Tel-Hai University of Kiryat Shmona in the Galilee opened its doors for the first time on Tuesday as Israel’s 11th research university, 21 years after the Israeli government decided to convert Tel-Hai College into a university.

The university, located in the Galilee Panhandle just north of Kiryat Shmona and near Kibbutz Kfar Giladi, celebrated the occasion in a ceremony held at the institution’s Roadburg Campus, attended by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu; Education Minister Yoav Kisch; Minister in the Finance Ministry Ze’ev Elkin; Council for Higher Education leaders; officials of the Tekuma and Tnufa agencies, dedicated to rehabilitating Israel’s north in light of the war; and faculty staff.

More than 5,000 students have registered for the 2026-27 academic year, up from 4,700 last year and marking a return to pre-war enrollment levels, according to the university.

Of the students enrolled, over 70% come from outside the Eastern Galilee, as the region looks to rebuild its communities and economy.

Netanyahu called the occasion “a day of great tidings for Kiryat Shmona, for the Galilee, and for the vision my grandfather had for this place,” according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem, apparently referring to his paternal grandfather, Nathan Mileikowsky, who was a Zionist political activist.

The premier recounted his grandfather’s saying, “In my mind’s eye, I see Jewish communities, the settlement of the Galilee, and steadfast resilience," adding, "and that is what we have achieved here. But today is something special, because this is a turbo engine.”

Appealing to the education minister, who sat beside him, Netanyahu told him to continue expanding the students’ knowledge and understanding, as well as embracing AI technology “with full force.... We are an intelligent people, and this is the future. It is already the present.”

Kisch noted that the opening of the university follows a 700 million shekel ($226.4 million) investment from the state’s budget.

“The number one task is to increase the number of students and grow from year to year. On this day, the dream becomes reality. The university is breathing and flourishing, and it will be the engine of growth for Kiryat Shmona and the entire region,” the minister was cited as saying at the inauguration in a statement.

Professor Eliezer Shalev, president of Tel-Hai University, said, “Building the university at this particular time is the modern embodiment of pioneering spirit and practical Zionism. We are not just establishing an academic institution; we are building a strategic national and social anchor connected to the roots of this place.”