The Pinhas Sapir Center for Development was founded in 1975. The center's main interests are economic, industrial, social, political and cultural-educational development. The aim of the center is to widen the knowledge and understanding of development in general, while emphasizing the Israeli experience.

The center's activities include:
1. Research. The center encourages researchers from academic institutions to present research proposals. These proposals are reviewed by a scientific committee and research funds are allocated according to its recommendations. The discussion papers are available in the university libraries.
2. Conferences - some are dedicated to the presentation of research works carried out in conjunction with the center and some are dedicated to current events. Participants include members of the government, economic institutions, public institutions and Israeli and foreign universities.
3. In-depth discussions on selected subjects within the framework of international conferences. The conference proceedings are published in English by some of the top publishing houses.