The Department of Ceramics and Glass Design was one of the first departments at Bezalel, and the first to win academic recognition. The department has a long tradition of developing creative processes that deal with the material and glass fields, which relies on its extensive accrued knowledge. The lecturers, experienced and leading figures in their fields, are engaged in the constant refreshing of their fields of knowledge, while continuously integrating the familiar and encouraging boundary-breaking innovation. The department is a unique body in the landscape of design departments in Israel and one of the largest departments of its kind in the world, in both scope and fields of knowledge. The department offers an innovative and original approach to the ceramic and glass traditions by encouraging students to develop an original design position in relation to accepted design concepts. It does so by basing the starting point on the material and the processes inherent in it that draw from the craft (art) tradition, lending it a new, fresh and original spirit. The lecturers in the department are active artists and creators who welcome and encourage honest and deep discussion of the fundamental issues of the fields of art and design from the experience they have acquired in their personal practice. The department deals with every aspect of design, touching on the most topical subjects, from the connection between material making and digital media, through matters of sustainability and ecology, to issues of social and ethical significance. The department's graudates receive the highest level of professional training and knowledge of materials in the belief that this basis gives them a rich starting point for the development of their personal careers as professional high quality designers and artists. The department sees its graduates as active partners in building an ethos of quality, precision, commitment and enthusiasm that will affect the face of Israeli society.