The Technion – Israel Institute of Technology announced the opening of a new program for international students to address rising antisemitism on college campuses around the world earlier this week.
“Antisemitism in Canada is on the rise and it’s worse than it seems,” Anna, a 19-year-old student from Canada, said. “I was already accepted into the mathematics program at the University of Toronto, but because of publications about antisemitism at the university, I preferred to study at the Technion.”
The first cohort includes 26 students from eight different countries: the US, Canada, Brazil, Russia, Spain, Germany, Azerbaijan, and Israel. Though the academic year doesn’t begin until October, the students will participate in an orientation program to help acclimate them as new additions to the Israeli academic community.
Though their courses will initially be taught in English, the international students will also be enrolled in an intensive Hebrew ulpan. After improving their Hebrew and reaching their second year, the students will be able to integrate into any course the Technion has to offer.
Courses include introductory mathematics, chemistry, and physics, to start off. After completing the initial orientation process, however, the students will be able to self-select into one of eight study tracks. Options include mechanical engineering, aeronautical and space engineering, chemical engineering, civil engineering, environmental engineering, chemistry, biology, and more.
“I don't know what I'm going to study yet, and that's what's great about the program – that there are still options to choose from,” Gabriel, a student from Brazil, said. “For me, learning Hebrew is a big bonus so I can talk to my friend's grandparents at Friday dinners.”
A refuge for students who no longer feel safe
Though one of the pillars of the program is fostering new academic minds to integrate into the Israeli population, it’s primarily a refuge for students who no longer feel safe on their respective campuses.
While the administration opened the Technion to international students and researchers in November 2023 following protest outbreaks across the world, President of the Technion Uri Sivan said the new program is "our response to the rising antisemitism on campuses in North America, Australia, and Europe.
"The Technion, which opened its doors a quarter of a century before the State of Israel was established, was founded, among other reasons, to serve as a refuge for those who felt threatened abroad. In this spirit, already in November 2023, with the outbreak of protests around the world, we opened the Technion to visiting students and researchers from abroad, inviting them to benefit from the supportive environment we provide for their studies and research.
"The new program offers a framework for undergraduates who wish to study on a welcoming campus free of antisemitism and hate. The young people who come to us from around the world are a testament to the Technion’s scientific and engineering excellence and its international standing as one of the world’s leading technological universities. I am excited to welcome our new students and wish them great enjoyment and success in their studies."