A Century of Vision: The Future of Higher Education
A Century of Vision: The Future of Higher Education
June 4, 2025
Negev Development & Community Programs
The Jerusalem Post—Israel’s rise as the Start-Up Nation, our emergence as a global center of innovation, and the vibrancy of our democratic and pluralistic society have all been powered by the intellectual capital generated by our universities, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) President, Daniel Chamovitz, wrote in a recent op-ed in the Jersualem Post. He goes on to share how the system is under strain and what needs to change:
From cybersecurity to desert agriculture, from structural biology to autism research, from ethics to energy, the contributions of Israel’s public research universities are woven into the fabric of modern Israel. But today, this success story is under threat.
For too long, higher education has been neglected in national planning. As a share of GDP, Israel’s investment lags well behind that of other OECD countries. Core university budgets have stagnated. Faculty are expected to teach more, publish more, mentor more – while infrastructure ages, bureaucracy mounts, and salaries fall below global standards.
It should surprise no one that our most talented researchers are being recruited abroad, and that many of our best young scholars are reluctant to return home.
The brain drain is not a future problem – it is already happening. And without bold intervention, we risk a decline that will take decades to repair.
But funding alone won’t solve everything. We are also witnessing creeping encroachments on academic autonomy, a rise in anti-intellectual sentiment, and a growing belief that higher education is somehow optional.
The trope that “you don’t need a degree to succeed” may serve a handful of tech entrepreneurs, but it cannot serve a country. A university education is not just about employability – it is about cultivating the thinkers, leaders, and citizens our democracy depends on.
At BGU, I see this every day: young Israelis – Jews and Arabs, religious and secular, from development towns and major cities – sitting side by side, learning not just facts but how to think. Universities are where difference meets dialogue, where ideas are tested, where empathy is developed. They are where the future of Israel is being formed.
Read the rest of Prof. Daniel Chamovitz’s op-ed on The Jerusalem Post>>
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