A delegation of 15 college counselors from the United States and United Kingdom visited eight Israeli universities this week as part of an initiative to encourage more international students to pursue higher education in the Jewish state.
Organized by Campus Israel, the five-day visit is designed to familiarize education professionals with Israeli universities, English-language degree programs and the academic and professional opportunities available to students from abroad.
The counselors, who advise students and families on university choices, are meeting with university administrators, academic representatives, venture capital leaders and figures in Israel’s technology and innovation sectors.
For several participants, the trip marks their first visit to Israel, providing an opportunity to experience the country firsthand and gain a better understanding of its academic institutions and society.
An alternative for Jewish students
The initiative comes against the backdrop of rising antisemitism and anti-Israel activity on university campuses in the United States, Britain and elsewhere, which have raised concerns among Jewish students and their families.
Campus Israel seeks to position Israeli universities as an academically competitive alternative that also offers Jewish students a stronger connection to Israel and their Jewish identity.
“At a time when Jewish students on college campuses around the world are facing rising antisemitism, hostility and an increasingly difficult environment in which to express their Jewish identity and support for Israel, we have an opportunity to offer them something different,” said former Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, co-founder and president of Campus Israel.
“Israel is not only a place where Jewish students can feel a sense of belonging and pride in who they are, but also a place where they can build their futures. As the Start-Up Nation, Israel is at the forefront of innovation, technology and entrepreneurship, preparing students for the careers and industries of tomorrow.
“Through Campus Israel, we want to show students and their families that they don’t have to choose between a world-class education and a strong Jewish identity. In Israel, they can have both,” she added.
Academic excellence and innovation
Israel’s universities have earned international recognition for their research and innovation.
In the 2026 Academic Ranking of World Universities (also known as the Shanghai Ranking), the Weizmann Institute of Science and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem placed among the world’s top 100 universities, ranking 71st and 89th, respectively.
Israeli institutions have also produced several Nobel Prize laureates, including Israel Institute of Technology-Technion professors Aaron Ciechanover and Avram Hershko, who shared the 2004 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, and Dan Shechtman, who received the 2011 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
Beyond visiting university campuses, the delegation is meeting with business and industry leaders to explore the connections between academic research, entrepreneurship and Israel’s technology sector.
The program aims to demonstrate how studying in Israel can provide international students with access to emerging industries and professional networks.
Campus Israel was established to promote the Jewish state as a destination for international higher education, working with academic institutions to raise awareness of English-language degree programs and make Israeli universities more accessible to students from abroad.
The organization said it hopes to make studying in Israel a more widely considered option for Jewish students seeking academic opportunities and a meaningful connection to the country.
