Prof. Mimi Ajzenstadt

My name is Mimi Ajzenstadt, and I am a full professor. My academic journey began with studies in Education and in Arabic Language and Literature, followed by a master’s degree in Criminology, both at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. I completed my PhD in Criminology at Simon Fraser University in Canada—an eye-opening experience that exposed me to new worlds of research and cross-cultural exchange.

Over the years, I have served as a faculty member at the Paul Baerwald School of Social Work and Social Welfare and at the Institute of Criminology in the Faculty of Law at the Hebrew University. My areas of interest include delinquency and deviance, social policy, gender, and populations at risk—fields of study that stem from a deep curiosity about social processes and a strong commitment to a just and equitable society.

Leadership and management have accompanied me throughout my career. I headed the Rothberg International School and served as Dean of the Paul Baerwald School of Social Work and Social Welfare at the Hebrew University. From 2018 to 2023, I served as President of the Open University of Israel. These roles allowed me not only to manage institutions but also to lead change, create new opportunities for students and researchers, and contribute to Israeli society at large.

As part of my academic work, I have edited leading journals, including Megamot and the Journal of Experimental Criminology. I have published books and numerous articles on deviance, female criminality, gender, welfare, and social policy, and have been a visiting professor at universities across Europe and the United States. I have had the privilege of supervising dozens of graduate students, and I am immensely proud of each and every one of them. It gives me great satisfaction to see these alumni now serving in key roles across diverse arenas—in government ministries, local authorities, civil society organizations, industry, and leading academic institutions in Israel and abroad.

In 2025, I was awarded an honorary doctorate by the Open University of Israel in recognition of my academic achievements and my contribution to advancing higher education in Israel—a deeply moving moment of acknowledgment and appreciation.
I view it as a calling to lead interdisciplinary and policy-oriented initiatives that connect knowledge with social commitment: innovation in higher education, welfare and equality, accessibility of knowledge, and the integration of research with the everyday life of Israeli society.

Alongside all this, I am a mother of two and a proud grandmother of two grandchildren, who are my greatest source of joy, inspiration, and strength.