Tel Aviv University[a] (TAU) is a publicresearch university in Tel Aviv, Israel. With over 30,000 students, it is the largest university in the country.[6] Located in northwest Tel Aviv, the university is the center of teaching and research of the city, comprising 9 faculties, 17 teaching hospitals, 18 performing arts centers, 27 schools, 106 departments, 340 research centers, and 400 laboratories.
Tel Aviv University originated in 1956 when three education units merged to form the university. The original 69-hectare (170-acre) campus was expanded and now makes up 89 hectares (220 acres) in Tel Aviv's Ramat Aviv neighborhood.[7][8]
History
edit
TAU's origins date back to 1956, when three research institutes: the Tel Aviv School of Law and Economics (established in 1935), the Institute of Natural Sciences (established in 1931), and the Academic Institute of Jewish Studies (established in 1954) – joined to form Tel Aviv University. Initially operated by the Tel Aviv municipality, the university was granted autonomy in 1963, and George S. Wise was its first president, from that year until 1971.[9][10] The Ramat Aviv campus, covering an area of 170-acre (0.69 km2), on top of the depopulated and razed Palestinian village of Sheikh Munis, was established that same year. Its succeeding presidents have been Yuval Ne'eman from 1971 to 1977, Haim Ben-Shahar from 1977 to 1983, Moshe Many from 1983 to 1991, Yoram Dinstein from 1991 to 1999, Itamar Rabinovich from 1999 to 2006, Zvi Galil from 2006 to 2009, Joseph Klafter from 2009 to 2019, and Ariel Porat since 2019.[10]
Life Sciences BuildingSchool of EconomicsSocial Sciences BuildingEnvironmental Studies BuildingLeigh Engineering Faculty BoulevardThe Vladimir Schreiber Institute of MathematicsSmolarz AuditoriumCymbalista Synagogue and Jewish Heritage Center
TAU International (formerly the School for Overseas Students)
Sagol School of Neuroscience
Institutes and centers
edit
Tel Aviv University has over 130 research institutes and centers.[11]
The Lowy International School
edit
In addition to being Tel Aviv University's home for international researchers, visitors and partnerships, The Lowy International School (formerly TAU International) annually affords thousands of students from across the globe the opportunity to study at Tel Aviv University.[12] The school is overseen by Milette Shamir, the university's vice president of international affairs.
The school's full name is The Lowy International School in Memory of Shirley Lowy; the name changed in 2022 following an $18-million gift from Australian-Israeli businessperson Sir Frank Lowy.[13] Lady Shirley Lowy, Sir Frank's wife, died on December 9, 2020.[14]
School programs are primarily conducted in English, though The Lowy International School also offers immersion options for studying in Hebrew.[15] Programs include undergraduate, graduate, study abroad, research, gap year and short-term programs,[12] and the school provides a variety of scholarships.[16] Students in the B.A., M.A., exchange and study abroad programs are given the option of housing at the Einstein or Broshim dorms, just outside the university.[17]
The Webb school of languages in Tel Aviv University
In 2024 QS World University Rankings ranked Tel Aviv University 214th in the world,[22] making it the highest ranked university in Israel. In 2016, its subject rankings were: 202nd in Arts and Humanities, 295th in Engineering and Technology, 193rd in Life Sciences and Medicine, 208th in Natural Science, and 240th in Social Sciences and Management.
The Center for World University Rankings ranked Tel Aviv University 81st in the world and third in Israel in its 2016 CWUR World University Rankings.[23] They have also ranked it as 56 in 2012.[24]
The Times Higher Education World University Rankings for 2019 placed Tel Aviv University at 189th in the world.[25] The ratings reflect an overall measure of esteem that combines data on the institutions' reputation for research and teaching.[26]
In 2016 QS World University Rankings ranked Tel Aviv University 22nd in the world for citations per faculty,[27] which is the indicator that measures a university's research impact.[28] This makes Tel Aviv University the leading university in Israel in terms of research.
