The standards of excellence upon which Hebrew University was founded are clearly in evidence today, from innovations in science and technology to groundbreaking scholarship in the humanities, including our renowned programs in history, literature and Jewish studies. Faculty members -- who each year are honored, in disproportionately high numbers, with the country's top civilian honor, the Israel Prize -- work at the highest level of scholarship and in a spirit of true collaboration, across disciplines, across Israel and around the world, to expand the frontiers of knowledge.

No single institution has achieved a greater influence on the leadership of Israel, both within and outside its borders. The university has educated four of Israel's prime ministers, as well as its current president, deputy prime minister and president of the Supreme Court. Twenty-five percent of the Knesset are graduates, as are 12 of the country's 15 Supreme Court Justices. Also counted among its graduates are Nobel laureates in science and economics, leading scholars and humanists, and many of the nation's foremost professionals.

The second largest employer in Jerusalem -- a burgeoning, economically struggling city that is the seat of Israel's government --The Hebrew University is ideally situated to make a difference. Attracting the best and the brightest students from Israel and more than 70 countries, Hebrew University trains future Israeli and global leaders in a community of open dialogue, and educates people of all nationalities, cultures and faiths. This multicultural and pluralistic community, especially located as it is in the heart of Jerusalem, builds peace, stability, hope and prosperity with effects that resonate and extend worldwide.

Hebrew University's commitment to excellence is unparalleled. Israel's Council for Higher Education has for the first time publicly ranked the nation's universities according to criteria of academic excellence. Hebrew University received the top ranking among the seven leading institutions.