Jerusalem, 20 October, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Tel-Hai University in Kiryat Shmona, in Israel’s Galilee, opened its first academic year this week as the country’s 11th research university, marking a milestone in northern Israel’s recovery after three years of war. The inauguration comes 21 years after the government’s 2005 decision to transform Tel-Hai into a research university.
The ceremony at the university’s Roadburg Campus brought together Education Minister and Council for Higher Education Chairman Yoav Kisch, Finance Ministry Adjunct Minister Ze’ev Elkin, responsible for southern and northern reconstruction, higher education officials, reconstruction administrators and university leaders.
More than 5,000 students have enrolled for the 2026–27 academic year, up from 4,700 last year and restoring prewar enrollment levels. During the war’s first year, enrollment fell to 4,400 as classes moved online. More than 70% of students come from outside the Eastern Galilee, bringing young people and economic activity to a region rebuilding its communities after prolonged conflict.
