MSc in Plant Sciences with Emphasis in Food Safety and Security

Overview

This innovative interdisciplinary program is open to outstanding students worldwide interested in obtaining an MSc in Plant Sciences with an emphasis in Food Safety and Security.

The program's curriculum combines academic research with hands-on agricultural experience in the Arava desert, Israel’s largest vegetable exporting region. It provides the students with academic knowledge with leading faculty, opportunities to gain practical skills and the chance to be a part of creating a sustainable future.

The program offers students an internship opportunity to gain first-hand experience in advanced desert agriculture throughout their studies. The internship is part of an agreement with the Central Arava Council which provides students with tuition assistance.

 

About the Arava desert

The program takes place in collaboration with the Arava International Center for Agriculture Training (AICAT), and the Agricultural Research and Development Center (at the Yair R&D Station).

As part of the collaboration, students will have the unique opportunity to study and reside in a local agricultural village (moshav) within the Arava municipality in the desert.

 

*Students who are interested in the thesis-track MSc Program in Plant Sciences which takes places entirely at Tel Aviv University must first find an advisor. More details can be found here.

 

About the Partners

Tel Aviv University

Tel Aviv University is Israel’s largest and most comprehensive university, attracting over 30,000 talented students and renowned faculty from around the globe. Ranked among the world’s top 100 universities, the university has a strong interdisciplinary focus and collaborates closely with leading institutions worldwide. The campus is located in Tel Aviv, the financial and technology capital of Israel – which is known for its entrepreneurial atmosphere and large number of start-up companies. With the growth of high-tech industries, the Tel Aviv metropolis has become an international hotspot for business and innovation – an ideal setting for an enriching study experience.

 

Manna Center Program for Food Safety & Security

The International MSc Program in Plant Biology is housed in the Faculty of Life Sciences and part of the Manna Center Program for Food Safety and Security at Tel Aviv University.

The Manna Center Program for Food Safety and Security seeks to bring together researchers from diverse academic disciplines to promote innovative research, to forge ties with professionals and academics around the world, and to prepare the next generation of scientists and policymakers to guide global food security issues.

 

AICAT

The Arava International Center for Agriculture Training ("AICAT") currently accommodates 1,000 students from academic teaching institutions in  East Asia (Myanmar, Nepal, Indonesia , Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos), as well as Africa (Ethiopia and South Sudan). The Center operates within the framework of the Central Arava Regional Council; the main goal is to impart professional agricultural knowledge and skills in modern and advanced farms.

The new MSc program meets a growing demand on the part of international students to pursue academic studies in Israel and reflects the region's expertise, taking advantage of the regional capacity to provide both accommodation and practical experience in modern agriculture and science. In addition, the program could contribute to the global need for depth and specialization in growing food for the world's population and finding a solution for the global problem of food insecurity.