Starting in the 1960s, the Technion opened its doors to hundreds of students from developing countries in Africa and Asia. Between 1962 and 1982, there was a joint project between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Technion, the goal of which was to provide academic education to students from those countries, who would be able to return home and help solve problems faced by their countries of origin. At the same time, many Technion faculty members provided technological assistance to various countries around the world, often under the auspices of UN agencies.