In 2015 the Academic Ranking of World Universities gave Tel Aviv University the following subject rankings: 20th in Computer Science, 51–75 in Mathematics, 76–100 in Physics and 76–100 Economics/Business. In 2016 it was ranked as 51–75 in Engineering.[29]
From the year 2007 until 2018, Tel Aviv university ranks as 35th in the world in Computer Science according to CSRankings, the same rank as Harvard and the second-highest ranked in Israel.[30]
In 2022, PitchBook Data ranked Tel Aviv University 7th in the world in terms of number of alumni who have founded venture capital backed companies, the highest out of any University outside the United States.
Relations with other universities
edit
Currently, Tel Aviv University partners with more than 280 academic institutions spanning 46 countries.[34] The university's academic partnerships are supported by The Lowy International School. Types of international partnerships include: joint research centers, research collaborations, joint CFPs for research seed funding,[35] joint or dual degrees, jointly taught courses, joint summer/winter schools,[36] joint post-doctoral fellowships, exchange programs, study abroad programs and visiting faculty opportunities.[37]
The Tel Aviv University Faculty of Law has exchange agreements with 36 overseas universities,[38] including: University of Virginia, Cornell University, Boston University, UCLA, Bucerius (Germany), EBS (Germany), McGill (Canada), Osgoode Hall (Canada), Ottawa (Canada),[39] Queens University (Queens), Toronto (Canada), Bergen (Norway), STL (China), KoGuan (China), Tsinghua (China), Jindal Global (India), University of Hong Kong, Singapore Management University, Stockholm University (Sweden), Monash (Australia), Sydney (Australia), Sciences Po (France), Seoul (South Korea), Lucern (Switzerland), Buenos Aires (Argentina), Bocconi (Italy)[40] and Madrid (Spain).[39]
The Coller School of Management has exchange agreements with over 100 overseas universities. The Coller Exchange Program is open to MBA/MSc/MA students and qualified professionals. The school offers a wide variety of courses for its visiting students in strategy, entrepreneurship, finance-accounting, marketing, organizational behavior, decisions and operations research, technology and information systems. The program also offers courses from other TAU schools on Israeli Culture, History, Economics and more.
In 2013, Tel Aviv University and Ruppin Academic Center jointly created a study center at the Mediterranean Sea, where students will undertake advanced studies of issues impacting the coastal environment and its resources.[41]
International cooperation
edit
In Germany, Tel Aviv University cooperates with the Goethe-University in Frankfurt/Main. Both cities are linked by a long-lasting partnership agreement.[42]
Publications
edit
Tel Aviv (journal), peer-reviewed international journal of archaeology in the Levant and the history and culture of Near Eastern civilizations, with a focus on biblical and protohistoric periods and also dealing with the classical and prehistoric periods[43]
TAU Ventures is a venture capital firm. founded in 2018 by the university and Nimrod Cohen to invest in early state startups in Israel; it is headquartered in Tel Aviv.[44][45][46] In early 2018, Tel Aviv University announced the creation of TAU Ventures, an early-stage venture capital fund with US$20 million. Its operational period is a seven-year cycle, tentatively.[47] It is a first of its kind concept in Israel, modelled after similar funds existing in other universities such as Stanford University, the University of California, Berkeley, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).[44][45] Nimrod Cohen is the managing partner.[44][48]
Investments
edit
TAU Ventures invests an initial capital of US$500,000 with potential follow-up investments into early stage startups of Israel belonging to various industries such as enterprise solutions, fintech, industry 4.0, and food technology, with a majority being software related.[44][49]
The TAU Ventures ecosystem combines the resources and network of Tel Aviv University, industry connections, and a network of Israeli startup founders. It operates at its co-working office space located in Tel Aviv.[46] The space consists of in-house experts who mentor and support the portfolio of companies in various aspects of startup growth.[44][45]
As of May 2021, TAU Ventures had invested in 17 startups. Some of the more notable companies include Xtend,[50] SWIMM,[51] Gaviti,[52] MyAir,[53] Medorion,[52] Castor,[50] and Hoopo.[50]
Accelerator program
edit
Along with its venture capital operations, TAU Ventures operates an accelerator program in partnership with the Israeli Security Agency (ISA) which provides a technological platform for founders.[54][55][49] It is a four-month exclusive program that connects startups with the ISA and a US$50,000 grant with no equity clause.[54] The program is geared to companies developing civilian and commercial technologies and can benefit from various technical expertise, unique databases, technology validation, and other factors.[56] The alumni startups have raised over US$100 million.[57] Xtend,[50] Cyberpion, Talamoos,[58] Cyabra,[50] DigitalOwl,[59] Decodea, and NeuraLegion [53] are some of its alumni.
