A college building community resilience

At the gateway to the south of Israel is a very special college. In a rural setting, yet just 45 minutes from Tel Aviv, Achva College has 3,000 students, mostly from the southern part of the country.

But what makes it unique is that almost 90 percent of these students are women. “It started off as a teachers’ college, mainly for women, and as it expanded to other academic fields, such as psychology, computer science and more, women felt – and feel – empowered studying here,” says college president Professor Yifat Bitton. “Most come from traditional societies nearby, including Charedi. We also have the largest share of students of Ethiopian descent in the country. I’m proud that we are able to provide such a welcoming, non-biased environment notwithstanding our rigorous academic standards.”

Women are more likely to attend higher education, especially in degree courses such as psychology, education and communication disorders but, at Achva, computer science and life science courses also have more women than men.

The college offers many programmes, including three advanced degrees in psychology – clinical psychology, rehabilitative psychology and educational psychology.

Professor Bitton grew up in nearby Qiryat Malachi, but she had to move to Jerusalem for higher education. “It’s not right that you should have to leave your community for higher education, because this means communities lose their leaders,” she says. “Achva College enables you to reach far, but to do it near your home. Young women can pursue higher education and be able to develop
their career, while still being part of their community.”

For foreign or visiting students there is accommodation in villages nearby or they can easily commute from Tel Aviv. There are several programmes taught in English that are ideal for student exchange and for professors who wish to spend a sabbatical teaching or researching in collaboration with Israeli colleagues.

“There’s a lot to learn from the way we teach and approach psychology, especially given the atrocities of October 7,” says Professor Bitton. “Achva College has developed a level of experience-based knowledge and research that is unmatched. Academia, as important as it is, cannot reach the deeper issues and the academic experience has to be merged with real-life experiences.”

Immediately after October 7, the college established a mental health ecosystem that includes subsidised clinical services, advanced professional training, research and more, using its psychology team to help people. Israel is facing a horrific mental health crisis that affects an estimated 50 percent of the population.

With enough financial support, Achva College hopes to expand its reach and provide accessible, affordable, long-term services to the people of the south
and the Gaza envelope. It has a key role in the region’s healing and offers hope with its unique combination of science and care.

achva.ac.il