Impressed by what they saw of Israeli research and innovation on a recent trip to Israel, a group of presidents and chancellors of prominent historically Black colleges and universities in the US returned home excited to partner with Israeli institutions of higher learning.

With signed memoranda of understanding in hand, they plan to send students to study-abroad programs at Israeli universities, and have their faculty exchange knowledge and perform joint research with Israeli professors and researchers.

While it may take a while to iron out all the details, the educational leaders said they were eager to get started.

“We may not be able to send our whole school. But if you send one or two students to start, you are changing their lives and changing the lives of the individuals that they interact with,” said South Carolina State University president Alexander Conyers.

The HBCU — historically Black colleges and universities — group was in Israel in mid-July for a weeklong trip organized by the Thurgood Marshall College Fund with the express purpose of learning about the country’s higher education and research, and to explore possibilities for exchanges and partnerships with Israeli universities and colleges.

The group visited a variety of institutions, including the Hebrew University, Tel Aviv University, the Technion, Migal – Galilee Research Institute, and the Volcani Center (Israel’s national agricultural research and development center).

“This is a capacity-building trip. The motivation was to expose our leadership to opportunities that we wouldn’t normally think about,” TMCF president and CEO Dr. Harry Williams said.

Dr. Harold Martin, Jr., chancellor of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, said that what he learned over his week in Israel was eye-opening.

“Prior to our visit, I would not have identified Israel as a leading technological and innovative nation. I leave with a very different perspective, having interacted with so many outstanding universities thriving in areas of innovation and technology that are providing outstanding graduates to leading global technology companies here in Israel and around the world,” he said.