Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Move toward Convergence — Developments in the Higher Education System in Israel

  • Article
  • Published:
Higher Education Policy Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The paper deals with the unique relationship evolving between the two major categories of higher learning institutions in Israel: the country's universities and the colleges that were established in their shadow. Following an introduction to the history of higher education in Israel, stressing the initial dominance of the research universities, the paper traces developments of the unique dialogue that has developed in recent decades between universities and colleges in Israel by discussing the changes in goals, curricula, orientation to vocational education, organizational structure and development, and academic independence. The changing relations between these two types of institutions highlight the system's flexibility, the power of the institutions' own interpretation of their roles, and the system-wide resistance to a binary system imposed in a top-down policymaking process. Following a review of these changes, the authors offer the case of the Academic College of Judea and Samaria as a point in case, exploring the permeability of the boundaries between university and college institutions in Israel. The paper concludes that the initial intention of the Council for Higher Education to establish a dual system of research universities and popular colleges is gradually converging into a monistic system following the research university concept and model.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Academic College of Judea and Samaria. (1996) Yearbook of Regional Colleges in Israel 1996, Ariel, Israel: Academic College of Judea and Samaria and the Regional R&D Center of Samaria and the Jordan Valley.

  • Ahola, S. (2006) ‘From “different but equal” to “equal but different”: Finnish AMK's in the Bologna process’, Higher Education Policy 19 (2): 173–186.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Allen, C.M. and Allen, W.B. (2003) Habits of Mind: Fostering Access and Excellence in Higher Education, New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Archer, L., Hutchings, M., Ross, A., Leathwood, C., Gilchrist, R. and Phillips, D. (2003) ‘Higher education and social class — Issues of exclusion and inclusion — Review symposium’, Widening Participation and Lifelong Learning 4 (1): 5–13.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bar Ilan University. (1998) Regulations for Students of the Regional Colleges, Ramat-Gan, Israel: Bar Ilan University, College Administration [Hebrew].

  • Bertalanffy, L.V. (1968) General Systems Theory, New York: Basiluer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burgess, T. (1972) The Shape of Higher Education, London: Cornmarket Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • CBS. (2002) Academic Colleges — 1996, 2000, 2001 (19th publication). Jerusalem: Central Bureau of Statistics [Hebrew].

  • CBS. (2004) ‘Students in universities and other institutions of higher education, 2003’, Press release 209/2004. Jerusalem: Central Bureau of Statistics.

  • CBS. (2008) Statistical Abstract of Israel 2008, 59 Jerusalem.

  • CHE. (2000) Multi-Annual Program for Planning Higher Education in Israel 2002–2006, Jerusalem: Planning and Budget Committee [Hebrew].

  • CHE. (2003) ‘Data on the Higher Education System’, in Report No. 28/29 for the Years 2000/01 and 2001/02, Jerusalem: The Planning & Budget Committee [Hebrew].

  • Collins, R. (2002) ‘Credential Inflation and the Future of Universities’, in S. Brint (ed.) The Future of The City of Intellect, Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Davidovitch, N. and Iram, Y. (2005) ‘Higher Education at a Crossroad — The Contribution of Regional Colleges to Higher Education in Israel’, in Ilan Gur-Ze'ev (ed.) Studies in Education, Haifa [Hebrew]: Faculty of Education, Haifa University, pp. 312–359.

    Google Scholar 

  • Davidovitch, N. and Iram, Y. (2006) ‘Higher education in Israel at a crossroads: The effect of regional colleges on the map of higher education in Israel’, Research in Comparative and International Education 1 (3): 271–285.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Davidovitch, N. and Soen, D. (2006a) ‘Enhancing access in theory and practice: A study of graduates of an Israeli large public college in 1995–2003’, International Education Journal 7 (3): 284–304, (http://iej.cjb.net).

    Google Scholar 

  • Davidovitch, N. and Soen, D. (2006b) Undergraduate Alumni Study 5766–5767, Tel Aviv: Alfa Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dey, E.L. and Hurtado, S. (1999) ‘Students, Colleges and Society: Considering the Interconnections’, in P.G. Altbach, R.Q. Berdahl and P.J. Gumport (eds.) American Higher Education in the Twenty-First Century: Social, Political and Economic Challenges, Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, pp. 282–322.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dougherty, J. (1994) The Contradictory College: The Conflicting Origins, Impacts and Features of the Community College, Albany, NY: SUNY Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dror, Y. (1996) The University School — Between Academia and the Field: The Emergence of the School of Education in Haifa University 5724–5743, Haifa, Israel: Hamadiya-Oranim [Hebrew].

    Google Scholar 

  • Gerth, H.H. and Mills, C.W. (eds.) (1958) From Max Weber: Essays in Sociology, New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gibbons, M. (1998) Higher Education Relevance in the 21st Century, Washington DC: The World Bank.

    Google Scholar 

  • Government of Israel. (2007) ‘Report of the Committee for the Examination of The System of Higher Education in Israel’, Jerusalem.