Recognition
edit
In 2018, IVC Research Center awarded TAU Ventures the citation for being the most active venture capital in Israel.[60][61] In 2019 and 2021, Geektime listed TAU Ventures among the top five and top six of venture capital funds in Israel.[60][52]
Tel Aviv University held significant ties to the Sackler family. As more became known of the role of members of the Sackler family in the global opioid crisis, many including the Israel Medical Association called for the removal of the Sackler name from the Faculty of Medicine.[65] As of November 2021, no members of the Sackler family served on the university's board of governors.[66] In June 2023, the Sackler name was removed from the university's Faculty of Medicine.[67] In November 2024, the university stripped the Sackler name from its international prize in biophysics.[68]
^Basch_Interactive (1980-01-01). "Office of the President | Tel Aviv University | Tel Aviv University". English.tau.ac.il. Archived from the original on 2020-03-12. Retrieved 2020-02-18.
^"2024 Academic Ranking of World Universities". ShanghaiRanking Consultancy. August 15, 2024. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
^"QS World University Rankings 2026". Quacquarelli Symonds. June 19, 2025. Retrieved June 19, 2025.
^"World University Rankings 2025". Times Higher Education. October 9, 2024. Retrieved June 19, 2025.
^"Tel Aviv University ranked first in Israel by QS World University Ranking". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 2023-07-02. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
^Pullen, Lee and Lars Lindberg Christensen (2010). Postcards from the Edge of the Universe: An Anthology of Frontline Astronomy from Around the World. ESO. Page 96. ISBN 9783923524648.
^Bard, Mitchell Geoffrey and Moshe Schwartz (2005). 1001 Facts Everyone Should Know About Israel. Rowman & Littlefield. Page 95. ISBN 9780742543584.
^Who's who in Israel and in the work ... January 21, 2011. Archived from the original on April 28, 2021. Retrieved September 29, 2011.
^ abBasch_Interactive (1980-01-01). "Presidents of Tel Aviv University | Tel Aviv University". English.tau.ac.il. Archived from the original on 2020-02-18. Retrieved 2020-02-18.
^"Research Centers and Institutes | Tel Aviv University". english.tau.ac.il. Archived from the original on 2012-06-22.
^"QS World University Rankings". Topuniversities. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
^"CWUR 2016". Center for World University Rankings. 2016. Archived from the original on 11 July 2012. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
^"CWUR 2012 | Top 100 Universities". cwur.org. Archived from the original on 2017-02-24. Retrieved 2017-02-23.
^"World University Rankings 2020 | Times Higher Education (THE)". Times Higher Education. 20 August 2019. Archived from the original on 2019-09-18. Retrieved 2020-02-18.
^"Search | Times Higher Education (THE)". Times Higher Education. Archived from the original on 2012-04-24. Retrieved 2016-02-04.
^"Two Israeli universities rated among world's top 100 for research". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. Archived from the original on 2017-02-25. Retrieved 2016-10-28.
^"QS World University Rankings – Methodology". Top Universities. 2016-08-22. Archived from the original on 2016-10-27. Retrieved 2016-10-28.
^"Tel Aviv University | Academic Ranking of World Universities – 2016 | Shanghai Ranking – 2016". www.shanghairanking.com. Archived from the original on 2 May 2021. Retrieved 2016-10-28.
^"CSRankings: Computer Science Rankings". csrankings.org. Archived from the original on 2022-01-05. Retrieved 2018-03-12.
^"World University Rankings". Times Higher Education (THE). 2020-08-25. Archived from the original on 2020-09-02. Retrieved 2021-04-04.
^"QS World University Rankings 2021". Top Universities. Archived from the original on 2020-06-09. Retrieved 2021-04-04.
^"ARWU World University Rankings 2020 | Academic Ranking of World Universities 2020 | Top 1000 universities | Shanghai Ranking – 2020". www.shanghairanking.com. Archived from the original on 2019-08-15. Retrieved 2021-04-04.
