Access to Excellence
Investing in the potential of our students means better outcomes for individuals and their communities. But by providing them with a world-class education, the chance to join in goal-oriented research, and opportunities to enhance the surrounding community, we make students partners in our dual mission: to advance the Negev, and to fulfill our vision of national and global impact.
Our students consistently say they view a BGU degree as the means to not only social mobility, but also to meaningful contributions to Israel's society and economy. And with good reason: BGU graduates play leading roles in shaping the character and future of the state, including a former minister of finance and of IDF Intelligence as well as the founders of hi-tech companies and the head of the ministry for the development of the periphery. As home to the country's premier MBA program in social leadership, BGU also produces leaders who bring both deep commitment and capacities to key roles in the public sector. And with BGU graduates accounting for nearly one-third of Israel's engineers and numbered among the world's leading experts in fields from neuroscience and digital health to cyber security, a BGU education is not only a mark of excellence, but also a stepping-stone to professional achievement in areas that align with national needs.
Along with a superb education, BGU students at every degree level enjoy opportunities to be a part of the groundbreaking work taking place in one of our five major research institutes, nearly 60 multi-disciplinary research centers, and hundreds of laboratories. Access to some of the country's most renowned scientists and involvement in projects with the potential to make a real difference in people's lives ensures that students find their BGU experience as consequential and beneficial as it is challenging and aspirational. In addition, while their involvement in research grants students a valuable background in constructing a methodology and mastering various techniques, it also builds transferable skills—in problem-solving, critical thinking, resilience, and collaboration—that are key to success in any field. When the IDF's intelligence and technology units move to their new Technology Campus next door to BGU, the proximity will increase opportunities for students to engage in collaborative research in areas critical to Israel's strength and security.
Learning to Create Value
Thanks to our unique emphasis on entrepreneurship, which we integrate into academic studies and research in all faculties, students also credit their BGU experience with expanding their vision of what careers and impact can be. The University's entrepreneurship hub Yazamut 360° encourages students to match knowledge and skills to the needs of the changing marketplace and to think like innovators and embrace new technologies. At the same time, it opens Beer-Sheva's entrepreneurship ecosystem up to BGU students by connecting them with startups and mentors in industry.
Finally, in keeping with our mandate to transcend the traditional borders of academia, BGU boasts an entire department dedicated to fostering a spirit of community engagement. The Community Action Department, which has its own dedicated building, coordinates community-service activities for almost one-third of our nearly 20,000 students, reflecting our dedication to strengthening the surrounding community and our belief that education takes place both inside and outside of class. Undergraduate scholarships also play an important role in the local community: Scholarship recipients are required to participate in a community-service program, allowing them to give back even as they are given the gift of a life-changing educational experience. This hands-on engagement in the lives of Negev residents gives students both new perspectives and social sensitivities. Invariably, by enhancing the lives of others, they find that their own are enriched immeasurably.
The Gift of a Transformative Experience
Established as a catalyst for the region's development, BGU is determined to make the dream of higher education a reality for ever-larger numbers of residents from the Negev, many of whom come from limited means. To increase the accessibility of a BGU experience to first-generation and low-income students, we strive to provide undergraduate scholarships to all students in need, including new immigrants, students from disadvantaged groups, and students from towns in the periphery. As graduates, they return to their communities as role models for what higher education, combined with ambition and perseverance, can achieve.
Moreover, we are determined to increase our graduate and post-graduate enrollment to 50 percent of the student body within the next decade by means of granting more merit-based fellowships to deserving graduate and postdoctoral candidates. This will ensure BGU's place as a major international research institution and Israel's ability to retain its brightest minds.
By investing in our students' potential, we make strategic investments that yield tremendous benefits — for individuals, and for the lives and spheres beyond campus they influence.
Give the gift of an extraordinary education >>
