Coronavirus refugees look for safe havens at overseas colleges

Jerusalem holy city, study abroad
COVID is creating student refugees looking for the safest bet for studying at college next year.

Compared to statistics around the world. Israel fared pretty well in managing the coronavirus outbreak. An early lockdown and restriction of global travel and early quarantine measures for those that returned seemed to dim the impact of the coronavirus, not yet subsiding in America. For young adults looking to broaden their career outlooks, travelling to COVID-safer countries is part of the new agenda, according to a press release by Hebrew University in Jerusalem, now experiencing an overwhelming interest in its overseas programs.

“Throughout the corona crisis, our international call center has lit up with numerous inquiries from potential students,” shared Oron Shagrir, from Hebrew University’s International Affairs unit.

With universities delaying or suspending the start of the upcoming 2020/2021 academic year, many students are beginning to consider pursuing their degrees overseas, especially in countries that have fared better during the coronavirus pandemic.

Last year saw an 17% increase in the number of international students pursuing English-language academic programs at the Jerusalem university and a significant number of those 2,000 students are American, they report.

Recently, as Israel has begun to emerge from its COVID-19 restrictions, there has been an upsurge in interest from USA-based students looking to study at HU for the 2020/2021 academic year.

With more than 40 international graduate degree programs to choose from, Hebrew University has become an attractive academic destination for students seeking academic excellence and a unique student life experience.   In addition to HU’s Rothberg International School for gap year and bachelor degree programs, HU has recently expanded the number of MA and PhD degrees that are taught in English.

Students can now study Law, Business Administration, Medical Sciences, Social Work, International Development, Jewish Studies and Agriculture, among other offerings. Plus they will get to live in a fascinating multicultural city.

To meet the demand and answer queries regarding international graduate degrees and academic requirements, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem will hold its first online Open House for International Students on Sunday, May 24th.

It will be interesting to see how other international universities answer to the challenge that COVID has brought us. And other questions remain about the ability to travel if COVID were to re-ignite, lockdown measures for students and the cost of international insurance.

Karin Kloosterman
Karin Kloostermanhttp://www.greenprophet.com
Karin Kloosterman is an award-winning journalist, innovation strategist, and founder of Green Prophet, one of the Middle East’s pioneering sustainability platforms. She has ranked in the Top 10 of Verizon innovation competitions, participated in NASA-linked challenges, and spoken worldwide on climate, food security, and future resilience. With an IoT technology patent, features in Canada’s National Post, and leadership inside teams building next-generation agricultural and planetary systems — including Mars-farming concepts — Karin operates at the intersection of storytelling, science, and systems change. She doesn’t report on the future – she helps design it. Reach out directly to [email protected]

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

TRENDING

6 Payment Processors With the Fastest Onboarding for SMBs

Get your SMB up and running fast with these 6 payment processors. Compare the quickest onboarding options to start accepting customer payments without delay.

Astro uses AI to help procure land for renewable energy

For oil-rich, environmentally vigilant Gulf states, Astro isn’t just another startup story. It is a blueprint for accelerating an energy transition that is now existential, not optional.

The Science Behind How Elite Marathon Runners Train

Discover the science behind elite marathon training. Explore techniques, nutrition, and mental strategies that propel top runners to success.

Earth building with Dead Sea salt bricks

Researchers develop a brick made largely from recycled Dead Sea salt—offering a potential alternative to carbon-intensive cement.

The Christ’s thorn (sidr tree) is also a well-known folk medicine

Christ’s thorn jujube (Ziziphus spina-christi) also known as the sidr tree is a real, identifiable tree native to the Middle East, and it appears—directly or indirectly—in Islam, Judaism, and later Christian tradition. The connections between the three faiths are not theological agreements but overlapping uses, names, and symbolic associations rooted in the same landscape.

6 Payment Processors With the Fastest Onboarding for SMBs

Get your SMB up and running fast with these 6 payment processors. Compare the quickest onboarding options to start accepting customer payments without delay.

Qatar’s climate hypocrisy rides the London Underground

Qatar remains a master of doublethink—burning gas by the megaton while selling “sustainability” to a world desperate for clean air. Wake up from your slumber people.

How Quality of Hire Shapes Modern Recruitment

A 2024 survey by Deloitte found that 76% of talent leaders now consider long-term retention and workforce contribution among their most important hiring success metrics—far surpassing time-to-fill or cost-per-hire. As the expectations for new hires deepen, companies must also confront the inherent challenges in redefining and accurately measuring hiring quality.

8 Team-Building Exercises to Start the Week Off 

Team building to change the world! The best renewable energy companies are ones that function.

Thank you, LinkedIn — and what your Jobs on the Rise report means for sustainable careers

While “green jobs” aren’t always labeled as such, many of the fastest-growing roles are directly enabling the energy transition, climate resilience, and lower-carbon systems: Number one on their list is Artificial Intelligence engineers. But what does that mean? Vibe coding Claude? 

Somali pirates steal oil tankers

The pirates often stage their heists out of Somalia, a lawless country, with a weak central government that is grappling with a violent Islamist insurgency. Using speedboats that swarm the targets, the machine-gun-toting pirates take control of merchant ships and then hold the vessels, crew and cargo for ransom.

Leopoldo Alejandro Betancourt López Turned Ocean Plastic Into Profitable Sunglasses

Few fashion accessories carry the environmental burden of sunglasses. Most frames are constructed from petroleum-based plastics and acrylic polymers that linger in landfills for centuries, shedding microplastics into soil and waterways long after they've been discarded. Leopoldo Alejandro Betancourt López, president of the Spanish eyewear brand Hawkers, saw this problem differently than most industry executives.

Why Dr. Tony Jacob Sees Texas Business Egos as Warning Signs

Everything's bigger in Texas. Except business egos.  Dr. Tony Jacob figured...

Related Articles

Popular Categories