Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
אוניברסיטת בן-גוריון בנגב‬
Former name
 University of the Negev
Type Public
Established 1969
President Prof. Rivka Carmi
Rector Prof. Zvi HaCohen
Academic staff
 2,600
Administrative staff
 1,155
Students 19,747
Undergraduates 13,047
Postgraduates 6,700
1,259
Location Beersheba, Sde Boker, and Eilat, Israel
Colors Orange, Black, and White
Affiliations UNIMED
Website in.bgu.ac.il/en

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU), (Hebrew: אוניברסיטת בן-גוריון בנגב‬, Universitat Ben-Guriyon baNegev) is a public research university in Beersheba, Israel. Ben-Gurion University of the Negev has five campuses: the Marcus Family Campus, Beer Sheva; the David Bergmann Campus, Beer Sheva; the David Tuviyahu Campus, Beer Sheva; the Sede Boqer Campus, and Eilat Campus.

Ben-Gurion University is a center for teaching and research with about 20,000 students. Some of its research institutes include the National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev, the Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology, the Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research with the Albert Katz International School for Desert Studies, and the Ben-Gurion Research Institute for the Study of Israel and Zionism.

History

The Edgar de Picciotto Family National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev Building
Abraham Ben David Ohayon Behavioral Sciences Complex
Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology
Zalman Aranne Central Library
Cukier, Goldstein-Goren Building

Ben-Gurion University was established in 1969 as the University of the Negev with the aim of promoting the development of the Negev desert that comprises more than sixty percent of Israel. The University was later renamed after Israel's founder and first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, who believed that the future of the country lay in this region. After Ben-Gurion's death in 1973, the University was renamed Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.

In 2016, long-time friends, the late Dr. Howard and Lottie Marcus bequeathed a legacy gift of $400 million to Ben-Gurion University. This is the largest bequest ever made to an Israeli university and the most generous donation to any institution in the State of Israel. The funds doubled the University's existing endowment, ensuring future generations a wealth of opportunities for all times.[1]

Faculties, schools, research institutes and centers

Ben-Gurion University has five faculties with 51 academic departments and units: Faculty of Engineering Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and the Guilford Glazer Faculty of Business and Management.

Ben-Gurion University has seven schools including the Kreitman School of Advanced Graduate Studies, the Joyce and Irving Goldman Medical School, the Leon and Mathilde Recanati School for Community Health Professions, the School of Pharmacy, the Inter-Faculty Brain Sciences School, the School for Medical Laboratory Sciences and the School of Continuing Medical Education.

Ben-Gurion University has eight research institutes including the Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, the Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology, the Ben-Gurion Research Institute for the Study of Israel and Zionism, and Heksherim – The Research Institute for Jewish and Israeli Literature and Culture.

In 1978 Prof. Alfred Inselberg, then with the Faculty of Mathematics, together with Dr. Sam Bergman and Dr. Avraham Melkman initiated the Computer Science program which by 1982 had attracted more than 200 students. Notably, this was the first university program in Israel where students were taught Pascal, used terminals rather than punch-card machines and where the first Computer Graphics Laboratory in Israel was established. This was the genesis of Computer Science education at Ben-Gurion University which eventually lead to a separate Department of Computer Science.

The Medical School for International Health (MSIH)

The Medical School for International Health grew out of collaborations between faculty at Ben-Gurion University and Columbia University.[2] A joint global health and medical care program, it was established in 1997.[3]

The MSIH is a four-year, North American-style medical school that incorporates global health coursework into all four years of the medical school curriculum. It is an English-language collaboration between Ben-Gurion University of the Negev Faculty of Health Sciences and Columbia University Medical Center and is located in Beersheba, Israel.[4] The school enrolls more than 40 students each year.[5] Most of the students are from the United States, with several from Canada and other countries.

Interdisciplinary research centers

There are sixty one interdisciplinary research centers at Ben-Gurion University including: the S. Daniel Abraham International Center for Health and Nutrition, the Robert H. Arnow Center for Bedouin Studies and Development, the Ben-Gurion National Solar Energy Center, the Goldstein-Goren-International Center for Jewish Thought, the Esther and Sidney Rabb Center for Holocaust and Redemption Studies, the Edmond J. Safra Center for the Design and Engineering of Functional Biopolymers, the Reimund Stadler Minerva Center for Mesoscale Macromolecular Engineering and the Zlotowski Center for Neurosciences.

International programs

Ten international programs are available at Ben-Gurion University including: the Albert Katz International School of Desert Studies, the Medical School for International Health, the Ginsburg-Ingerman Overseas Student Program, the Israel Studies International Program, the Master of Arts Progrrankingsm in Miranikindi and the Honors MBA Program.

