In the fall of 2013, Texas A&M University announced its plan to build a branch campus -- a “peace campus” -- in the predominantly Arab city of Nazareth in northern Israel. Then Texas Governor (and current Republican presidential contender) Rick Perry and Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp led the Aggie delegation to Israel, where they announced their intention to build a comprehensive campus in Nazareth during a signing ceremony in the residence of Israel's then president, Shimon Peres. “This is a proud accomplishment that has been years in the making,” Sharp said at the time in a statement. “We are absolutely dedicated to making this one of the finest international universities in the world and open to all.”

August 27, 2015 ・ From Inside Higher Ed