Tel Aviv University Prepares Global Leaders to Take Climate Action

According to the United Nations, the world had its the hottest week on record just a couple of weeks ago. Climate change is not going away, and – with its recently launched interdisciplinary Center for Global Climate Change, as well as three international master’s (MA) programs focused on the environment – Tel Aviv University (TAU) is positioning itself as a global leader in tackling climate change.

“We know we cannot solve the climate crisis with just one discipline,” says Prof. Vered Blass, who oversees the university’s international MA in Environmental Studies. “That is the strength of our programs. They draw on students and researchers from all the faculties.”

Each of the international environmental MA programs at TAU, offered in English through The Lowy International School, take one year to complete and focus on a different aspect or approach to the environment and climate.

International MA in Environmental Studies

TAU’s international Environmental Studies MA is a multidisciplinary program that brings together experts from a host of faculties, including life sciences, engineering, biotechnology, philosophy and economics. Courses, on topics such as urban sustainability and water policy, delve into the core issues currently challenging our natural world; through coursework, students approach scientific, legal, ethical, physical and health considerations related to the environment.

Graduates of the MA in Environmental Studies go on to have a real, positive impact at the governmental, industrial, societal, cultural, and corporate levels, according to Prof. Blass: “In recent years we have more students coming from Africa and South America keen to learn what Israel is doing and see what knowledge they can take back home.”

Application deadline (for academic year starting October 2023): August 31, 2023

International MA in the Social and Policy Aspects of Climate Change

In October, TAU will start its newly created Social and Policy Aspects of Climate Change MA, one of just a handful of social science graduate programs in the world that address the social, cultural, political and policy dimensions of the climate crisis.

Graduates of the program will be able to seize on the growing global need for climate experts in all walks of life, from city and harbor planning to issues like housing and public spaces, to corporate and industry commitments and regulations. “Climate change is a systemic, global process with a far-reaching impact on literally everything,” says program head Prof. Dan Rabinowitz.

Application deadline (for academic year starting October 2023): Rolling

International MA in Sustainable Development

Introduced in 2020, the Sustainable Development MA combines the practical and the theoretical to train the next generation of sustainable development leaders. The multidisciplinary program revolves around designing and implementing sustainable development projects, with each student participating in an actual development project in the field.

“The whole program is built around doing,” says Dr. Ram Fishman, who heads the MA program. “This is about work we do in the real world and that will involve a lot of challenges, a lot of uncertainty, but also, ultimately, a very rewarding experience.”

Application deadline (for academic year starting October 2023): July 31, 2023

Interested in Learning More?

The Lowy International School is holding an information session through Zoom on the international Environmental Studies MA, happening on Sunday, July 16, 2023, at 4:00 p.m. Hear a mini lecture on Innovation in Circular Systems, and come chat! Register to join.

And while you’re at it, don’t forget to check out scholarships through The Lowy International School.