Ben-Gurion University Launches New Faculty to Expand AI, Computer Science Training

The new academic unit is expected to employ about 80 faculty members, roughly half of them focused on artificial intelligence research.

By Shula Rosen

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev inaugurated the Stein Faculty of Computer and Information Science, a major academic expansion aimed at accelerating Israel’s capacity in artificial intelligence, computing, and data-driven research as demand for high-tech talent continues to grow.

The new faculty consolidates the university’s existing departments of computer science, software engineering, information systems engineering, and artificial intelligence into a single academic framework. University officials said the move is designed to strengthen research output, expand teaching capacity, and deepen cooperation with industry partners based on campus and at the adjacent Advanced Technologies Park in Beersheba.

“Creating the Stein Faculty of Computer and Information Science places Ben-Gurion University at the forefront of the global technological revolution,” university President Prof. Daniel Chamovitz said at the launch. “We are not just creating a new faculty; we are building a laboratory for the future, a world-class center of excellence that will shape the next generation of Israeli technology leaders.”

The faculty is being established with the support of a major philanthropic gift from the Toronto-based Schulich Foundation, made in honor of Canadian tech investor and entrepreneur David Stein. The funding will allow the university to recruit additional faculty members, expand research activity, increase student scholarships, and pursue international collaborations.

The new academic unit is expected to employ about 80 faculty members, roughly half of them focused on artificial intelligence research. It will serve approximately 2,200 undergraduate students, 400 master’s students, and 170 doctoral candidates. University officials said it will also host what they describe as the largest artificial intelligence research center in Israel.

Stein said the initiative reflects a long-term investment in Israel’s human capital rather than a bet on any single technological trend. “There is an AI-first mentality among teenagers and new graduates,” he said. “Their first instinct is, how do I automate this? How do I use AI to learn faster or work better?”

Prof. Matya Katz, a specialist in computational geometry and algorithms, has been appointed dean of the faculty for a three-year term. Katz previously chaired the university’s Department of Computer Science and has published extensively in leading academic journals.

University leaders said the faculty’s structure will allow students greater flexibility in shaping their studies across disciplines, while positioning Beersheba as a growing center for advanced research, education, and innovation in artificial intelligence and computer science.