Bennett announces nine candidates to serve on Council for Higher Education

Bennett has asked the university heads to approve his list within a week's time, after which he intends to seek approval from the Public Appointments Committee.

By LIDAR GRAVÉ-LAZI
Updated: APRIL 6, 2016 00:50
Naftali Bennett (photo credit: ULPANEI REHOVOT)
Naftali Bennett
(photo credit: ULPANEI REHOVOT)
Education Minister Naftali Bennett, who serves as head of the Council for Higher Education, announced his choices on Tuesday for nine candidates to serve on the Council for Higher Education.
The nine candidates will replace the six CHE members who resigned earlier this year following a rift between members of academia and the education minister.
Among the reasons behind the resignations was Bennett’s controversial of Prof. Messer- Yaron and the subsequent appointment of Dr. Rivka Wadmany Shauman as the vice chairman for the CHE.
“The Council for Higher Education will continue with nine new members, from the top echelons of Israeli academia.
Israel needs a strong and active council that will strengthen research, collaborations and higher education in Israel,” Bennett said.
Bennett presented his choices to the heads of the higher education institutions and announced his intention to present the candidates to the government and to President Reuven Rivlin for confirmation.
Last month Bennett and the Association of University Heads in Israel reached an agreement on appointing new members – increasing the number of university representatives from six to seven that would be chosen from a list presented to Bennett by the university heads.
As such, the nine candidates – three of which are women – include Prof. Israel Gilead and Prof. Ronnie Friedman from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Prof. Illan Gozes from Tel Aviv University, Prof. Aviva Chalamish from the Open University, Prof. Ido Perlman from the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Prof. Shifra Sagy from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Prof. Haim Taitelbaum from Bar-Ilan University, Prof. Aharon Kellerman, former president of the Safed Academic College, and Prof.
Eli Pollak from the Weizmann Institute of Science.
Bennett asked the university heads to approve his list within a week’s time, when he intends to seek approval from the Public Appointments Committee, chaired by retired judge Bilha Gilor.
The two sides also agreed that once the CHE members were appointed, Bennett would appoint a vice-chairman of the council in consultation with the university heads, as well as the head of the CHE’s planning and budgeting committee.