Priority Conflicts in a New University: The Case of Ben Gurion University of the Negev

Many less developed countries (LDCs) as well as post-industrial societies use universities to further their economic, industrial and societal growth. Israel is no exception. Even before independence institutions of higher education were perceived as part of the nation building process by the Zionist movement providing cadres of well-educated scientists, engineers, educators and technicians. After independence in 1948, higher education became a major instrument for economic growth as well as national survival in a hostile environment. While the government invested heavily in primary and secondary education to insure a more egalitarian society and the absorption of new immigrants, it allocated even more resources to establish new and expand existing institutes of higher learning.1 Today Israel has seven such institutes: the Technion, the Hebrew University, the Weitzman Institute of Science, Tel Aviv University, Haifa University, Bar Ilan University and Ben Gurion University of The Negev.2