecurity research and
dialogue in the region.
AI and Cybersecurity Take Center Stage
Inside, it
was exciting to meet experts, professors, and professionals from around the
world, all gathered under one roof to discuss the future of digital security. I
attended the AI plenary session along with several other slots focused on where
artificial intelligence and cybersecurity meet — how AI is reshaping both
attack and defense, and what that means for governments, industry, and
academia. As an educator and researcher, I came away with plenty of ideas to
bring back home to Nepal.
Between
sessions, I explored the University, walking through different department
buildings and discovering their many multi-purpose auditoriums and halls. Each
venue was buzzing with its own track and audience, and moving between them felt
like a small guided tour of the university itself.
A Conversation with Prof. Isaac Ben-Israel
One of the
highlights of the day was a short meeting and conversation with Prof. Isaac
Ben-Israel, the chairman of Cyber Week and one of the most respected professors
at Tel Aviv University. A retired major general and a leading figure in
Israel’s cyber and space programs, he is widely credited with shaping the
country’s national cyber strategy — and yet he was warm, approachable, and
generous with his time.
Prof. Isaac, 1st from the Right.
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