The 2022-2023 academic year at Reichman University was launched with the traditional orientation week for new students. Approximately 8,400 students will be studying at the university this year. About 3,200 are new students pursuing undergraduate, graduate, and Ph.D. degrees, and 2,300 are students hailing from 90 countries around the world who have come to study at the Raphael Recanati International School.
The international school continues to grow, even in the wake of the pandemic: Reichman University now boasts 2,300 international students from 90 countries in the world. The university has preserved its status as the largest international academic institution in Israel. These 2,300 students, who make up about a quarter of the entire student body, are pursuing bachelor's and master's degrees in the English language at the Raphael Recanati International School. Approximately 700 new students are beginning their bachelor's degrees, and about 400 are starting their master's degrees. The majority of the students are Jewish, and about 70 percent of them make aliyah during or after their studies, choosing to make their home in Israel.
Reichman University is continuing in its mission to establish the first private medical school in Israel, named for Dina Recanati, with the aim of helping solve the current shortage of doctors in Israel and immediately increasing the number of medical students in the country. The school will provide a solution to the growing number of students who are forced to go abroad in order to acquire a medical education. The new medical school will work in cooperation with all of the medical institutions in Israel, as well as the Ministry of Health.
What else is new this year?
En route to the launch of the medical school, a new department of life sciences has been established
The department will be housed at the Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, and will be headed by Prof. Arnon Afek, deputy director-general of Sheba Medical Center, former director-general of the Ministry of Health, and, until recently, head of the international MD program at Tel Aviv University’s School of Medicine.
The aim of the department is to familiarize students with the new scientific world and build a solid infrastructure for training the next generation in the fields of science and health. The new department is designed for those interested in studying medicine, as well as for anyone seeking to expand their scientific knowledge. The students will make up a small, diverse and high-quality group. The courses offered in the department will provide students with an understanding of the core subjects in the life sciences, such as microbiology, molecular biology and biochemistry, alongside practical experience in these fields.
Undergraduate program in computer science with a cluster in cognition and brain research, with the option of expanding to an additional Bachelor's Degree in psychology
This year, a new program will be offered combining a Bachelor's Degree in computer science with a cluster in cognition and brain research. The aim of the program is to provide students with broad and multidisciplinary training and a mastery and understanding of both the biological-cognitive and the computational aspects of machine learning and mathematical models.
In addition to the core computer science courses, other subjects studied in the program will include language acquisition, memory and learning, attention and consciousness, perception, creative thinking, and the brain infrastructure of these abilities. Students who complete the program will be have the option of expanding to a full Bachelor's Degree in psychology, upon the completion of supplementary courses.
Rubinstein Center for Constitutional Challenges
The Rubinstein Center for Constitutional Challenges, named for Prof. Amnon Rubinstein, the father of Israel’s Basic Laws on human rights, will operate within the framework of the Harry Radzyner Law School. This first-of-its-kind center will be an intellectual hub addressing constitutional challenges. It will be led by Prof. Yaniv Roznai and Dr. Avigdor (Dori) Klagsblad of the Harry Radzyner Law School and Prof. Liav Orgad of the Lauder School of Government, Diplomacy & Strategy. The center will hold conferences, events, seminars and thinking groups on topics such as populism and the erosion of democracy, the Basic Laws, common “Israeliness”, and technological challenges to constitutionalism. The center's curriculum will train outstanding students to be forerunners of the next generation of constitutional leadership, in all sectors.
A new track in climate risk management at the School of Sustainability
This track will be headed by Prof. Yoav Yair, dean of the School of Sustainability and climate and atmosphere expert.
In the framework of the track in climate risk management, students will learn about how the public and private sectors prepare for climate risks and disasters, and how the expected damage to the country's life support systems can be minimized. The students will acquire practical management tools that enable the strategic planning necessary to deal with expected changes. The track will include courses on disaster management and resilience, regime stability in the face of disasters, climate-resilient national infrastructures, technological and business innovation to manage climate risks, and more.
The establishment of the Student Success Center to address students’ general well-being
This year, the Dean of Student Affairs, led by Dr. Adi Koll, is opening Israel’s first Student Success Center. The goal of the center is to comprehensively tend to the physical, mental and social aspects of the students' well-being – their welfare and health in the broadest sense. Today's students, even the most outstanding, are faced with new issues – at both the personal and the group levels – which require additional tools and different skills that were not needed until now. The Student Success Center will provide assistance and training to help students cope with issues such as anxiety and other emotional difficulties, exams, financial management, and more.
Course on Ethics in the Digital Age for students at the Efi Arazi School of Computer Science
This course, led by philosophy scholar Dr. Jeremy Fogel, will address the moral and ethical aspects of engaging in technological development. The course will connect ancient philosophy and ethical questions – from Socrates to Aristotle and even Marx – with issues that our contemporary digital world gives rise to. The purpose of the course is to develop critical thinking about technology and the reality it creates, in light of deepfake, virtual reality, and more, and to raise awareness and a sense of responsibility among students who will be working in this field in the future.
Course on Operational Psychology
This year, for the first time, a unique course in the field of operational psychology will be offered at the Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology. The course will be taught by Dr. Seifan Weinberg, a clinical psychologist and certified supervisor who served in the IDF as a psychologist for special units, most recently in Shaldag. In the course, students will learn about the psychological burdens faced by those who carry out intensive activities involving high risk, such as soldiers and security forces, firefighters, and police, and the selection and training tools that help prepare for these intense situations.
Preparatory course for Arab students
A second cohort of students from the Arab community who are embarking on their studies at the university recently completed a dedicated academic preparatory course. The purpose of the course is to make it easier for Arab students to integrate into the academic and social aspects of university life. Apart from academics, the new students will be accompanied throughout the year by mentors – student volunteers who will help facilitate their integration.
About Reichman University
Reichman University was founded in 1994 by Prof. Uriel Reichman to train the future leadership of the State of Israel. In August 2021, the Council for Higher Education recognized IDC Herzliya as a university. From the outset, the institution was modeled after the elite universities in the United States – it does not receive funding from the governmental budgetary system for higher education and is run as a public benefit corporation. Its expenses are funded exclusively by tuition and donations.
Reichman University students are educated in light of the motto "Freedom and Responsibility," and alongside the emphasis placed on excellence in research and teaching, prominence is given to social responsibility and community involvement. Since its inception, about 35,000 graduates have earned their diplomas from Reichman University. There are currently ten schools on campus, offering degree tracks in law; business administration; computer science; government, diplomacy and strategy; communications; psychology; economics; sustainability; accounting, and entrepreneurship. In addition, the university houses 33 laboratories and research institutes. The university’s president is Prof. Rafi Melnick. Its provost is Prof. Varda Lieberman, and its CEO and vice president is Dr. Ayelet Ben-Ezer.