Israel has a well developed higher education system. Although small in size and population，Israel’s level of higher education and its per-capita output of scientific research rank high in the world. Different from the case of many countries，the establishment of Israeli universities preceded the establishment of the Jewish nation state. Ever since their establishments，Israel’s institutions of higher education have sought to serve the country and society. The cooperation between universities and economic enterprises make Israeli higher education a model of the integration of industry，university and research. Departing from a historical overview of Israel’s institutions of higher education，this report reveals the current situation of Israeli higher education and presents an analysis of its major characteristics，including a high degree of internationalization，a clear setup of stratification，a focus on R&D，the successful transfer of research achievements，and an emphasis on their social service function.