Hebrew U’s New Academic Year Has Largest Student Body; New Chair Established

“If you want to build a strong and independent Israel, you have to cultivate international trade relations,” said Samuel Rothberg, president of the American Friends of the Hebrew University and chairman of the Board of Governors of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, in announcing the establishment of the Aron and Michael Chilewich Chair of International Trade at the University. Referring to cross-cultural education, Mr. Rothberg, who is a leading mid-West business executive and a national leader in communal affairs, observed that the Hebrew University’s Overseas Exchange Program is probably the world’s largest. The University, which opens its 1970-71 academic year today, has a current enrolment of some 16,000 students – the largest in its history. Of this total, approximately 6200 are new students. More than 20 percent of the student body are from 50 countries around the world Mr. Rothberg said. Among them are more than 1500 Americans. The Hebrew University has five major academic units which are alone of their kind in Israel, and which serve the needs of the entire country. Four of them are: The Faculty of Agriculture, the School of Pharmacy, the Faculty of Dental Medicine and the School of Librarianship. The fifth unit which exists only in Jerusalem is the pre-Academic Course for soldiers and ex-servicemen, which has been operating for eight years on a steadily increasing scale. In the last academic year, the University awarded 2707 degrees and diplomas – the largest number it has ever awarded in any one single year. In the new academic year, those studying for higher degrees will represent approximately 30 percent of the total student body.