Israel Establishes First National Research Institute Dedicated to Youth
Israel is establishing its first national research institute dedicated to young adults aged 18-35. The initiative aims to centralize data, guide public policy, and address critical challenges facing over two million young citizens.
While political parties running for the Knesset have largely overlooked the younger generation and failed to include young people on their lists, a groundbreaking national research and policy institute dedicated to the study of youth—specifically individuals aged 18 to 35—is being established for the first time in Israel.
The newly founded institute will focus on research and data spanning all aspects of the lives of young Israelis. It will examine not only the challenges they face, but also their resources and capabilities, cultural and leisure activities, and how they operate and evolve within a rapidly changing reality.
Filling a Critical Data Gap
This marks the first time that a dedicated national research institute focusing on young adults has been established in Israel. Currently, no single national body systematically centralizes data and research concerning 18-to-35-year-olds and makes it available to the government, local authorities, and field organizations.
Existing research in this field remains fragmented across various disciplines and entities, often rendering it inaccessible to decision-makers. The institute aims to consolidate knowledge that will serve as the foundation for future public policy and decision-making regarding youth.
The initiative is a collaborative partnership between the Ministry of the Negev, Galilee and National Resilience, alongside the Academic College of Tel Aviv-Yaffo, operating under its School of Government and Society. Additional partners in the venture include the Gandyr Foundation and the Rashi Foundation.
Objectives and Future Outlook
Under current plans, the new institute will serve, among other functions, as the research arm of the Youth Authority within the Ministry of the Negev, Galilee and National Resilience. It will pool information and data from government ministries, local authorities, and organizations, initiate nationwide multidisciplinary studies, and develop tools to assist in policy formulation.
Planned initiatives include an annual youth survey, the development of a national youth index, position papers, evaluation tools for local authorities, and academic collaborations with researchers both in Israel and abroad. However, observers note that with Israel facing upcoming elections, the ministry could potentially be restructured or a new minister might shift priorities.
The institute will be headed by Dr. Roni Eil-Lubling, acting head of the master's program in youth studies, who emphasized the significance of the endeavor:
«Israel is currently making critical decisions regarding the future of more than 2 million young people without having a comprehensive picture of their lives. We still do not know enough about how the war and the AI revolution are already altering, and will continue to alter, the life paths of young men and women in Israel: whether they will postpone higher education, how dating and family-formation patterns will change, who will choose to leave Israel, what conditions will encourage or hinder their growth as leaders, and how all these changes will shape the future labor market, economy, and Israeli culture.»
She added that the institute's research is designed to identify these shifts before they manifest as a national crisis, noting that youth serve as the sociological seismograph of society.
Yohanan Mali, Director-General of the Ministry of the Negev, Galilee and National Resilience, also commented on the initiative:
«The establishment of the institute will make it possible for the first time to centralize data, identify trends, and base policies on knowledge and research. The connection between the government, academia, and field authorities is an important step toward more precise decision-making for the younger generation in Israel.»
