Watch the archived recording of this event
On Dec. 31, University of Haifa resumed studies after a nearly three-month delay due to the ongoing war with Hamas in Gaza. Kicking off an academic year is complex even in peaceful times, but faculty and administration faced two significant hurdles this year: first, how do we integrate some 1,500 brave student-soldiers who had been serving in the reserves and defending our country? And second, how do we maintain the University’s most cherished goal — upholding its status as Israel’s most diverse campus, which brings together Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Druze and Bedouin students, to learn, work and socialize in an atmosphere of tolerance, respect and coexistence — in the most challenging of times.
The answer lies in the fact that for 50 years, University of Haifa has played, and will continue playing, a central role in ensuring that all sectors of the Israeli population unite to nurture their beautifully diverse civic society. Here to elaborate on these challenges, American Society of the University of Haifa (ASUH) hosts a special webinar with Prof. Arin Salamah-Qudsi and Dr. Yael Granot-Bein, Head and Director, respectively, of the University’s new Division of Diversity, Inclusion and Community. They will discuss the obstacles inherent in maintaining harmony on campus during war time, the initiatives put in place to preserve and uphold the University’s multifaceted identity, and the implications of this for Israeli society as a whole.