About 12,000 international students attend a variety of English language offerings in Israel. With the aim of doubling that number, the Israeli Council for Higher Education has approved 26 more courses offered in the English language. They recently approved 7 undergraduate courses and 19 master’s degrees in the hopes of bringing in 24,000 students by 2022. The new programs will run in collaboration with top universities running north to south in Israel, including Ben Gurion University, Bar Ilan University, the Weizmann Institute of Science, Hebrew University, the Rimon School of Jazz and Contemporary Music, and Tel Aviv University.
Many of the new classes focus on STEM topics, as well as entrepreneurship and innovation. As Israel is dubbed the “startup nation,” it’s a natural place for promising students who desire to infuse themselves with the startup culture, and experience firsthand how education in Israeli affects mindset in both challenges and results.
Many students have the opportunity to intern in top class companies of the first-hand technologies who are moving the world forward, in technology, medicine, agriculture, nonprofit, or green transportation. Currently, only about 1.4% of students are foreign, which is likely based on the language barrier, plus sees challenges in receiving Visas and work permits. The Council also is working with the government to hopefully streamline the process.
