BGU | PRESIDENT'S REPORT 2025

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PRESIDENT'S REPORT 2025

Participants in the 2024-25 African Studies MA program

a true sense of belonging, making it a home away from home for students from around the world. International students at Ben-Gurion University come from over 70 countries, forming a diverse, vibrant, and dynamic community Interest in international experiences continues to grow, and this year hundreds of Israeli students attended events to learn about opportunities for a semester abroad as part of BGU's student exchange programs. More than 70 students embarked on a semester abroad at leading universities worldwide. These programs provide them with invaluable academic, cultural, and personal experiences, enriching their education and expanding their global perspectives. EXPANDING INTERNATIONAL ACADEMIC PROGRAMS Over the past year, we have launched many academic programs to support international students and researchers. The programs are designed to enhance global engagement with BGU, attract international students, and foster research collaborations worldwide. They include: • The Desert Academic Retreat (DARE) summer program for international faculty aims to foster innovation and professional growth: researchers from around the

world immerse themselves in a tranquil, intellectually enriching environment that ensures dedicated time for advancing one’s research and promises dynamic cultural and academic exchanges alongside opportunities for collaboration with BGU faculty. • The BGU "Sandwich PhD" program, enabling international PhD students from leading universities around the world to spend a fully funded year at BGU as part of their studies. • A range of summer courses, including Archaeology, Sustainable Agricultural Solutions, Emergency and Tactical Medicine, and Mediterranean Sea studies. • Financial support for female master’s and PhD students to travel to conferences. • Several new projects addressing the recent rise in antisemitism, including financial support for short term visits to Israel by senior international scholars and international scientific conferences. To support these initiatives, the Office of the VP for Global Engagement has successfully secured funding grants from several governmental and non-profit organizations. To effectively promote these programs, the Office has also developed a comprehensive international marketing strategy, which leverages a wide range of professional marketing platforms to maximize global outreach and visibility.