A new university planned to be established in the Galilee in northern Israel will be established in the city of Tzfat, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Monday during a tour of the city.
A growing need to establish a university in the Galilee has developed in recent years, as the currently northernmost university is located in Haifa.
Universities are considered accelerators for regional development and for ensuring socio-economic equality throughout the country.
In 2005, the Government of Israel decided to establish a new university in the Galilee, a decision that was further strengthened in 2015 by Netanyahu’s announcement at the Galilee Conference of the establishment of a 10th Israeli university in the Galilee.
Tzfat’s Mayor Shuki Ohana said that decision to establish the university in the city will “jumpstart the entire region. This is a very significant anchor.”
“Together we will make a dream a reality. Tzfat is prepared for this. We will roll up our sleeves together and go out to plan and execute,” he added.
Tzfat currently has more than 2,000 students in the Faculty of Medicine, the Tzfat Academic College and the School of Nursing.
At present, 66 institutions of higher education operate in Israel, including seven research universities, the Open University of Israel, and 37 academic colleges, facilitating the education of over 315,000 Israelis annually.