The curriculum for a bachelor’s degree in artificial intelligence at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev is expected to open as early as the 2026-2027 academic year (subject to approval by the Higher Education Council), making it one of Israel’s first and most comprehensive independent programs in this field.
The program incorporates a strong theoretical foundation in computer science, mathematics, machine learning, and statistics, as well as significant practical experience, exposing students to advanced and cutting-edge areas of artificial intelligence, including deep learning, generative models, natural language processing, and computer vision, among others, over three years of study.
The goal of the program is to train graduates who can not only use existing AI tools, but also deeply understand the scientific principles behind them, develop next-generation technologies in the field, and lead research and innovation in industry and academia.
This program relies on a broad AI research community with extraordinary reach. This community is one of the largest in Israel within a single academic unit and includes internationally recognized leading researchers in various fields of artificial intelligence. Faculty members include Professor Eran Traister, an expert in machine learning and scientific computing, who will lead the program, and Professor Lior Rokas, the first Israeli elected to the UN AI panel and an expert in data mining and machine learning.
Over the past decade, artificial intelligence has been at the core of global innovation, fundamentally transforming entire industries, from healthcare and transportation to education and security. Until now, this field has been primarily studied as a narrow specialized subject within a computer science degree, but a new program at Ben-Gurion University offers a large, structured and deep subject focused entirely on the core of AI.
The program was inspired by the world’s leading flagship programs at elite universities such as MIT and CMU. To support the enormous computational demands of the site, the university has made its own teaching and research infrastructure, the most advanced in Israel, at the program’s disposal. This includes a high-performance GPU-based computing cluster (AI computing cluster) to enable training and execution of advanced models and analysis of large databases in real-time, an applied robotics laboratory for developing, implementing, and testing algorithms in real-world environments, and collaborations with leading technology companies. Address current industry challenges and applications.
An integral part of the program will be devoted to ethical and social aspects of artificial intelligence. Students will be trained to understand the impact of technology on society, with the aim of developing “responsible artificial intelligence” and helping shape future policy in this area.
The program operates at the heart of the cyber, high-tech, and national security ecosystem around the university campus in Beersheba, providing students with direct connections to industry, advanced research institutions, and the forefront of Israeli innovation.
Professor Matthew Katz, Marcus Family Dean of Computer and Information Sciences: Added new paragraphs at appropriate intervals. “This curriculum will train a new generation of AI leaders who combine scientific excellence with a deep understanding of artificial intelligence technology and the ability to develop systems that are advanced, reliable and safe to use. Graduates of the program will contribute to the advancement of Israel’s research, industry and innovation.”
Professor Eran Traister, head of the new program in artificial intelligence: “This is a direct response to the real and pressing need in the market for specialized experts in this field.”
Professor Daniel Chamowicz, President of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev: “This new degree is another step in Ben-Gurion University of the Negev’s leadership in AI in Israel. The University has long studied and embraced this field, including the establishment of THE INSTITUTE, the National Institute for Artificial Intelligence. Now, the next stage of a dedicated and unique degree in artificial intelligence has arrived.”