  • Greenwald, A. (2001) ‘Opening the Gates of Higher Education — Considerations of Public Policy’, Position paper submitted at the third annual convention “Basha’ar”: Window to the Academic Dream, Tel-Aviv. [Hebrew].

  • Guri-Rosenblit, S. (1999) ‘Changing boundaries in Israeli higher education’, Mediterranean Journal of Educational Studies 4 (2): 91–114.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hadari, V. and Tal, H. (1979) Chapters in the History of the University, Beer Sheva: Ben Gurion University [Hebrew].

    Google Scholar 

  • Harman, G. (1989) ‘The Dawkins reconstruction of Australian higher education’, Higher Education Policy 2 (2): 25–30.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harman, G. (2001) ‘Academics and institutional differentiation in Australian higher education’, Higher Education Policy 14 (4): 325–342.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Havighurst, R.V. (1989) ‘Education, Social Mobility and Social Change in Four Societies’, in R. Shapira and R. Peleg (eds.) The Sociology of Education –A Reader, Tel Aviv: University Library, Am Oved, pp. 187–203 [Hebrew].

    Google Scholar 

  • Hershkovitz, S. (2000) Expanding Access to Higher Education, Jerusalem: Commission for Higher Education, Planning and Budgeting Committee [Hebrew].

    Google Scholar 

  • Horovitz, T. and Volensky, A. (1999) ‘From a Monolithic to a Pluralistic System — Transformation Processes in Israel's Higher Education System (1948–1996)’, in A. Peled (ed.) Jubilee of the Education System, Tel Aviv: Ministry of Defense, pp. 201–291 [Hebrew].

    Google Scholar 

  • Huisman, J. and Kaiser, F. (eds.) (2001) Fixed and Fuzzy Boundaries in Higher Education — A Comparative Study of (Binary) Structures in Nine Countries, The Hague: Adviesraad voor het Wetenschaps- en Technologiebeleid.

    Google Scholar 

  • Huisman, J., Kaiser, F. and Vossensteyn, H. (2000) ‘Floating foundations of higher education policy’, Higher Education Quarterly 54 (3): 217–238.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Iram, Y. (1978) ‘The influence of higher education traditions on the academic path of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem’, Studies in Education 28: 123–130 [Hebrew].

    Google Scholar 

  • Iram, Y. (1996) ‘Michlalot Ezoriot — Regional Colleges in Israel: Challenges, Promises and Prospects of an Alternative Model in Higher Education’, in R. Latiner Raby and N. Tarrow (eds.) Dimensions of the Community College: International, Intercultural and Multicultural Perspectives, New York: Garland Publishing Inc, pp. 291–301.

    Google Scholar 

  • Israeli, A. (1997) Master Plan: The Regional Colleges in Israel, Jerusalem: Mashov — Applied Research, Planning and Consultancy for Educational, Welfare and Labor Systems [Hebrew].

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaveh, M. (2000) ‘How to Climb the Ivory Tower at the Gates of the Universities: On Access and Affirmative Action’, Position paper submitted at the third annual convention “Basha’ar”: Window to the Academic Dream, Tel-Aviv [Hebrew].

  • Kimmerling, B. (2000) ‘Basic right: The right to study’, Ha’Aretz. May 19 [Hebrew].

  • Kyvik, S. and Skodvin, O.J. (2003) ‘Research in the non-university higher education sector — Tensions and dilemmas’, Higher Education 45: 203–222.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lev-Zion, N. (2000) ‘The Revolution of Higher Education in Israel, Budgeting Policy of Higher Education Institutions in the Next Decade’, Position paper submitted to Maari’v Conference. Tel Aviv. June [Hebrew].

  • Luria, S.E. and Luria, Z. (1970) ‘The role of the university: Ivory tower, service station, or frontier post?’ Daedalus 99: 75–83.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meek, L., Goedegebuure, L. and Huisman, J. (2000) ‘Understanding diversity and differentiation in higher education: An overview’, Higher Education Policy 13 (1): 1–117.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meek, L., Goedegebuure, L., Kivinen, O. and Rinne, R. (eds.) (1996) The Mockers and the Mocked: Comparative Perspectives on Differentiation, Convergence and Diversity in Higher Education, Oxford: Pergamon.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meltz, N.M. (2001) ‘Academic colleges: Transforming higher education in Israel’, Higher Education Policy 14 (4): 343–359.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Messer-Yaron, H. (2005) ‘The swing of the pendulum in academic research’, Panim Vol 35, Retrieved 24 April, 2008 from http://www.itu.org.il/Index.asp?ArticleID=6242&CategoryID=940&Page=1.

  • Mizrahi, Y. (1994) The History of the Tension Between General High Liberal Education and Higher Education as Specialization in Disciplines and an Examination of the Potential for Balancing Curricular Programs in Regional Colleges, Jerusalem: The School for Educational Leadership [Hebrew].

    Google Scholar 

  • Morrison, T. (1998) Welcome to the World: Quality, Higher Education and Change, Reduit, Mauritius: Mauritius Institute of Education.

