This year, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev will officially launch one of its most forward-looking academic initiatives: the Young Family School for the Human Experience. The School will be honored at the University’s 56th Global Community and Board of Governors Gathering, to be held from October 18-22.

At a moment when artificial intelligence, biomedical innovation, and advanced engineering are transforming society at unprecedented speed, BGU is asking a deeper question — not only what we can build, but why we build it.

“Scientific excellence is essential, but it is humanistic understanding that gives knowledge meaning.” -Prof. Amit Schejter

The School’s central inquiry is both timeless and urgent: What does it mean to be human in the twenty-first century?

For Toni Young, whose gift made the School possible, that question had been building for years. “I kept asking myself: What does it mean to be human? How do we treat one another? How do we honor the rich legacy that has been created for thousands of years?”

Ben-Gurion University is internationally recognized for excellence in engineering, health sciences, cybersecurity, and desert research. The Young Family School does not stand apart from that tradition; it strengthens it. Its purpose is to bring humanistic inquiry into meaningful dialogue with the disciplines shaping tomorrow’s world. As Young explains, “I’m not against science or AI. Not at all. But we’re at a crossroads. Either we remain in control and use these tools wisely, or we risk losing sight of what makes us human.”

The School creates a University-wide framework ensuring that students in every field can engage seriously with subjects such as ethical reasoning, historical perspective, cultural literacy, and critical reflection. Courses will explore democratic resilience, moral decision-making, identity, narrative, and the human consequences of technological progress. An honors track will provide formal recognition for students who pursue deeper interdisciplinary study, equipping future physicians, engineers, and entrepreneurs with intellectual breadth alongside technical mastery.

Importantly, the initiative reframes an old debate. “It was more about what does it mean to be human; not ‘the humanities.’ That’s a different question,” Young notes. The distinction is subtle but significant. The School is not simply expanding traditional humanities offerings; it is positioning humanistic thinking as essential infrastructure for leadership in a rapidly changing world.

The School will also serve as a hub for public intellectual life at BGU, hosting an annual conference, and campus-wide conversations that bring together leading scholars, writers, and scientists.

Success, ultimately, will be measured in integration rather than isolation. “If scientists become interested in the human questions, and humanists become interested in the scientific ones, then we’ll know we’ve succeeded,” Young says.

That convergence, between inquiry and application, between knowledge and wisdom, lies at the heart of BGU’s evolving vision.

As the University advances its Way Forward Campaign and deepens its global partnerships, the launch of the Young Family School signals a powerful commitment: to educate scholars who are also citizens, innovators who are also listeners, and leaders who understand both the promise and the responsibility of progress.

In a world of accelerating change, BGU is ensuring that the next generation will not only solve complex problems, but ask the right questions.

“Literature and the humanities teach us how to live with uncertainty, imagination, and empathy.” -Nicole Krauss

Story originally published in BGU&YOU