^"About TAU Exchange Program". Tel Aviv University. Archived from the original on 2015-09-17. Retrieved 2015-08-20.
^ ab"IE – List of Partner Institutions" (PDF). IE Business School. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
^"The Buchmann Faculty of Law, Tel Aviv University". Law.tau.ac.il. April 17, 2008. Archived from the original on February 15, 2009. Retrieved September 29, 2011.
^Sharon Udasin (January 30, 2013). "TAU and Ruppin college form studies center; Tel Aviv University, Ruppin Academic College form a multi-disciplinary studies center focusing on coastal environment". The Jerusalem Post. Archived from the original on July 2, 2015. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
^"Tel Aviv Journal" Archived 2022-01-09 at the Wayback Machine, Tel Aviv University homepage. Accessed Jan 2022.
^ abcdeSolomon, Shoshanna. "Tel Aviv University launches VC fund to invest in early-stage startups". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2021-06-22.
^ abc"Tel Aviv University sets up $20m VC fund". Globes. 2018-04-15. Retrieved 2021-06-22.
^ abFriedman, Ron (2021-01-23). "Amid a decline in early-stage funding, TAU Ventures invites tech startups to its campus community". CTECH - www.calcalistech.com. Retrieved 2021-06-22.
^"TAU Ventures | univtelaviv.com" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved 2021-06-22.
^"Japan's NEC and Tel Aviv University set up incubator". Globes. 2018-01-01. Retrieved 2021-06-22.
^ ab"Shin Bet widens hunt for innovative start-up solutions". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 4 December 2018. Retrieved 2021-06-22.
^ abcde"Tel Aviv University fund leads $2m. investment in Israeli start-ups". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 26 September 2018. Retrieved 2021-06-22.
^"Pitango, TAU Ventures Invest In Israeli Codebase Tool Startup Swimm". NoCamels. 2021-01-17. Retrieved 2021-06-22.
^ abc""מי שנכנס למשרדים שלנו מרגיש מהר מאוד שמדובר בקרן מסוג אחר"". גיקטיים (in Hebrew). 2021-04-04. Retrieved 2021-06-22.
^ ab"Israel's Shin Bet spy service partners with private start-ups". Reuters. 2018-07-04. Retrieved 2021-06-22.
^"Israel's Shin Bet and its future as a cyberwarfare superpower". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 4 October 2020. Retrieved 2021-06-22.
^"ISA and TAU Ventures launch startup accelerator". Globes. 2018-09-05. Retrieved 2021-06-22.
^"Israeli Startups Smash Funding Records, Reel In $10.5B In Just Six Months". NoCamels. 2021-06-10. Retrieved 2021-06-22.
^"The Groundbreaking Israeli Tech Turning Heads At CES 2019". NoCamels. 2019-01-06. Retrieved 2021-06-22.
^"Investors plant Seed: 2 Israeli startups emerge with AI at their core". Geektime. 2021-02-14. Archived from the original on 2021-06-24. Retrieved 2021-06-22.
^ ab"After a record year for Israeli startups, 16 investors tell us what's next". TechCrunch. 16 January 2021. Retrieved 2021-06-22.
^Todorov, Stoyan (23 December 2020). "Entain CEO Shay Segev: Don't Educate Audiences How Good Existing Products Are, Create Products That Fit New Audiences". Gambling News.
^"Vita". www.wolffsohn.de. Archived from the original on 2018-05-03. Retrieved 2018-06-05.
^Zabludowicz Collection. "People – About". Zabludowicz Collection. Archived from the original on 2015-04-10. Retrieved 2016-02-04.
^"Tel Aviv University Resists Pressure to Remove Sackler Name Over Opioid Crisis". Haaretz. Archived from the original on 2021-11-23. Retrieved 2021-11-23.
^"Tel Aviv University Governors Roll". Tel Aviv University. 2012-10-31. Archived from the original on 2021-11-23. Retrieved 2021-11-23.
^Ghert-Zand, Renee (21 June 2023). "Sackler family name removed from Tel Aviv University medical school". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 29 April 2025.
^"Sackler family's opioid history leads Israeli university to strip name from science prize". www.science.org. Retrieved 2024-12-05.
External links
edit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tel Aviv University.