In 2023, a 250M NIS five-year program to enhance English language proficiency of Israeli graduates and bolster internationalization was launched. This program builds upon two previous initiatives. The first is the Academic English Reform, launched in 2019, which mandated: a minimum of two English courses for each undergraduate student, the adoption of the four-skill language teaching approach (listening, speaking, reading, and writing), and adherence to the internationally recognized European CEFR standard of language proficiency. The second is a 232M NIS internationalization program that operated between the years 2018-2022, and provided financial support for infrastructural development (e.g., International Student Offices), the recruitment of international students, and “Internationalization at Home”.

In addition, there are continued efforts to increase academic mobility, in particular via postdoctoral scholarships, such as a joint venture with the Zuckerman Institute aimed at recruiting postdoctoral STEM researchers from North America (total annual budget: $2M), participation in the Fulbright Program, which supports scholarships for Israeli students going to the US, and US postdoctoral researchers coming to Israel (annual budgetary participation: $1M). Previous initiatives include an Excellence Fellowship Program for International Postdoctoral Researchers with the Israel Academy of Sciences and the Humanities (2018-2022), Postdoctoral scholarships for Outstanding Researchers from China and India (2012-2022), and “Sandwich” program for Outstanding International Doctoral Students (2018-2022) coming to Israel.

Alongside the above, the International Affairs Office oversees the Council for Higher Education’s International relations.

Links:

Zuckerman STEM Leadership Postdoctoral Program (2024-2025) - Call publication date: XX, application deadline: XX

Zuckerman STEM Leadership Faculty Program (2024-2025) - Call publication date: XX, application deadline: XX

Fulbright Postdoctoral Fellowship for Israelis to Study in the US (2024-2025) - Call closed on 14/12/2023; New call publication date: 01/04/2024, application deadline: 01/05/2024

Fulbright Postdoctoral Fellowship (2024-2025) - Call closed on 15/09/2023

Rita-Levi Montalcini Program (2024) – Call on the Israeli side is open for submissions. For details regarding the deadline and email address for submitting proposals, please contact your host university in Israel

Rita-Levi Montalcini Program (2024) – Call on the Italian side is closed