About

The School of the Human Spirit opened in the 2025–2026 academic year and was launched during the 55th Board of Governors meeting of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, with the participation of Tony Young, Chair of the Global Development Committee, which contributed to the establishment of the school. The school focuses on the intersection of humanism and contemporary societal challenges, strengthening the field of humanities—which has seen a decline in recent years. It was founded out of an institutional commitment to broadening the horizons of academic education and reinforcing the place of the humanities at the core of university training. The Young Family School of the Human Spirit is headed by Prof. Amit Schejter, a Full Professor at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and former Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.

The school operates as a supra-faculty unit affiliated with the Rector’s Office, in close cooperation with the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. Its establishment reflects the philosophy that a complete academic education cannot merely consist of imparting professional, scientific, or technological knowledge. Instead, it demands a systematic engagement with questions of humanity, society, history, culture, morality, and meaning. Based on this vision, the university seeks to offer undergraduate students in non-humanities fields dedicated study tracks that integrate a humanistic education as an integral part of their curricula.