BGU | PRESIDENT'S REPORT 2026

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BEN-GURION UNIVERSITY OF THE NEGEV

FROM VISION TO ACTION: PRISMA NEGEV AND THE NEXT CHAPTER IN REGIONAL RENEWAL One year ago, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev reaffirmed its commitment to a founding principle: academic excellence and regional responsibility are inseparable. The University committed not only to stand with the Negev, but also to help shape its recovery and long-term renewal. In January 2026, that commitment took concrete form with the official launch of Prisma Negev , a strategic center for innovation and regional cooperation designed to translate vision into coordinated action. What began as a response to immediate challenges has evolved into a forward-looking, structured platform that brings together local government, industry, civil society, and academia around a shared agenda for sustainable growth. Since its founding, the University has served as an engine for regional transformation. Prisma Negev gives renewed, institutional expression to this legacy, positioning BGU as a catalyst for inclusive and sustainable development. Building on the University’s already substantial economic impact – NIS 3.5 billion annually, with a return of 1:2.26 on regional investment – the initiative seeks to amplify these effects through targeted cross-sector collaboration. Reflecting the “Fifth Wave” model of higher education, Prisma Negev integrates academic excellence with direct societal and economic impact, aligning academia, government, and industry into a coordinated regional ecosystem and replacing fragmented approaches with coordinated strategy and action.