Studied there in the summer of 2017 and had a great time. The campus is beautiful and facilities are great. My program had a strong focus on technology and leadership and the professors there were fantastic. Not much to do in walking distance of campus,

but tel aviv is an hour or so away by train.

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When I first decided that I wanted to study in Israel, I didn't do it because I had a university in mind. My university hosted a study abroad fair, where all the major contenders lined up - Hebrew University, Technion, Tel Aviv University, Bar-Ilan...

but Ben-Gurion was absent. Which in a way is a blessing in disguise, because it made me all the more determined to find out more about the illusive Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. Having some family friends in Israel, I was told that Beer-Sheva, as a city, is not the most beautiful or glamorous of Israel. It turns out that this was true, but I enjoyed my time here immensely. As someone who has spent a lot of time in between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, I found that it was a nice measure of 'normalcy'. This is to say that I didn't feel the religious tension one might feel in Jerusalem, and I also found it was more relaxed than Tel Aviv - both of these things were a huge bonus for me. I absolutely loved doing the Ulpan here. Our professors were the best and it was a lot of fun learning Hebrew that we could use while we were there. I plan on coming back to do the higher level Ulpans as well. There are many interesting courses to choose from, tons of trips that you should definitely take part in, all made possible by the amazing OSP staff. I made at least two life-long friends while abroad here, and I think it is a great program. Knowing what I know now, and given the chance to go back in time, I wouldn't change a thing.

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Israel is an amazing country. It creates U-Disk which people all over the world use every day. It established the first Firewall. It is the cultural center of Asia, Europe, and Africa. It exports agriculture products with land area 2/3 of Taiwan. (And

60% is covered by desert.) It is a great opportunity to explore Israel and especially get a deep understanding about Cyber Security. BGU is a great university located in the desert. There is a high-technology center near the university. In the 30-day program, we took courses on introduction of Cyber Security and how machine learning can be applied in Cyber Security. All the tutors are professional, patient and willing to help us. I got deep understanding and interested in such area. Also, I got great academic training here. ALso, there are two field tours during the program to help us to learn the latest problems rasing in the real world. And OSP Coordinator organized two tours (Masada and Jerusalem) to help us know the history and culture of Israel. Besides, there are many activities held twice a week, like pub night, concert night, dancing night and so on. All the staff are so nice and willing to help us get to know Israel and try their best to offer us comfortable and colorful life. Besides cyber security program, there are much more excellent programs for you to explore!!! I really enjoy my days in BGU. I really appreciate every people here. You give me the wonderful experience here.Maybe more field tour would be better. And hold the resource fair in the first week so that I can have time to visit every department of the university.

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Ben Gurion University (BGU) was not my first choice, so naturally Israel was not my first choice either. I was expecting to go to Istanbul and immerse myself at the junction connecting the continents of Asia and Europe, but oh my goodness am I glad that

had not been an option for me. Beer Sheva is not the most glamorous city in Israel, and BGU is certainly not the most prestigious school in Israel, but after all, I felt like I discovered exactly where I belong. I do not wish to give you cliches, but the experience here was life-changing, and most importantly it was a life-changing experience shared with many, who I deemed as some of the most lovely people I have had the pleasure of knowing. I have been to more than twenty countries scattered around all five continents of the world, so when I say life-changing, it is indeed life-changing. You will have opportunities to take some engaging courses related to Israel and the region of the Middle East; you will get to enjoy some trips to different parts of the country to experience culture, arts, scenery and history; you will learn Hebrew, and even though it might be difficult, it can be a rewarding experience for years to come. If you are coming from the developed world, then the living condition might be considered sub par to what you have been used to. However, life is sometimes way more than just enjoying the moment or numbing yourself with luxury and extravagance. The OSP program here in BGU offered me a brand-new pair of vision to see the world differently and shed new lights on my existing knowledge about the country and the Middle East, and for me, those are some of the things that can never be valued monetarily. So I would like to thank everyone at the OSP office for this wonderful 7 months, and OSP, BGU, Beer Sheva and Israel will always have a place in my heart.

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The OSP program was an amazing experience! Although this was my fourth time in Israel, being in this program was a completely different experience from the previous times. Being in Beer Sheva was very helpful to learn Hebrew since some people do not speak

English, thus it motivates you to study Hebrew. The people are so nice, they are always ready to meet students from abroad, and there are multiple fun activities for students.The classes are very interesting and the professors are very nice. In addition, students are also able to perform internships with BGU professors and PhD students. I learned a lot from this semester abroad at BGU, and I cannot wait to go back!

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A very vibrant campus, hospitable faculty and staff, and a more local feel than a 'large' city like Tel Aviv. A wide variety of people to meet and places to see. Traveling is constantly encouraged, and their 'study abroad /foreign student' office is always

helpful in giving tips, helping translate, or assisting in trip logistics (critical for those trips over Shabbos). The local students are very active both in Beer Sheva and other cities, so there's always something to do if not 15 minutes away, an hour and change into Tel Aviv. I can't leave 5 stars due to issues during my last month and half, which is a shame since everything was great for the first few months. Aside from this, I believe most will love their experience as much as I did if not more so.

