After 20 years: the new university on its way to changing the North

Tel-Hai University has been recognized as the University of Kiryat Shmona in the Galilee, following a 2005 government decision. President Prof. Eliezer Shalev describes the aspiration to serve as a regional growth engine, with 5,000 students, an added budget of 570 million shekels, and fundraising of about 600 million shekels.

Tel-Hai University, officially recognized as the University of Kiryat Shmona in the Galilee in January 2026, opens the 2026-2027 academic year with about 5,000 students. The institution's president, Prof. Eliezer Shalev, describes the transformation from college to university as a move that had been waiting about 20 years, since a 2005 government decision. According to him, the university is meant to serve as a regional growth engine, with an emphasis on research alongside teaching, ties with industry and the community, and keeping students and residents in the North. The institution absorbed 20 new faculty members in the past year and employs 1,500 local residents. The university will receive a dedicated budget addition of 570 million shekels over five years, and has raised about 600 million shekels in donations, mainly from Canada. The institution's unique model includes a "third leg" of ties with the community and industry, aimed at strengthening the local economy and attracting more residents to the area.