From right: Texas Governor Perry, President Peres, and Minister of Education Shai Piron at the signing ceremony on Wednesday. (Photo: GPO)
Texas A&M University announced this week that it will open a Israeli branch in the city of Nazareth by October 2015. The institution will be called the Peace Campus, and will promote coexistence for the sake of education with Israeli Arab, Jewish and foreign students.
The agreement announced in a ceremony held at President Peres' residence on Wednesday with Texas Gov. Rick Perry, President Shimon Peres, and Israeli Minister of Education Shai Piron attending. Representatives of Texas A&M signed the agreement to found the school with the Israeli Education Ministry and the Council for Higher Education.
Texas A&M is planning to raise $70 million from private donations to fund the new campus and to establish an endowment to finance its operations. The institution will offer undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degree programs in a wide range of academic disciplines and classes will be taught in English by lecturers from Texas A&M.