The Ministry of Science, Culture and Sports

Total Budget: 634 Million NIS

Projects for Arab citizens: 20.7 Million NIS

Number of Employees: 185

Number of Employees who are Arab citizens: 8 → 4.3%

Issues:

1. Distribution of Ministry Assistance to Arab Citizens:

Scholarships: Assistance for scholarships for doctorates and post-doctorate work is 19.7% of total assistance.

Non-governmental Organizations (NGO): Assistance to NGOs that provide scholarships for undergraduate studies represents less than one percent of total assistance.

Scientific Literacy: 6.6% of total.

Scientific Administration: 0.6% of total.

Cultural Administration: 3.6% of total.

Sports Administration: 11.0% of total in the field of sports.

Division of Assistance (in NIS millions)

General Arabs

Direct Scholarships 6.8 1.3

Scientific Literacy 2.8 0.1

NGOs 410.0 0.08

Scientific Administration 424.6 2.7

Cultural Administration 350.0 12.5

Sports Administration 50.0 5.5

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2. Arab Citizens who are Members of Academic Faculties

Approximately 50 out of 5,000

The Academic Faculties

3. “Maof” Scholarships

· This plan of the Council for Higher Education was intended to promote Arab citizens to positions in the academic faculties, and was premised on financial assistance from the Kahanoff Foundation of Canada. Over the past three years, with the foundation’s assistance, 30 Arab citizens have found employment in the academic faculties of large universities. Difficulties exist in finding applicants for the scholarships due to suspicion and alienation on the part of graduate students towards the system, and lack of confidence in the students’ ability to succeed.

The acceptance of Arab citizens to university faculties contingent on foreign financing is problematic, because it may potentially acquit the universities from offering Arabs employment through the usual hiring procedures. The Council for Higher Education should take full responsibility for the existing situation, and should take measures to integrate Arab citizens into its institutions. In spite of this reservation, the scholarships should be continued, while efforts are intensified to attract applicants.