Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

Public research university in Beersheba, Israel

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

אוניברסיטת בן-גוריון בנגב (Hebrew)

File:Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.svg

Former name

| University of the Negev
Motto| השראה פוגשת מצוינות (Hebrew)

Motto in English

| Inspiration Meets Excellence
Type| Public
Established| 1969
Endowment| $424 million[1]
Budget| $466 million[1]
President| Daniel Chamovitz
Rector| Chaim Hames
Senior faculty| 873

Administrative staff

| 1,155
Students| 18,357
Undergraduates| 12,169
Postgraduates| 4,292

Doctoral students

| 1,311
Location|

Beersheba, Sde Boker, and Eilat

Israel

31°15′43.89″N 34°48′5.44″E﻿ / ﻿31.2621917°N 34.8015111°E﻿ / 31.2621917; 34.8015111Coordinates: 31°15′43.89″N 34°48′5.44″E﻿ / ﻿31.2621917°N 34.8015111°E﻿ / 31.2621917; 34.8015111
Colors|
Orange, Black, and White
Website| in.bgu.ac.il/en
Academic rankings

National
ARWU[2]| 5–6
Global
ARWU[3]| 401-500
QS[4]| 446
THE[5]| 601–800

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 has 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.

## Contents

* 1 History
* 2 Academics
* 2.1 University rankings
* 2.2 Faculties, schools, research institutes and centers
* 2.2.1 The Medical School for International Health (MSIH)
* 2.3 Interdisciplinary research centers
* 2.4 International programs
* 3 Notable people
* 4 See also
* 5 References
* 6 External links

## History[edit | edit source]

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. The Presidents of the university have been Moshe Prywes (1973–75), Yosef Tekoah (1975–81), Shlomo Gazit (1982–85), Chaim Elata (1985–90), Avishay Braverman (1990–2006), Rivka Carmi (2006–18), and Daniel Chamovitz (2019–present).[6][7] The current Chairman of the Executive Council is Yarom Ariav.[8]

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.[9] The funds doubled the University's existing endowment.[10]

## Academics[edit | edit source]

### University rankings[edit | edit source]

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.[11] BGU is ranked between 101st and 150th overall in computer science according to the 2015 Academic Ranking of World Universities in Computer Science for four consecutive years. [12]

### Faculties, schools, research institutes and centers[edit | edit source]

File:Biotechchyutin.jpg

National Institute for Biotechnology

File:Bengurionu15.jpg

Behavioral Sciences Complex

File:Solar energy and Environmental Physics building at Jacob Blaustein Institutes.jpg

Solar and Environmental Physics building

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 led to a separate Department of Computer Science.

#### The Medical School for International Health (MSIH)[edit | edit source]

The Medical School for International Health grew out of collaborations between faculty at Ben-Gurion University and Columbia University.[13] A joint global health and medical care program, it was established in 1997.[14]

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 Irving Medical Center and is located in Beersheba, Israel.[15] The school enrolls more than 30 students each year.[16] Most of the students are from the United States, with several from Canada and other countries.

In October 2018, The Medical School for International Health celebrated 20 years of existence, by holding a two-day seminar to recognize its achievements and bring together its many partners from around the world.[17] The event concluded with the Physicians' Oath Ceremony (not to be confused with a White Coat Ceremony) by the Class of 2022. [18]

In October 2019, the 21st cohort of MSIH (Class of 2023) took their Physician's Oath at a special ceremony on campus. For the first time in the program's history, the faculty presented each student of the class with an actual White Coat emblazoned with the MSIH logo.[19]

### Interdisciplinary research centers[edit | edit source]

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[edit | edit source]

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

## Notable people[edit | edit source]

Main article: List of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev people