    Google Scholar 

  • OECD. (1991) Alternatives to Universities, Paris: OECD.

  • OECD. (1998) Redefining Tertiary Education, Paris: OECD.

  • Reichman, A. (2000) ‘How to Climb the Ivory Tower, at the Gates of the Universities: On Access and Affirmative Action Position paper submitted at the ‘At the Gate Convention’, the Academic Community on behalf of Society in Israel [Hebrew].

  • Samuel, Y. (1996) Organizations: Features, Structures and Processes, Haifa, Israel: Zemora-Bitan and Haifa University [Hebrew].

    Google Scholar 

  • Scott, P. (1996) ‘Unified and Binary Systems of Higher Education in Europe’, in A. Burgen (ed.) Goals and Purposes of Higher Education in the 21st Century, London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, pp. 37–54.

    Google Scholar 

  • Skoie, H. (2000) ‘Faculty involvement in research in mass higher education: Current practice and future perspectives in the Scandinavian countries’, Science and Public Policy 27: 409–419.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shattock, M. (ed.) (1996) The Creation of a University System, London: Blackwell Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shenhar, A. (1999) The Challenge of Education in the Post-modern Era Makom Limahshava BaSha’ar, Tel Aviv: The Academic Community for Society in Israel. Vol. 12. published [Hebrew].

  • Sinuany-Stern, Z. (1991) Models of Academic Administration, Beer Sheva: Ben-GurionUniversity [Hebrew].

    Google Scholar 

  • Soen, D. and Davidovitch, N. (2004) ‘Centre and periphery in higher education: The case of Israel’, International Education Journal 5 (4): 439–457.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stadtman, V.A. (1980) Academic Adaptations: Higher Education Prepares for the 1980s and 1980s, San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Teichler, U. (1988) Changing Patterns of Higher Education Systems. The Experience of Three Decades, London: Jessica Kingsley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Teichler, U. (2008) ‘Diversification? Trends and explanations of the shape and size of higher education’, Higher Education 56 (3): 349–379.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tonks, D. (1999) ‘Access to UK higher education, 1991–1998: Using geodemographics’, Widening Participation and Lifelong Learning 1 (2): 6–15.

    Google Scholar 

  • Troen, S.I. (1992) ‘Higher education in Israel: An historical perspective’, Higher Education 23 (1): 45–63.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Trow, M. (1970) ‘Reflections on the transition from mass to universal higher education’, Daedalus, Journal of the American Academy 99 (1): 1–42.

    Google Scholar 

  • Trow, M. (1972) ‘The expansion and transformation of higher education’, International Review of Education 18: 61–64.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Trow, M. (1974) ‘Problems in the Transition from Elite to Mass Higher Education’, in OECD (ed.) Policies for Higher Education, Paris: OECD, pp. 51–101.

    Google Scholar 

  • Trow, M. (1999) ‘From mass higher education to universal access: The American advantage’, Minerva 37 (4): 303–328.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Volansky, A. (2005) Academia in a Changing Environment, Tel Aviv: Shmuel Neeman Institute, Kibbutz Meuhad Publishing [Hebrew].

    Google Scholar 

  • Welle-Strand, A. (2000) ‘Knowledge production, service and quality: Higher education tensions in Norway’, Quality in Higher Education 6 (3): 219–230.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yaoz, H. and Iram, Y. (1987) ‘Changes in literature curricula — A comparative study’, Iyunim B’hinuch 46 (47): 152–170 [Hebrew].

    Google Scholar 

  • Yogev, A. (2000) ‘The stratification of Israeli universities: Implications for higher education policy’, Higher Education 40 (2): 183–201.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yogev, A., Livne, I. and Macdosi, O. (2008) ‘External-budget and Internal-budget MA Programmes in a Research University in Israel: Comparison of Students’ Characteristics’, The 39th Annual Conference of the Israeli Sociological Association, Tel-Aviv.

  • Zilberstein, M. and Sabar-Ben Yehoshua, N. (1999) ‘From Uniformity to Differentiation: The Development of Curriculum Planning in Israel’, in A. Peled (ed.) Jubilee of the Education System in Israel Vol. A, Jerusalem: Ministry of Education Culture and Sport, pp. 193–204 Hebrew.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zussman, N., Forman, A., Kaplan, T. and Romanov, D. (2007) Differences between Universities and Colleges in the Quality of Education: An Examination Based on Changes in the Labor Market, Haifa, Israel: Samuel Ne’eman Institute, Technion [Hebrew], http://www.folklore.org.il/colleges/hassoc.htm, http://www.panim.org.il/press/haaretztamara1.htm, [Hebrew].

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ariel University Center of Samaria, ARIEL, 40700, Israel

    Nitza Davidovitch & Dan Soen

Authors
  1. Nitza Davidovitch
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Dan Soen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Davidovitch, N., Soen, D. The Move toward Convergence — Developments in the Higher Education System in Israel. High Educ Policy 23, 412–435 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1057/hep.2010.16

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/hep.2010.16

Keywords

Search

Navigation