Prime Highlights
- Harvard to launch a study-abroad program with Ben-Gurion University in spring 2026.
- Kalaniyot Postdoctoral Fellowships to send Israeli researchers to Harvard Medical School.
Key Facts
- Ben-Gurion University is the newest term-time study abroad affiliate of Harvard.
- Kalaniyot Fellowships will support Israeli researchers on U.S.-based biomedical research.
Key Background
Harvard University is pleased to announce two significant academic partnerships with Israeli universities further enhancing its international academic reach. Starting spring 2026, Harvard College will provide credit-bearing study abroad courses at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. For the first time ever, students will have the opportunity to study in Israel during term time, bolstering the University’s portfolio of international academic options.
At the same time, Harvard Medical School is creating the Kalaniyot Postdoctoral Fellowship program to recruit Israeli researchers to the ranks. The fellowships will cover two-to-three years of postdoctoral study in basic biomedical research at Harvard or Harvard teaching hospitals. It is sponsored by the Blavatnik Family Foundation and the Dorot Foundation, which says a great deal about how much enthusiasm there is for international scientific cooperation.
Those arrangements were made shortly after Harvard was accused of mishandling campus antisemitism. In response to federal allegations of Title VI civil rights violations, the university just pushed forward with expanded academic collaboration with Israeli universities. The arrangements were made partly to meet requirements as part of a settlement deal with the U.S. Department of Education, as well as curriculum changes and yearly symposia on antisemitism.
Additionally, the move is in response to a recommendation by an internal task force on antisemitism, which had advocated for balanced scholarly partnerships with Israeli and Palestinian universities. Harvard previously also terminated its association with Birzeit University in West Bank amidst political instability. By developing an official partnership with Ben-Gurion University and increasing medical research fellowships, Harvard seeks to forge inclusive global education and rebuild stakeholders’ trust.
In parallel, these strategic steps indicate Harvard’s activity in global education, global research, and addressing sociopolitical issues through academic solutions. The recent steps of the University indicate an increased intensity of interaction with Israeli scholars and increased commitment to advancing cross-border scholarly excellence.