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I highly recommend studying abroad in Israel, and specifically at Ben Gurion University. I had such an incredible, formative, memorable, fun, and adventurous experience during my six months in Be'er Sheva. The international program is comprised of students

from all over the world, and is small enough so everyone gets to know one another. Because of this, I have friends all over, and I learned just as much about Israeli culture as I did other cultures. Additionally, the international students at BGU integrate into the BGU student population, so I really felt like I was part of the school. I really felt like I lived there, not like a visitor. I loved the authentic experience of living in Be'er Sheva. I traveled all over Israel each weekend- I went to Tel Aviv and Jerusalem all of the time, but it was great to return home to Be'er Sheva each week. We had amazing hiking trips on the weekends, and the counselors were so helpful. They really care about each student and are so much fun. I especially loved the Minorities of Israel class, in which we learned about many minority groups I did not know much about before, and visited some of their villages. I would choose to study abroad at BGU again without a doubt.

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My experience at BGU was nothing less than incredible - to the point where I decided to stay, and now I'm doing my doctorate there. Highly recommend. You get out when you put in! Plus, there's nothing like the spirit of the Negev Desert.

I attended the Data Mining & Business Intelligence summer program at BGU. Firstly, the course itself is very interesting, relevant in today's time and unique. My faculty and counselors were extremely helpful in making my experience here an amazing one.

The social activities were well integrated with the course to give us a good exposure to Israeli culture.I made friends with quite a few amazing people and had a ton load of wonderful memories to take back home.

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This is my first time being aboard from my country. I wish I can learn high-tech knowledge from BGU teachers but i gained much more than that. During weekdays, we gain inspiring and well-prepared courses, covering various domains of cyber security and

machine learning. When it came to weekend, we had wonderful trips to Eilat, Dead Sea, we were also invited to bonfire and miraculous kibbutz. People there are so nice and we feel pretty safe during our summer program. I also made some great Indian students friends in the program. Wonderful and unforgettable journey in my life.

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Shalom!!!This is the first time I travelled so far away from India and stayed in Israel for around a month.Starting from landing from the flight to Telavib to climbing up the plane, back to India,there was no single moment, that I have not enjoyed.Spending

the Shabbat in a Kibbutz is of course a lifetime achievement, not to speak of the practical lessons we learnt in regards to global health, migration problems, working a project with the Bedouins and so on. I enjoyed the weekend trips to Jerusalem and Elat a lot. I am looking forward to join BGU for doing my PHD, if I get a scope..This space is really too small for expressing a review.I loved the work culture, the helping attitude of the Israelis , not to forget the "falafal", which I have started preparing in my daily breakfast in India now, for which I'm greatly appreciated by my Indian friends!!! Toda !!

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The Overseas Program at Ben Gurion University was the best choice I ever made. I had been to Israel in several different contexts prior to it, mostly religious. This was a totally different experience because I was integrated in university with native

Israelis in the dormitories. The OSP program itself was extremely eye-opening, because I had classmates from all over the world, Germany, Austria, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, France, the US, and Canada. Not only did I get the opportunity to integrate with Israelis, but with Europeans for the first time too. The program took us on endless trips all over the country and the staff was always extremely helpful. The classes were eye-opening, and I had the unique experience of taking a masters level course in Sde Boker once a week and working in David Ben Gurion's Archive. To this day, those were the best five months of my life. I'm really glad I chose to do the summer Ulpan as well. We had access to the sports center across from the dorms and went to the pool daily. Be'er Sheva is an extremely therapeutic, student oriented city and the campus is beautiful. There was always something going on for students. I made the friends of a lifetime there. I was fortunate enough to meet Mr. Ginsburg and thank him for this amazing opportunity.

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Studying abroad at BGU was an amazing experience! I learned more than I ever could've imagined about more subjects than I would've dreamed of (mostly because I didn't know anything about them when I started the semester). While combining in-the-classroom

learning with out-of-the-classroom field experiences, BGU OSP provides students with a real-world view of current issues related to health, immigration, environmentalism, political science, and Israeli culture. Aside from the coursework, the travel opportunities were immense. In my time there, I traveled to Turkey, Jordan, Egypt, Cyprus, and Greece, as well as thoroughly traversing all of Israel. The group trips that you can participate in are a great way to get to know the country and see all of the beautiful places you might not find on your own. The professional and student staff who work for this program are so creative and attentive; I really couldn't have asked for anyone better. Most importantly, the nature of this programs draws in a crowd of students who are looking for an adventure. If you're a motivated and curious learner who wants to explore the Middle East and learn Hebrew along the way, I'd highly recommend looking into this program for yourself. You'll never forget the experience!

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Being an OSP Student was the best decision I ever made! Not only are the people amazing, the city, the classes, and the University is the best in the World! All my classes were fun and informative while being appropriate for a study abroad program. We

went on trips around the country and we had time for ourselves to travel. If anyone is interested in a study abroad trip, this is the ultimate experience!

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Having no prior experience in Israel, no knowledge of Hebrew, and also not being Jewish, I was exposed to a very new culture and lifestyle. But I can say with 100% confidence my time in Be'er Sheva was one of the best experiences of my life. The student

life at BGU is so great. I ended up joining a club there - Model UN, and I've made long-lasting friendships with Israeli students. Also, because OSP houses the internationals with Israelis, I was also able to become very close with my roommates, who often times helped me with Hebrew, invited me to their homes over weekends, and helped me navigate the country. The classes were also interesting and I was exposed to subject areas that I hadn't explored before. Overall, I learned a lot about myself, Israel, and I was able to apply a lot of concepts that I had learned in my political science courses to real life situations.

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