After decades of requiring students wishing to study in Israel to carry out an arduous petition process, the University of Minnesota has added Israel to the massive list of University-endorsed and approved study abroad options. Read the Daily article for more:
Students previously had to seek special permission in order to study abroad in Israel.BY RAGHAV MEHTAFor years, University of Minnesota students were required to seek special permission to study abroad in Israel. However, a recently approved petition will open the door for more students to study in the Israeli cities of Haifa and Jerusalem.
After reviewing proposals from the Learning Abroad Center and Institute of Technology, the University’s International Travel Risk Assessment and Advisory Committee approved three new study abroad programs to Israel, one of them beginning as early as this May. The deadline to apply for fall semester programs is April 21.
While the University offered similar programs in the past, policy currently requires students to seek permission to travel to countries that appear on the U.S. Department of State travel warning list.
Stacey Tsantir, coordinator for International Health, Safety and Compliance, said that although the committee regularly approves petitions from students, this is the first time a group program has been ratified.
The Learning Abroad Center will be offering programs at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the University of Haifa beginning in fall 2010.
The Institute of Technology will also be hosting a three-week faculty-led summer session for undergraduates starting this May. Which university the IT program will study at is yet to be determined.
