Israeli Universities See Enrollment Rise Amidst Tech Sector Shifts
Translated & summarized from Ice by baba
Israel's academic year began with 350,900 students, a 2.1% increase, with notable gains in education and law, but a 7.4% drop in computer science. Electrical and electronics engineering saw a 15-20% demand surge, partly due to AI and chip advancements. Diverse populations, including Haredi and Arab students, continue to integrate into higher education.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Approximately 350,900 students began the academic year in Israel, a 2.1% increase.
- Computer science enrollment dropped by 7.4%, while education and law saw significant gains.
- Demand for electrical and electronics engineering rose 15-20% amid AI and chip industry developments.
- New programs in AI and data science are expected to enroll about 800 additional students.
- Over 85,000 students from Haredi and Arab communities are enrolled in higher education.
The academic year commenced with approximately 350,900 students enrolled across 57 higher education institutions in Israel, marking a 2.1% increase from the previous year, according to projections from the Council for Higher Education (CHE). This growth follows a 4.5% rise in first-degree registrations and a 7.2% increase in applicants last year. Significant enrollment gains were observed in education (7.5%), law (8.5%), social sciences (3.3%), and humanities (10.9%). Conversely, mathematics, statistics, and computer science experienced a 7.4% decline in student numbers.
In contrast to the dip in computer science, electrical and electronics engineering programs reported a surge of 15% to 20% in demand. New student enrollment in this field also rose by approximately 13%. This heightened interest in electrical engineering is occurring against the backdrop of the high-tech industry's volatility and concerns about artificial intelligence's impact on programming roles, alongside NVIDIA's expansion in Israel and advancements in chip technology and quantum computing.
He emphasized that AI relies on advanced hardware, chips, and electronic systems, underscoring the demand for electrical and electronics engineers. He noted the 20% increase at HIT as part of a broader trend requiring academia to align its curriculum with technological changes.
Enrollment in artificial intelligence and data science programs is also expanding, with six new programs approved for the upcoming academic year expected to accommodate around 800 additional students. The CHE data also indicates continued integration of diverse populations into higher education, including approximately 20,000 students from the Haredi sector, 65,000 from the Arab society, and 70,000 who served in the reserves during the past year.
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