Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
אוניברסיטת בן-גוריון בנגב | |
| File:Bgu logo.gif | |
| Motto | "Israel's capacity for science and research will be tested in the Negev..." David Ben-Gurion |
|---|---|
| Type | Public |
| Established | 1969 |
| President | Rivka Carmi |
| Location | , |
| Campus | Urban |
| Website | www.bgu.ac.il |
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (Hebrew: אוניברסיטת בן גוריון בנגב) was founded in 1969, in Beersheba, Israel.
The university is mandated to promote development of the Negev region, inspired by the vision of Israel's first Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion, who believed that the country's future lay in the relatively undeveloped south. Originally named University of the Negev, the name was changed to Ben-Gurion University of the Negev after Ben-Gurion's death in November 1973. The university also maintains a small campus, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, near kibbutz Sde Boker where Ben-Gurion spent his retirement years, which is home to the Jacob Blaustein Institute for Desert Research, which awards masters degrees and PhDs in desert-related subjects. It also operates a campus in Eilat. Ben-Gurion University of the Negev has a current enrollment of 17,400 students and is one of Israel's fastest growing universities.
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev has faculties in:
- Humanities and Social Sciences
- Natural Sciences
- Engineering Sciences
- Health Sciences
- Management
- Desert Research
International student programs
Most of the courses are taught in Hebrew, but the university runs several English language programs that attracts students from around the world:
- Master of Arts in Middle Eastern Studies (MAPMES).
- The Albert Katz International School for Desert Studies at the Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research at the Sde Boker campus offers graduate programs in Desert Studies.
- In collaboration with Columbia University, a unique program in International Health is offered by the Medical Faculty.
- The School of Management offers a full-time Honors MBA Program.
- The Department of Foreign Literature and Linguistics offers BA and MA programs taught in English.
- The Ginsburg-Ingerman Overseas Student Program offers short-, mid- and long-term academic programs and Hebrew language studies.
- In addition, many departments accept exchange, internship and trainee students.
- the "Ben Gurion" university was ranked 4th among 36 academic institutes in Israel, according to Above Average ranking institute. this was 1 point descent over the 2006 ranking. the ranking was based on feedback from 8,600 students.
Notable faculty members
- Aaron Antonovsky, sociologist
- Aharon Appelfeld, author
- Charles Blattberg, political scientist
- Avishay Braverman, former president of the university, economist and politician
- Rivka Carmi, pediatrician
- Haim Chertok, author
- Shlomi Dolev, computer scientist
- David Faiman, solar engineer
- Tikva Frymer-Kensky, biblical scholar
- Neve Gordon, political scientist
- Samuel Hollander, economist
- Etgar Keret, author
- Benny Morris, historian
- Amos Oz, author
- Elisha Qimron, Hebrew scholar
- Aviad Raz, sociologist
- Danny Rubinstein, journalist
- Joshua Prawer, historian
- Richard Shusterman, philosopher
- Charles Small, urban studies and policy scholar
- Carsten Peter Thiede, biblical scholar
- Unni Wikan, anthropologist
- Oren Yiftachel, geographer
Notable alumni
- Amira Dotan (behavioral science, psychology), former Knesset member
- Gonen Segev (medicine), former prisoner, former physician and former cabinet minister
- Silvan Shalom (economics, accountancy), former Israeli minister of finance and of foreign affairs
- Eliezer Shkedi (mathematics, computer science), former commander of the Israel Air Force
- Yaakov Turner (behavioral science), former mayor of Beersheba
- Mordechai Vanunu (geography, philosophy), former nuclear technician and convicted spy
- Shelly Yachimovich (behavioral science), former journalist and current Knesset member
- Agi Mishol (literature), poet
- Isaac Berzin (chemical engineering), inventor
External links
