University of Haifa

The University of Haifa
The University of Haifa
	אוניברסיטת חיפה
Motto	מצויינות אקדמית מתחילה ביחס אישי (Hebrew)
Motto in English	Academic excellence with a personal touch
Established	1963
Type	Public
Chancellor	Eliezer Rafaeli
President	Aaron Ben Ze'ev
Rector	David Farraggi
Location	Haifa, Israel
Campus	Urban, Parks
Website	www.haifa.ac.il/

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Prof. Aaaron Ben Ze'ev, President of the University of Haifa

Haifa University

The Eshkol Tower

The University of Haifa (Hebrew: אוניברסיטת חיפה‎) is a university in Haifa, Israel.

The University of Haifa was founded in 1963 by Haifa mayor Abba Hushi, to operate under the academic auspices of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

About 18,100 undergraduate and graduate students study in the university a wide variety of topics, specializing in social sciences, humanities, law and education. The University is broadly divided into six Faculties: Humanities, Social Sciences, Law, Science and Science Education, Social Welfare and Health Studies, and Education. There is also the Graduate School of Business.

Beyond the objective of a first-rate higher education, the University of Haifa aims to provide equal educational opportunities to all sectors of the society, and in particular to encourage mutual understanding and cooperation between the Jewish and Arab populations on and off campus.

The University of Haifa is home to the Hecht Museum of archeology and art, several research centers and institutes, including the Evolution Institute, Center for the Study of the Information Society, Center for the Study of National Security, Tourism Research Center, and more. The University also hosts a large IBM research center on its campus.

[edit] History

In its first year 472 students attended the University. Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences were offered in the following departments: Biblical Studies, Hebrew Literature and Language, Jewish History, General History, French Literature and Language, English Literature and Language, Arabic Literature and Language, Geography, Sociology, and Political Science. The academic staff included 180 instructors, 50 of them Haifa residents.

In 1967, the University of Haifa awarded a diploma to its first graduates, 75 in number, three-quarters of whom intended to be teachers.

The first home of the University of Haifa was in Erdstein House in the Hadar HaCarmel section of Haifa, but it soon became too crowded. The University moved to Merkaz HaCarmel, and was housed in the building that now serves the Municipal High School No. 5. In 1966, the University moved to the top of Mount Carmel, the present location of its main campus.

The University's first building, the "Multi-Purpose Building", was constructed in 1966. It contained classrooms, halls, laboratories, a library with 110,000 books, and a cafeteria. Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer planned the campus to include all the University's facilities in one complex. More recently, additional buildings have been built nearby.

The University of Haifa has been ranked 10th among 36 academic institutes in Israel, according to Above Average ranking institute^{[citation needed]}. This was a 6-point rise over the 2006 ranking. The ranking was based on feedback from 8,600 students.

[edit] Notable alumni

Assad Assad, former IDF colonel, diplomat and politician
Ashraf Barhom, an Israeli Arab actor who has starred in Paradise Now, The Syrian Bride. In 2007,starred alongside Jamie Foxx in the movie The Kingdom as Col. Faris Al-Ghazi. He has since appeared in Israeli films such as Ahava Colombianit (Colombian Love) and Lebanon.
Gabi Ashkenazi, IDF Chief of Staff
Meir Dagan, director of the Mossad
Abdulwahab Darawshe, politician
Yaakov Edri, politician
Benjamin Gantz, Chief of General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces
Carmi Gillon, politician, former Israeli ambassador to Denmark, and former head of the Mossad
Ram Karmi (born 1931), architect
Yochanan Vollach, footballer, president of Maccabi Haifa, CEO
Haneen Zoabi, woman politician