Instead of Campus, Texas A&M Plans Institute in Israel

Texas A&M University and the University of Haifa on Monday announced plans to establish a joint institute for marine science research in Israel. The universities said they will invest $5.5 million to establish the Texas A&M -- University of Haifa Eastern Mediterranean Observatory on Haifa's campus.

Texas A&M has backed away from more ambitious plans announced in 2013 to develop a full-fledged branch campus elsewhere in Israel, in the predominantly Arab city of Nazareth.