Israel’s Council for Higher Education (CHE) announced Tuesday that it will officially recognize the Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) in Herzliya as a university in Israel.
IDC will be renamed Reichman University, after IDC Herzliya’s founder and president, Professor Uriel Reichman.
The educational institution is to be recognized as Israel’s first private, unbudgeted university, based on recommendations from a CHE committee designated to study the matter. It will be authorized to offer PhD (doctorate) degrees in law, computer sciences and psychology.
“The IDC is suitable as a university, guaranteeing excellent academic and research standards that meet the required standards for a university,” CHE said in a statement.
“Recognizing the Interdisciplinary Center as a university is an important milestone in the evolution of the Israeli higher education system,” said Professor Amnon Rubenstein, chairman of the IDC board of directors.
“Were it not for Professor Uriel Reichmann, who envisioned and executed the IDC’s establishment with extraordinary talent and dedication, the IDC would have never existed, and none is more worthy of having a university named after him.”
A student body of 2,200 from 90 countries, including a student from the United Arab Emirates enrolled in IDC’s Bachelor’s degree in Government, currently attends IDC’s International School in English.
The IDC has a total annual student body of 8,300 who attend degree programs in business, economy, law, computer sciences, government and communications, among other subjects.
Hana Levi Julian contributed to this report.