The US Embassy in Israel and the United States-Israel Educational Foundation (the Fulbright Foundation) have launched a campaign aimed at doubling the number of Israeli students attending colleges or universities in the US.
US Ambassador to Israel Richard Jones said that the 3,500 Israelis currently studying in the US are popular with American institutions due to their notable learning skills, mental maturity and high level English.
According to estimates, there are currently several hundred Israelis who enjoy full-scholarship studies in the US.
As part of the campaign, the embassy plans to hold a fair next year for Israeli high school graduates, soldiers and students, where they will meet with scouts from American universities who will try to persuade them to apply for Bachelor studies abroad.
A similar event held by the Fulbright Foundation at the Israel Trade Fairs and Convention Center in Tel Aviv this weekend was attended by about 1,000 Israelis, 23 Israelis studying in the US and representatives from top American universities who explained to the potential candidates about application procedures for both university visa and the institutions themselves.
Prominent graduates
The embassy and the Fulbright Foundation have also launched a new website that offers detailed information in Hebrew on the different universities, degrees and scholarship options open to Israelis.
Ambassador Jones said he was particularly proud of the fact that a number of senior Israeli politicians are graduates of American universities, including Education Minister Yuli Tamir, Justice Minister Daniel Friedmann and former Supreme Court President Aharon Barak.
Kobi Sadeh, who runs the US studies website, noted that foreign students were "a very profitable business for the Americans. In 2006, the half-a-million foreign students in the US spent some $20 million, much more than the previous year. Approximately half the sum went toward tuitions, and the other half was spent on living expenses.
"The Israeli students are considered desirable because they are more mature, they start university after completing army service, and they are warmly accepted here because of the good ties between Israel and the US and with the Jewish community there."