At this pivotal moment in both global and academic history, we extend an open invitation to students and young scholars everywhere: come spend a semester or more with us in Israel. Whether you are drawn by opportunity, driven by principle, or simply curious, there has never been a better time to join the dynamic, resilient, and world-class community of Israeli academia.
Around the world, campuses are shifting. Intellectual freedom, civil discourse, and the very essence of higher education are being challenged. Some students feel isolated, others are overwhelmed by the polarized climates on their home campuses. The academic year for many has become clouded – both metaphorically and literally. But as clouds gather in some places, the sun is rising in others. And in Israel, we are rebuilding – intellectually, emotionally, and physically – after a national trauma. Your presence can be a part of that sunrise.
Israeli academic institutions
Israel’s institutions of higher learning – among them the Hebrew University of Jerusalem; the Technion in Haifa; Tel Aviv, Haifa and Ben-Gurion Universities; and Shenkar College of Engineering, Design and Art are global trailblazers. Their achievements span disciplines, from artificial intelligence to sustainable agriculture, cybersecurity to nanotechnology, from musicology to fashion, robotics to design philosophy. Our universities are good enough to win Nobel Prizes, small enough to be personal, yet potent enough to make a global impact.
This is more than a “pull” of innovation. It’s also a “push” against narrowing worldviews. At a time when borders – both physical and intellectual – are hardening, Israel remains a bridge. It is a living laboratory of cultural, scientific, and creative fusion. A semester here is not just a set of credits: It is an experience in interdisciplinary curiosity, hands-on innovation, and deep reflection. It is a commitment to global citizenship, anchored in local relevance.
This vision is not new. At the 1918 cornerstone-laying ceremony for the Hebrew University, Chaim Weizmann declared: “The university will be a spiritual center; a source of light and wisdom to our people and to all mankind.” At the Technion’s founding, early Zionist thinkers like Ze’ev Jabotinsky and Haim Bialik dreamed of a place where practical knowledge and poetic imagination could co-exist. Einstein, Freud, and Martin Buber lent their names and ideas to these foundations – not only to teach science or letters, but to anchor a new model of integrated, ethical inquiry.
Now, more than ever, that model is needed.
Opportunities at Shenkar College
At Shenkar, we are proud to continue that legacy in a uniquely contemporary way. Our campus, in the heart of Tel Aviv – the city that never pauses, the capital of creativity – is a vibrant hub where art, design, engineering, and technology converge. Shenkar’s courses are tailored for the future: smart textiles, sustainable architecture, cyber-physical systems, digital aesthetics, fashion management, wearable technology and jewelery, materials and electronics engineering, algorithmic art, and the integration of science with storytelling. We call this the Third Culture: a place where disciplines meet, and a new kind of global thinker is forged.
Many of our programs are available in English, and short-term or semester-long formats make it easy to integrate into your academic journey. We offer a welcoming environment, international student support, and a cost-effective alternative to many private or overburdened institutions abroad. And yes – Tel Aviv’s energy, from its tech start-ups to its beaches and nightlife, is unmatched.
But more than just an academic destination, Israel today is a place of meaning. To study here now is to take a stand: for resilience, for coexistence, for intellectual engagement over dogma. You’ll meet peers who are reimagining what it means to rebuild, to grow, and to create in the face of adversity.
Let the words of Berl Katzenelson echo again, spoken nearly a century ago: “A nation is not built only of stones and mortar, but of spirit, of culture, and of knowledge.” Join us in building that spirit.
We at Shenkar, and across the academic community in Israel, welcome you. Let this semester be one not of retreat, but of engagement. Let it be a declaration – not only of academic ambition but of moral courage.
The gates are open. The sun is rising. Will you be part of it?
The writer is president of Shenkar College of Engineering, Design and Art in Ramat Gan.