The University's dual mission of first-rate higher education and service to the community at large is manifested, in part, by providing equal educational opportunities to all sectors of the society. The University of Haifa is the most pluralistic institution of higher education in Israel: students from veteran cities and development towns, kibbutzim and moshavim, new immigrants, Jews, Arabs, and Druze, IDF officers and security personnel--all sitting together in the classroom in an atmosphere of coexistence, tolerance, and mutual respect. Unique immigrant absorption programs also express this dual commitment. The culturally heterogeneous student body adds to the stimulating intellectual atmosphere on campus.
The University considers the link-up between academic excellence and social responsibility as its flagship, and service to the community as one of its important goals. Among community projects initiated by the University are several having as their objective the encouragement of mutual understanding and cooperation between the Jewish and Arab populations on and off campus. The latter is an area in which the University of Haifa has been a pioneer and leader in the cause of peace. Research at the University is fostered by a variety of centers, institutes, and laboratories, which ponder vital questions of life and society and proffer solutions that are not just academic.
