Texas A&M University announced on Tuesday that it is trying to open a campus in Israel, in its first push to expand branches overseas.
Texas Governor Rick Perry and Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp are currently in Israel, where they have announced plans to construct the Texas A&M Peace University in Nazareth. Sharp said that the city, famous for being the place where Jesus spent his formative years, was selected as the location for the first branch campus in Israel to act as a bridge between Israel's Arabs and Jews. Sharp added that the institution wanted to provide a space where people could meet in a learning environment, the Associated Press reported. Students and teachers at the Nazareth campus will be both Arabic and Jewish, in addition to a student body and faculty comprised of people from around the world.
The Israel campus is slated to be financed by private donors in Texas, in addition to donations from benefactors worldwide. Texas A&M is barred from using public finances to invest in campuses abroad.
"I wanted a presence in Israel," Sharp told the New York Times, explaining why he felt compelled to pursue the project in the Middle East. "I have felt a kinship with Israel."
Sharp told AP that there's still a fair amount of work to do before the project comes to fruition. The Israeli government has stated its support for the project, but Sharp is convinced that framework for new legislation will have to be put in place. He also touched on the need for a lot of money, since the endeavor will not be funded by state dollars.
Evangelical pastor John Hagee has been brought in to work on the project with Sharp. In the past, Hagee has raised millions of dollars for Israel, in addition to linking university officials with Israeli religious and governmental figures.
