ISRAEL

Universities to offer incentives to returning academics

Israel’s Finance Ministry has agreed a new plan to induce Israeli science lecturers at foreign universities to come home. Israel will enable its universities to offer lecturers in high-demand disciplines an expanded absorption benefits basket worth up to ILS600,000 (US$187,000), writes Ofir Dor for Globes.

The measure is in a new immigrant absorption plan agreed between Commissioner of Wages Kobi Bar-Natan and representatives of the universities. The aim of the plan is to persuade Israeli researchers to return to Israel to teach after doing post-doctoral research overseas.

Academic institutions in Israel currently suffer from a shortage of hundreds of senior faculty members in computer sciences, engineering, mathematics and physics. There are enough Israeli professors and PhDs to fill all the vacant positions, but about 1,600 of the best Israeli lecturers work in US universities.
Full report on the Globes site