Click on the map for a virtual tour of the Marcus Family Campus in Beer-Sheva.
Mission
A world leader in sustainable development and environmental science long before it became fashionable, BGU has been working for a greener world for almost 40 years.
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) was inspired by the vision of Israel's first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, who believed that the future of the country lay in the Negev region, a desert area comprising more than 60 percent of the country.
Established by government mandate in 1969 as a vehicle for the social, economic and scientific transformation of the Negev, Ben-Gurion University is more than a world-renowned institute of research and higher learning.
BGU is imbued with the pioneering spirit of Israel's earliest founders, driven by the mandate to secure the future of Israel, develop the Negev and provide opportunity to the region's residents.
With some 20,000 students spanning campuses in Beer-Sheva, Sede Boqer and Eilat, BGU is the most dynamic university in Israel today, leading projects in the areas of environmental science and ecology, medicine and global health, engineering, biotechnology, Hebrew literature, desert agriculture, water purification and management, solar energy, and more.
BGU anticipates exciting challenges in innovative fields of research. With the development of the Advanced Technologies Park (ATP) adjacent to the Marcus Family Campus, the University hopes to bring new opportunities to Beer-Sheva and the Negev, while continuing its pursuit of academic excellence and expanding its contribution to the community.
Innovate, Create and Transform
Through creative thinking and a commitment to excellence, BGU has pursued its unique mission with intelligence and passion.
David Ben-Gurion believed that individual initiative and original ideas could make the desert bloom. The University that perpetuates his name has gone even further, breaking down traditional barriers to create a dynamic learning environment, become an environmental leader and build a more equitable society.
Since 1969, its programs have evolved, its student body has grown and its faculty has expanded. The goals, however, remain the same: innovate, create and transform.
Commitment to Excellence
BGU is the number one choice of prospective Israeli undergraduate students. More than one-third of the University's students are pursuing advanced degrees, affirming BGU's commitment to increase its graduate and post-graduate student population to 50 percent of the total student body within the next 10 years and position the University as a world-class center of research.
Building Bridges
Ben-Gurion University has:
- created award-winning programs in arid land agriculture and water resource management
- pioneered a radical approach to community-based healthcare
- fostered interdisciplinary research in virtually all fields
- spearheaded cross-border research and environmental collaboration with its Arab neighbors
The Negev Provides a Natural Classroom
- Students encounter a region rich in historical significance, dotted with unexplored archeological sites.
- Drylands researchers have at their fingertips priceless data on the ecology of arid lands.
