In response to a wave of anti-Israel and anti-Semitic protests on university campuses in the West – including Ivy League schools and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology – the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology is inviting foreign faculty and students to continue their studies, teaching and research at the Technion’s campus in Haifa.
Technion President Prof. Uri Sivan said the university has already received inquiries from Jewish students and faculty who believe they would feel safer and freer in Israel, despite the raging war against Hamas in the south and the specter of war with Hezbollah in the north.
“Given the weak responses of some presidents of leading universities in North America, Europe and Australia, many Jewish and Israeli students and researchers are currently facing physical and verbal threats that make them think twice about everything they do and prevent them from participating in academic activities at these institutions,” Sivan said.
“As a result of this situation, and given the Technion’s important role in the history of the Jewish people over the past 100 years, we have announced a programme for the rapid integration of students and faculty members from around the world who are seeking an academic refuge during these difficult times.”
In August, the Technion was ranked 79th in the Shanghai ranking of the world’s top 100 universities, which evaluates universities based on the number of Nobel laureates, Fields Medalists, highly cited researchers and publications in major journals such as Nature and Science.
The Technion’s new “Call for Proposals” includes the following details:
- Postdoctoral researchers are invited to join the Technion’s postdoctoral programme under the supervision of Technion faculty or under the joint supervision of a mentor from their home institution.
- Undergraduate students are invited to participate in research projects in Technion laboratories under the supervision of Technion faculty for a period of two months to one year by joining the student exchange or study abroad programmes, which offer a wide range of courses, mainly for graduate degrees. Courses are taught in English.
- Eligible students will be invited to apply for a full research degree (Master’s or PhD) under the supervision of Technion faculty or under the joint supervision of a mentor from their home institution.
“The Technion will continue to serve as a supportive and safe research university for everyone,” said Sivan.
“I invite undergraduate and graduate students and faculty from around the world to join us during this difficult time, and to be part of our academic community at the forefront of global research and education.”
