Parents of slain journalist Daniel Pearl ligh
Parents of slain journalist Daniel Pearl lighSasson Tiram

The Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) Herzliya has established a journalism center named for a Wall Street Journal reporter who was kidnapped and killed in Pakistan.

The IDC launched the Daniel Pearl International Journalism Institute on Wednesday.

Pearl was on his way to an interview in Pakistan in 2002 when he was abducted and later beheaded. His last words were, "I am Jewish."

The institute aims to advance quality journalism in the Middle East and promote balanced reporting from the region. It will offer fellowships to outstanding journalists and immersion programs for visiting reporters.

Pearl's father, Judea, said he hoped the institute would be a "towering contribution to Danny's legacy, his life, his mission and his dreams."