The IDC Herzliya college will officially be recognized as a university in Israel, the Council for Higher Education (CHE) announced on Tuesday, based on recommendations from a committee designated to study the matter.
"A significant milestone in the development of higher education in Israel," IDC Chairman of the Board of Directors Prof. Amnon Rubinstein stated.
The institution will henceforth be called Reichman University, named after Prof. Uriel Reichman, president and founder of IDC Herzliya.
"The IDC is suitable as a university, guaranteeing excellent academic and research standards, that meets the required standards for a university," the committee, comprised of experts from leading universities worldwide, recommended.
The committee presented their assessment that the IDC is fit as an academic institution and carries out advanced research and awards Ph.D.s. Following their recommendations, the CHE authorized the IDC to offer Ph.D. degrees in law, computer sciences and psychology.
Some 8,300 students attend the IDC every year, studying business, economy, law, computer sciences, government, communications and more. According to the CHE, the IDC is Israel's most international academic institution, with 2,200 students from 90 countries studying in its International School in English. Earlier this year, a first-ever Emirate student enrolled for a BA in government at the institution.
The IDC was founded by Prof. Reichman in 1994, before which he served as Dean of the Tel Aviv University Faculty of Law. Reichman sought to find a solution for Israeli youth who were barred from higher education. After managing the Ramot Mishpat Law School, the first non-university college of law, he created the IDC, aiming to be a private university focusing on the students and educating towards leadership, self-actualization and social awareness.
The IDC is modeled after elite universities in the United States and functions as a private, nonprofit institution. While other universities in Israel are government-funded, the IDC, as a private establishment, is funded through its tuition fees and via donations, allowing it the freedom of independent academic and administrative conduct.
The IDC is considered an elite institution, with impressive buildings on campus and a student-oriented policy. During the coronavirus pandemic, all academic institutions had to quickly adapt to online learning and suffered restrictions to their curricular activities, which were all the more acute for the IDC with its extensive international program.
"The Herzliya IDC counting among Israel's research universities will be an honor to the country and its higher education system," concluded the report.