Albert Katz International School for Desert Studies

rdf:langString Albert Katz International School for Desert Studies

rdf:langString The Albert Katz International School for Desert Studies (AKIS) is an international graduate school situated within the Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, which is part of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. It is located in Midreshet Ben-Gurion in the heart of the Negev Desert in Israel and was established in 1999. The school offers four master's degree (MSc) programs: Desert Studies, Ecology and Nature Conservation, Hydrology and Water Quality, and Environmental Physics and Solar Energy. Students can also pursue a PhD degree in Desert Studies at AKIS under the framework of the Kreitman School of Advanced Studies at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. Approximately 230 students attend the school, and most live in student dormitories that were designed according to the principles of climate and energy-conscious architecture. The students at AKIS come from approximately 30 different countries around the world. All of the courses are taught in English by researchers from the Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, from other faculties at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, and, occasionally, by scholars from the international community.