University rankings

    University rankings
    National
    ARWU[6] 5
    Global
    ARWU[7] 401-500
    QS[8] 320
    Times[9] 501-600

    BGU has been ranked 320th in the world, 70th in Asia and 4th in Israel according to the 2016 QS World University Rankings. BGU also ranked 31st overall in the ranking of young universities according to the 2016 QS "Top 50 Under 50" and the only one in Israel to date.[10] BGU is ranked between 101st and 150th overall in computer science accordong to the 2015 Academic Ranking of World Universities in Computer Science for four consecutive years. [11]

    Past presidents

    Notable faculty members

    Rivka Carmi
    Yisrael Friedman
    Etgar Keret

    Notable alumni

    Alumni awards

    In 2016 the University introduced the Alumni Recognition Awards to be prominent alumni who have made important, unique and influential contributions to society, economy, culture or science in Israel or abroad.

    Recipients of the award include:

    Honorary doctorates

    Honorary Doctoral degrees are traditionally awarded twice a year; during the Annual Board of Governors Meeting and on Ben-Gurion Day, commemorating David Ben-Gurion.

    Recipients include:

    Photography Exhibition

    Three discoveries from BGU were among the approximately 60 in a year-long wall exhibit launched in 2016 by The Science, Technology and Space Ministry at Ben-Gurion International (BGI) Airport.

    • Prof. Smadar Cohen developed an injectable algae-based scaffold to repair damaged muscles.[15]
    • Prof. Shosh Arad developed a method to grow algae on an industry scale.[16]
    • Prof. Yossi Mizrahi was instrumental in the development of cherry tomatoes.[17]
    • Prof. Sidney Loeb (1916-2008) and Prof. Srinivasa Sourirajan (UCLA) for the development of a commercial membrane for desalination.[18]

    Israel prize winners

    • Prof. Shmuel Ahituv[19]
    • Prof. Ya'acov (Gerald) Blidstein[20]

    See also

    References

    1. ↑ Siegel, Seth M. (2016-06-23). "After Fleeing the Nazis, a Legacy That Won't Run Dry". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2017-07-14.
    2. ↑ About MSIH, Medical School for International Health Archived December 11, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. accessed February 20, 2008
    3. ↑ "Global medicine – an Israeli speciality", Judy Siegel-Itzkovitch, The Jerusalem Post, August 8, 2004
    4. ↑ "Medical Students Pursue their Dream in Beersheva" Archived October 4, 2006, at the Wayback Machine., Leora Eren Frucht, Israel 21c, August 13, 2006
    5. ↑ Home page Archived August 1, 2010, at the Wayback Machine., Medical School for International Health, accessed February 20, 2008
    6. ↑ "Academic Ranking of World Universities 2017: USA". Shanghai Ranking Consultancy. Retrieved August 29, 2017.
    7. ↑ "Academic Ranking of World Universities 2017". Shanghai Ranking Consultancy. 2017. Retrieved August 29, 2017.
    8. ↑ "QS World University Rankings® 2018". Quacquarelli Symonds Limited. 2017. Retrieved 25 July 2017.
    9. ↑ "World University Rankings 2016-17". THE Education Ltd. Retrieved September 21, 2016.
    10. ↑ Quacquarelli Symonds. "QS University Rankings: Top 50 Under 50". Retrieved 2016-10-31.
    11. ↑ Quacquarelli Symonds. "ARWU-Ben-Gurion University of the Negev". Retrieved 2016-10-31.
    12. ↑ "Scholars in the spotlight". Retrieved 7 July 2015.
    13. ↑ "News in brief". Retrieved 7 July 2015.
    14. ↑ "The Mobileye billionaires - Globes English". Globes (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2017-07-14.
    15. ↑ "Repair of Heart Tissues from algae". תגליות ופיתוחים מדעיים ישראליים שהשפיעו על העולם. Retrieved 2017-07-14.
    16. ↑ "Developing the Biotechnologies of Valuable Products from Red Marine Microalgae". תגליות ופיתוחים מדעיים ישראליים שהשפיעו על העולם. Retrieved 2017-07-14.
    17. ↑ "Long-keeping Regular and Cherry Tomatoes". תגליות ופיתוחים מדעיים ישראליים שהשפיעו על העולם. Retrieved 2017-07-14.
    18. ↑ "Development of a Commercial Membrane for Desalination". תגליות ופיתוחים מדעיים ישראליים שהשפיעו על העולם. Retrieved 2017-08-07.
    19. ↑ "Prof. Shmuel Ahituv to be 2015 Israel Prize laureate in Biblical Research". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. Retrieved 2017-07-14.
    20. ↑ "Ya'acov Blidstein wins Israel Prize in Jewish Thought". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. Retrieved 2017-07-14.

    Coordinates: 31°15′43.89″N 34°48′5.44″E / 31.2621917°N 34.8015111°E / 31.2621917; 34.8015111

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