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Academy Out of
this World

They flock to Haifa from all over the world,
undergo a rigorous screening process, and
those of them who complete their studies
move on to advanced degrees from the world’s
top universities or have employers lining up
to hire them. A look at the Mechanical
Engineering Faculty's globally acclaimed,
rapidly growing international program.

 Or Sade

hey flock to the faculty from around head of the Flow and Elasticity Lab, Gat also teaches
“Flow Mechanics 1”, one of the program’s courses.
T the world to study for their bachelor’s “Every student has their own reasons for coming
degrees. They hail from South Africa, here,” he says. “Based on a multi-year average, half
South America, China, the United the students are Jewish, and most of them come here
States, Canada, Europe, and more. to make aliyah. Most of our non-Jewish students see
Their path is not an easy one – good grades and a Israel as a somewhat exotic place and want to experi-
high PET (psychometric test) score are a must – and ence life in different countries and cultures.”
suitable applicants have to pass an admissions inter-
view and a preparatory course. Only then, at the end The international program awards a bachelor’s
of the admissions process, do they finally set foot on degree, and the studies are conducted exclusively in
their path as students in the international program at English, whereas in the faculty’s regular bachelor’s
the Technion’s Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. At degree program, studies are conducted in English as
the end of their studies, all of which are conducted in well as in Hebrew. There is no international program
English, the students receive the highly sought-after for advanced degrees, but courses are offered in En-
degree and become mechanical engineers. glish if an international student enrolls in them. This
Assoc. Prof. Amir Gat has been leading the inter- way, international students can study for any degree
national program at the Technion’s Faculty of Me- offered by the faculty, making it the Technion’s most
chanical Engineering for a year and a half now. The internationally accessible faculty.

22 | MEgazine | Faculty of Mechanical Engineering