The Hebrew University of Jerusalem together with Israel Railways has created a unique project called "Lectures on rails." Experts from a variety of fields are actually giving high level lessons from their academic fields on trains that travel the Holy Land.
 
One train from Tel-Aviv to Haifa featured Professor Idan Segev, who gave a lecture to passengers on the subject of the brain and optogenetics, which is the study of the speed our brains process information.

[Professor Idan Segev, Hebrew University of Jerusalem]:
“It is my first experience to go to train and tell the audience about the brain. The idea is really to go down from the University directly into people and to communicate science.”

As Professor Segev continued to lecture, more passengers came over from other cars to listen in.

[Passenger]:
“I think this is an exceptional idea, very interesting and special.”

[ Passenger]:
“The lecture was stunning. May there be more great initiatives and ideas like this.”

Professor Segev says it’s been a great experience for him as well.

[Professor Idan Segev, Hebrew University of Jerusalem]:
"From the response of these people, the eyes that were interested, the questions they asked, I found out that they are indeed, they want to learn, they want to listen."

Organizers hope this project will promote public awareness of the importance of academic research and higher education in general.

[Orit Sulitzeanu, Spokesperson, Hebrew University of Jerusalem]:
"Universities have suffered considerable cuts in the last few years and absorbed quite a lot of public criticism on what goes on in academia. That has made us think it would be good to show the public that what we do is important." 
 
Reporter:Elena Tzuprun

Photographer: Anat Markram

NTD, Israel.