Within 6 years, the number of Ethiopian students (bachelor’s degrees) grew by 45%.

The multiannual program defined an objective in terms of the increase in the number of Ethiopian students (bachelor’s degrees), such that their percentage out of all students will amount, by the end of the multiannual program (2021-2022), to 1.7%, similarly to their percentage of the population. In 2020-2021, the number of Ethiopian bachelor’s degree students amounted to 3782, consisting of 1.5% of all students, which is close to achieving the objective. This was followed by a substantial increase of 45% in the last 6 years in the number of Ethiopian bachelor’s degree students, from 2608 students and 2014-2015 to 3782 in 2020-2021.

As a 2015-2016, the PBC began to formulate an extensive accessibility program to improve the access to higher education among Ethiopian Israelis. Until this year, this was the responsibility of the Students’ Administration at the Ministry of Integration. The PBC committee responsible for this issue is the Steering Committee for Improving the Access to Higher Education among Ethiopian-Israelis – headed by CHE Member Prof. Shifra Sagi. The Committee consists of public officials and members of academia, most of whom are Ethiopians.

In the course of its work, the Steering Committee mapped the main barriers facing the incorporation of Ethiopians into the higher education system, and provided the PBC with a series of measures, based on a holistic accessibility concept, and which begins at the pre-academic stage. The program includes information and guidelines for higher education in the settlements themselves, assistance with removing barriers to compliance with admission requirements, educational and financial assistance for pre-academic students, as well as academic and financial assistance in the course of the students’ bachelor’s degree studies, and all for the purpose of increasing the number of admitted students and graduates (bachelor’s degrees). Moreover, pursuant to the government’s resolution on the subject of transferring the responsibility for this issue from the Ministry of Immigration and Integration to the CHE/PBC, the PBC has been granting scholarships since 2019-2020 (economic assistance) in the amount of NIS 10,000 for bachelor’s and master’s degrees (Marom scholarships) to Ethiopians students who have been in Israel for more than 15 years. As of the 2021-2022 academic year, these scholarships will also include students at all academic teaching colleges.

Moreover, and as a central element, the Steering Committee is promoting a concept of excellence and leadership, which includes the support and encouragement of outstanding students throughout the students’ academic studies (bachelor’s degrees, research-based master’s degrees, PhDs and programs intended to incorporate Ethiopian academic members of staff at higher education institutions. The program enables us to shed light on the Ethiopian committee from the perspective of excellence so as to realize the students’ academic and social potential.

The Committee’s decisions are based on the fundamental principles defined in Government Resolutions 1300 and 324 on the subject of the “Government Policy for Promoting the Integration of Israeli Citizens of Ethiopian Origin in Israeli Society” of July 31, 2015, in all matters pertaining to minimizing gaps, excellence and leadership in Israeli society.