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Teaching and Research in State Audit in Israel

Half a generation ago one could not find, practically speaking, a place in the world where state audit was studied seriously and on a permanent basis on an academic level. There was no program of studies on state audit leading to a recognized academic degree. Research studies were also few and far between.

This situation has changed by the beginning of the nineties. Universities in several countries have introduced courses and programs of studies in state and public audit. At the same time, research in the history and methodology of state and public audit has spread all over the world. State audit as a subject of study and research is approaching a saturation point similar to other subjects within the social sciences, where it is difficult to follow and keep up with all the publications in the field.

State Audit had attracted academic at­tention only recently, the world over.

Israel is among those at the forefront of these developments. The first academic course in Israel on state and public audit was opened in 1979 at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Since then courses have been developed in this field at two other Israeli universi­ties: Bar-Ilan University near Tel-Aviv and Haifa University. The latter, in particular, has developed the study of state and Public audit to the utmost. It founded a program of studies, under the energetic leadership of Dr. Asher Friedberg, leading, to a M. A. degree in public audit.

Further, within its Institute for the Re­search of Public Policy it developed a special program of research on state and public audit. This program has attracted a group of highly qualified graduate students. Some of their research papers are published (in Hebrew) in "Iyunim", the Israeli Journal on State Audit, which devoted an entire issue to these research efforts. The issue contained papers on

• "Israel's activities on behalf of its Elderly Population's Health and Welfare, as Reflected in State Audit Reports";
• "The Ministry of Education and Culture as Reflected in State Audit Reports";
• "State Audit of Computerized Information Systems in the Israeli Public Administration";
• "Political Party Financing and State Audit".

Israel is among those in the forefront, three universities taking an interest. A Reader in State Audit is under prepara­tion for worldwide distribution.

Next to the office of the State Comptroller, there is a permanent group of experts active in the research of state audit. This group includes Prof. Ira Sharkan-sky, Dr. B. Geist, Dr. A. Friedberg and Mr. N. Mizrahi, all present or former lecturers on state and public audit at Israeli universities. This group is now engaged in the preparing of a "Reader in State Audit" which will be distributed worldwide within the IDsI framework.