BEN-GURION UNIVERSITY | THE WAY FORWARD

INTRODUCTION In August 2020, shortly after celebrating its 50th anniversary at the annual Board of Governors meeting, in the midst of the great uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev published its strategic plan, BGU Beyond 50, a decisive document defining the University’s path forward and charting its course for the years ahead. Stability and peaceful times are never assured in Israel, but when the strategic plan was launched, no one at BGU could have imagined what would be in store for us in the next few years. The pandemic, along with the horrific events of October 7th, prolonged war, Iranian conflict, and an unceasing wave of unprecedented global antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment have challenged the University. During this turbulent time, the strategic plan served as a compass, enabling us to keep our eyes on the future we envision for BGU and to work toward fulfilling it. Rather than discouraging us, these challenges inspired us, fueling our efforts to advance during this difficult time. The need for a strategic plan was recognized by BGU President Prof. Daniel Chamovitz very early in his tenure, after identifying a disturbing trend of decreasing research output which resulted in a decline in international rankings and external research funding. The comprehensive plan that emerged was based on a thoughtful process of engagement with BGU’s stakeholders, undertaken in a spirit of partnership, reflecting shared commitment to reversing these trends and shaping the University’s future and its next 50 years.

This process resulted in the identification of a single goal for BGU: “To become one of the world’s top research institutions and Israel’s leading university in terms of research, teaching, and contribution to society,” along with the strategy for achieving that goal: “Recruiting and attracting outstanding faculty members to the University and retaining and nurturing them.” Implementation of this strategy will enable BGU to achieve this goal and realize both its potential and David Ben-Gurion’s vision to create an impactful Hebrew Oxford in the Negev. It will place the University among the foremost research institutions worldwide, a position from which it will proudly bring forth knowledge and solutions from the heart of the Negev to address the challenges facing Beer-Sheva, our region, Israel, and the world. This process is well on its way and exemplified in the recent study by the Stanford Graduate School of Business that ranked BGU first in Israel and third in the world outside of the US for its graduates’ odds of founding unicorn companies. These aspirations are shared by the global BGU community, which is deeply committed to the University and its growth and development. The Way Forward Campaign, launched in October 2020 to ensure BGU’s advancement and ability to implement the strategic plan, provides a means for our friends around the world to take an active role in achieving our shared goal of becoming a national and global powerhouse. And since that time, our global partners have been by our side, helping us fulfill our goal, along with our traditional educational and research mission and unique founding mandate to serve as a catalyst for the Negev’s advancement.

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