New Multilingual Programs Amid Global Antisemitism

Amid rising global antisemitism, which has prompted many Jews to question their inclusion in academic institutions where they previously felt secure, Bar-Ilan University is launching a fresh alternative -- five new multilingual undergraduate programs and one graduate degree option – to encourage international and immigrant students to take advantage of a top education on a vibrant, inclusive campus – at a fraction of the cost.

During the first year of study, four of the undergraduate degree programs will be taught in English and one in Russian, while students simultaneously participate in an intensive Hebrew ulpan (language course), which starts during the summer prior to the beginning of the academic year. From the second year, the remainder of courses will be taught in Hebrew.

“Antisemitism on university campuses around the world has reached heights not seen since the 1930s,” says Ofer Dahan, Executive Director of the International School. “Our aim is to provide a safe and secure environment for Jewish and other international students so they can feel comfortable and focus on their studies. We decided to expand our degree offerings and include these multilingual options to enable international and immigrant students to benefit from our Hebrew programs. The intensive Hebrew ulpan will allow them to gain enough knowledge of Hebrew to study with other Israeli students from their second year. Not only will this allow international students to integrate easily into student life and Israeli society, but it will also provide them with more career options in Israel once they’ve completed their studies, if they choose to stay,” he said.

The new multilingual programs, offered through Bar-Ilan’s International School, are:

BSc in Computer Science: Bar-Ilan’s Computer Science department is a world leader in artificial intelligence, robotics, cryptography and cybersecurity, algorithmics, and natural language processing.

BSc in Engineering: The Kofkin Faculty of Engineering offers study tracks in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Industrial Engineering and Information Systems, Data Science Engineering, Software Engineering, and Materials Engineering.

BSc in Life Sciences (Pre-Med): The Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences offers BSc studies in Life Sciences, Biotechnology, Computational Biology (Bioinformatics), and Biophysics.

Bachelor of Laws (LLB): The Faculty of Law specializes in religion and law, sustainability and environmental justice, family law, law and technology, regulation, and conflict resolution and negotiation.

The University is also offering a BSc in Mathematics and Physics to Russian speakers where the first year will be taught in Russian while students study Hebrew. As with the English options, students will integrate into the Hebrew program from the second year.

The new graduate degree option is the existing International MBA now combined with a Certificate in Cyber Security and Data Protection for Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) and Data Protection Officers (DPOs). The Hebrew ulpan for this program is optional, as all courses will be taught in English throughout the program.

Students who prefer to study in English throughout their degree studies can choose from five undergraduate, 16 graduate, and many postgraduate options in a variety of fields – all taught entirely in English. Information is available on the International School’s website.

Bar-Ilan University has partnered with the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration and the Israel Student Authority to facilitate the smooth transition of new immigrants and help them integrate into Israeli society. The Student Authority supports students who choose to make Aliyah or are already in Israel by providing them with financial and other assistance enabling them to succeed in their studies.

The 2024-25 academic year starts in October 2024. The Hebrew ulpan begins in July 2024.

Further information about the programs may be obtained at www.biuinternational.com or via email: [email protected].