Mikhail Gorbachev, former leader of the USSR, visited the Technion on the occasion of receiving the Harvey Prize. Born in 1931, Gorbachev was appointed leader of the Soviet Union in 1985 and resigned at the end of 1991. A year later, he received the Harvey Prize for his outstanding contribution to peace in the Middle East and as a token of appreciation for his bold initiatives that have unrecognizably improved the international relationships and the quality of life of hundreds of millions of people throughout the world and in our region in particular.