The rectors of 20 Latin American universities signed agreements with Israel’s Hebrew University at a groundbreaking conference last week, the latest indication of increased academic cooperation with Israeli institutions, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported Sunday.

University heads from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela were greeted at the conference by Hebrew University President Menachem Ben Sasson, who apprised them of the university’s academia and research.

The event was also attended by diplomats from the aforementioned nations and representatives from Israel’s Foreign Ministry, which helped organize the conference along with the Hebrew University’s Harry S. Truman Research Institute for the Advancement of Peace.

“This was a very productive gathering and we hope it will lead to many fruitful collaborations with universities in Latin America,” said Naama Shpeter, executive director of the Truman Institute.

A recent study conducted by the Israel on Campus Coalition and the Technion showed that collaboration between Israeli and American academic institutions has increased nearly 45 percent since 2006, a sign that efforts to isolate Israel academically have not been successful.

Earlier this year, a delegation of nearly 100 academics from Italy visited Israel to celebrate 15 years of academic ties. The delegation, which included representatives of the Italian Conference of Rectors, a group of the leaders of major Italian universities, signed a number of cooperation agreements in the fields of material sciences and biophysics.

[Photo: Mark Naiman/GPO ]