## See also[edit | edit source]

* List of universities in Israel
* Education in Israel

## References[edit | edit source]

1. ^ a b "AMERICAN ASSOCIATES, BEN-GURION UNIVERSITY OF THE NEGEV 2016 FINANCIALS" (PDF). americansforbgu.org. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
2. ^ "ShanghaiRanking's Academic Ranking of World Universities". Shanghai Ranking Consultancy. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
3. ^ "ShanghaiRanking's Academic Ranking of World Universities". Shanghai Ranking Consultancy. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
4. ^ "QS World University Rankings 2023". Quacquarelli Symonds. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
5. ^ "World University Rankings 2022". Times Higher Education. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
6. ^ "Ben-Gurion University of the Negev - Former Presidents". In.bgu.ac.il. Retrieved 2020-02-19.
7. ^ "Ben-Gurion University of the Negev - BGU President - Prof. Daniel Chamovitz". In.bgu.ac.il. 2019-01-01. Retrieved 2020-02-19.
8. ^ "BGU Board of Governors". Retrieved 15 June 2021.
9. ^ "Department of Resource Development - The Largest Donation in the History of Donations to Israel: The late Dr. Howard and Lottie Marcus have bequeathed a legacy gift to Ben-Gurion University of $400 million". in.bgu.ac.il. Retrieved 2020-09-17.
10. ^ 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.
11. ^ Quacquarelli Symonds. "QS University Rankings: Top 50 Under 50". Retrieved 2016-10-31.
12. ^ Quacquarelli Symonds. "ARWU-Ben-Gurion University of the Negev". Archived from the original on 2016-10-15. Retrieved 2016-10-31.
13. ^ About MSIH, Medical School for International Health Archived December 11, 2013, at the Wayback Machine accessed February 20, 2008
14. ^ "Global medicine – an Israeli speciality", Judy Siegel-Itzkovitch, The Jerusalem Post, August 8, 2004
15. ^ "Medical Students Pursue their Dream in Beersheva" Archived October 4, 2006, at the Wayback Machine, Leora Eren Frucht, Israel 21c, August 13, 2006
16. ^ Home page Archived August 1, 2010, at the Wayback Machine, Medical School for International Health, accessed February 20, 2008
17. ^ "MSIH Partner Clinics Come Together to Discuss Double Burden of Disease in Global Health". November 2018.
18. ^ "Taking the Physician's Oath - and Looking Ahead to the "Global Health Path" in Medicine". 2018-11-06.
19. ^ "21st Physicians' Oath Ceremony at MSIH". MSIH. Retrieved 13 December 2020.

## External links[edit | edit source]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.

* Official Website (English)

* v
* t
* e

Israeli Universities

* Ariel University
* Bar-Ilan University
* Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
* Hebrew University of Jerusalem
* Open University of Israel
* Reichman University
* Technion – Israel Institute of Technology
* Tel Aviv University
* University of Haifa
* Weizmann Institute of Science

* v
* t
* e

Mediterranean Universities Union (UNIMED)

Africa

Algeria|

* Abou Bekr Belkaïd
* Algiers
* Annaba
* Béjaia
* Blida
* Constantine
* ENP Oran
* ENSSP
* EPAU
* Mostaganem
* Oran
* Tizi Ouzou

Egypt|

* AAST
* Alexandria
* Cairo

Libya|

* Al-Arab Medical
* Al Fateh
* Libya

Morocco|

* Cadi Ayyad
* University of Hassan II Casablanca
* Ibnou Zohr
* Mohammed V

Tunisia|

* Carthage
* Gafsa
* Jendouba
* Kairouan
* Monastir
* Sfax
* Sousse
* Tunis
* Tunis El Manar

Europe

Albania|

* Tirana

Cyprus|

* CUT
* University of Cyprus

Finland|

* Tampere

France|

* Montpellier 2
* Paris 8
* Paul Cézanne

Greece|

* Athens
* Panteion

Italy|

* Bari
* Bologna
* Camerino
* Campagnia
* Catania
* Chieti–Pescara D'Annunzio
* Messina
* Modena and Reggio Emilia
* Molise
* Naples Federico II
* Padua
* Palermo
* Perugia
* Perugia Foreigners
* Reggio Calabria
* Rome III
* Rome la Sapienza
* Rome S. Pio V
* Salento
* Sassari
* Teramo
* Turin
* Urbino

Malta|

* University of Malta

Montenegro|

* University of Montenegro

Portugal|

* Aveiro
* Évora

Slovenia|

* Primorska

Spain|

* Barcelona
* University of Córdoba (Spain)
* Granada
* UCM
* Valencia

Western Asia

Israel|

* Ben-Gurion
* Jerusalem
* Tel Aviv

Jordan|

* Al al-Bayt
* Hashemite
* JUST
* University of Jordan

Lebanon|

* Lebanese University
* Saint-Esprit de Kaslik

Palestinian territories|

* Al-Azhar
* An-Najah
* Bethlehem
* Birzeit

Syria|

* Al-Baath
* Aleppo
* Damascus
* Tishreen

* v
* t
* e

Beersheba / Be'er Sheva

Attractions|

* Abraham's Well
* Turkish railway station
* Monument to the Negev Brigade
* Negev Museum of Art
* Tel Be'er Sheva

File:Coat of arms of Beersheba.svg

Geography|

* Neighborhoods
* Adjacent suburbs
* Omer
* Shaqib al-Salam
* Tel Sheva
* Industrial areas
* Ne'ot Hovav
* Parks
* Australian Soldier

History|

* 1917 Battle of Beersheba
* Shootings
* 2013
* 2015

Sports|

* Hapoel Be'er Sheva
* Conch Arena
* ~~Vasermil Stadium~~
* Turner Stadium

Transport|

* Ayit Aviation and Tourism
* Center railway station
* Dan Beersheva
* North railway station
* Teyman Airfield

Businesses|

* ~~Mini Book~~
* Sami VeSusu

Institutions|

* Beersheba Theater
* Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
* Pride House
* Soroka Medical Center

* Israel
* Negev
* Southern District

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template