Open University of Israel
| האוניברסיטה הפתוחה | |
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| Type |
Distance education Public |
|---|---|
| Established | 1974 |
| Budget | $150 million |
| Chancellor | The Rt. Hon. Lord Woolf |
| President | Yaakov Metzer |
| Vice-Chancellor | Abraham Ginzburg |
| Principal | David Klibanski |
| Vice-Presidents | Ora Limor |
| Students | 48,000 |
| Location | Ra'anana, Israel |
| Website | www.openu.ac.il |
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The Open University of Israel (Hebrew: האוניברסיטה הפתוחה, Ha-Universita ha-Ptuha) is a distance-education university in Israel. Its administration center is located in the city of Ra'anana. As of 2006[update], the Open University had taught around 39,000 students.
The university has more students than any other academic institution in Israel, coming from all over the world. The university is accredited to award undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, diplomas and certificates.
The Open University of Israel was conceived in 1971 and founded in 1974, modeled after the UK's Open University. The first semester of studies commenced on October 17, 1976. In 1980, the Open University was officially recognized as an institute of higher learning in Israel, and was accredited to award undergraduate or bachelor's degrees (BA). In 1982, 41 graduates were awarded BA diplomas at the university's first diploma ceremony.
By 1987, the university had 11,000 students and offered 180 courses. The university grew rapidly and by 1993, it had 20,000 students and 300 courses, and 405 new graduates. Then, in 1996, the university launched its postgraduate program offering courses towards a master's degree (MA). By 2002, the university had grown to 36,710 enrolled students and by 2003, more than 13,000 people had graduated the university with an academic degree.
In 2010, the Open University began offering online courses taught in Russian. Students could enroll worldwide for 24 courses, most of them with Israeli or Jewish content. According to the online program, examinations can be held at Israeli consulates and Jewish Agency offices around the world.
The Open University is open to anyone who wishes to study towards a bachelor's degree, without any prerequisites or screening process. However, the Open University still has high standards and demands academic achievements from its graduates. Another way in which the Open University is open is in the study path it offers to its students. When enrolling in the university, the student does not need to decide the primary focus of his or her degree, nor to determine in advance the pace of the degree (how many years the studies will take). In fact, it is possible to take only a single course or several courses without receiving a degree, or to take several courses per semester, until finally enough courses relevant to a certain academic area have been taken to be eligible for a degree.
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