About Us
The Florida-Israel Institute (FII) was created by the State of Florida legislature, administered by Florida Atlantic University (FAU) and Broward College (BC). Its purpose is to promote direct Florida-Israel academic, commerce, education and cultural connections.
Florida Linkage Institutes
Florida Statute 288.9175 establishes Linkage Institutes between postsecondary institutions in the state of Florida and foreign countries.
The primary purpose of these institutes is to assist in the development of stronger economic, cultural, educational, and social ties between this state and strategic foreign countries through the promotion of expanded public and private dialogue on cooperative research and technical acceptance activities, increased bilateral commerce, student and faculty exchange, cultural exchange, and enhancement of language training skills between the postsecondary institutions in this state and those of selected foreign countries. Each institute must ensure that minority students are afforded an equal opportunity to participate in the exchange programs.
Each institute must be governed by an agreement, approved by the Department of State, between the State University System and the Florida Community College System with the counterpart organization in a foreign country. Each institute must report to the department regarding its program activities, expenditures, and policies.
Each institute must be co-administered in this state by a university or community college partnership, as designated in subsection (5), and must have a private sector and public sector advisory committee. The advisory committee must be representative of the international education and commercial interests of the state and may have members who are native to the foreign country partner. Six members must be appointed by the department. The department must appoint at least one member who is an international educator. The presidents, or their designees, of the participating university and community college must also serve on the advisory committee.
Each institute is allowed to exempt from s .240.1201 up to 25 full-time equivalent students per year from the respective host countries to study in any of the state universities or community colleges in this state as resident students for tuition purposes. The institute directors shall develop criteria, to be approved by the Department of Education, for the selection of these students. Students must return home within 3 years after their tenure of graduate or undergraduate study for a length of time equal to their exemption period.
Each state university and community college linkage institute partner may enter into an agreement for a student exchange program, that requires that the tuition and fees of a student who is enrolled in a state university or community college and who is participating in an exchange program be paid to the university or community college while the student is participating in the exchange program. The agreement may also require that the tuition and fees of a student who is enrolled in a postsecondary institution in a foreign country and who is participating in an exchange program be paid to the foreign institution of enrollment.
Relation to Florida Atlantic University Mission
As a State of Florida Institute, Florida-Israel Institute (FII) promotes direct Florida-Israel mandated academic, commerce, education and cultural connections. FII promotes cooperative research and education through sponsorship of student and faculty exchange, and development of bilateral trade through organizing symposia and business forums in both states and in cooperation with Enterprise Florida.
Associations with Other Higher Education Institutes
Academic:
The Florida Israel Institute is currently engaged in fruitful collaborations with several top universities in Israel. My recent visit to Israel provided an excellent opportunity to deepen and explore further connections between Florida and Israel in the academic domain.
Non-academic
Leadership
Daniel Raviv
DirectorFlorida Israel Institute
Florida Atlantic University ravivd@fau.edu
561-297-2773
Mihaela Metianu
Executive DirectorCenter for Global Engagement
Dean of Students
mmetianu@fau.edu
561-297-3049
Guiding Committee
Henriette van Praag
Associate ProfessorBiomedical Science
FAU Division of Research hvanpraag@health.fau.edu
561-799-8689
Daniel Kantor
Associate Professor of Integrated Medical ScienceCollege of Medicine danielkantor@health.fau.edu
561-297-3708
Sarah Wood
Associate Professor of Integrated Medical Science and Associate Dean for Medical EducationCollege of Medicine
swood13@health.fau.edu
561-297-4150
