History
Founded in 1950 under the auspices of UNESCO, the International Association of Universities (IAU) is the leading global association of higher education institutions and organisations from around the world. The Association was established with the aim of fostering cooperation and collaboration among universities worldwide.
Founding
The International Association of Universities (IAU) was founded in December 1950 in Nice, France, with its initial conception dating back to the 1930s. The formal call to establish the Association was issued during the 3rd UNESCO General Conference in 1947, held in Mexico, by the then Mexican Minister of Education, Dr. Torres Bodet. Subsequently, UNESCO organized the Preparatory Conference of University Representatives at Utrecht University, the Netherlands in 1948, where support for the official structure of this global Association was secured. The inaugural IAU General Conference then took place in Nice in 1950.
At the time, the IAU's overarching objective, as outlined in its constitution, was "to provide a center of international cooperation among universities and similar higher education institutions worldwide, as well as with organizations in the field of higher education, and to advocate for their collective concerns" (Constitution of the International Association of Universities, article 2).
1950 - 1970
In 1952, the first edition of the International List of Universities was published, and soon after the IAU Bulletin was launched in 1953. The IAU Bulletin served to compile information about the Association’s work and feature articles on higher education around the world. These inaugural reference publications were soon followed by the debut of the International Handbook of Universities in 1959.
During the 1960s, a significant development occurred with the establishment of the UNESCO-IAU Joint Steering Committee, focused on international research addressing substantive issues facing universities worldwide. This committee was co-chaired by the UNESCO Director General and the IAU President. Additionally, the sixties marked a period of reflection on the future direction of the IAU beyond its standard activities. IAU President Frank Cyril James initiated a Development Committee to envision the Association's future.
1970 - 1990
The eighties saw notable changes in the context of embracing the era of “computerisation.” In 1988, the IAU launched the peer-reviewed research journal Higher Education Policy (HEP). Collaboration with UNESCO on digital information services resulted in innovative initiatives, including the IAU-UNESCO Information Centre, stemming from the initial Information Centre.
IAU Meeting at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris
The seventies brought forth a new initiative after the Montreal Conference in 1970 – the launch of the IAU Seminar Series. The first seminar, which took place in Germany in 1971, addressed integrated higher education issues. A series of seminars followed, organized annually or biannually.
During this decade, the formation of regional higher education bodies and organizations increased significantly. UNESCO collaborated closely with the IAU on the establishment of institutions like the UNESCO European Centre for Higher Education (CEPES) in 1972, the United Nations University (UNU) in 1973, and the UNESCO Regional Centre for Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean (CRESALC) in 1974.
1990 - 2010
In the nineties, the tradition of developing Policy Statements began, serving to unify the higher education community around core values, principles, and issues of concern. Notable statements included the Kyoto Declaration on Sustainable Development (1993), the Buenos Aires Statement on Higher Education Funding (1994), and the statement on Academic Freedom, Institutional Autonomy, and Social Responsibility (1998).
60 years of the IAU celebration at Utrecht University, 2010
In the early years of the new millennium, the IAU embarked on a new trajectory marked by a commitment to the internationalization of higher education. This led in particular to the development of a series of Global Reports on the Internationalization of Higher Education.
In 2009, after active participation in the UNESCO World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development, the IAU was invited to engage in the United Nations Decade on Education for Sustainable Development (UN-DESD).
These years also saw the IAU expand its reach through the launch of the first IAU E-Bulletin in 2004, which first evolved into IAU Lynx and then into the IAU E-Newsletter. Additionally, the IAU magazine transitioned into IAU Horizons in 2005, featuring thematic In Focus sections in each issue.
During this decade, the IAU introduced its Annual Conferences held between General Conferences and expanded Membership opportunities to include other members of the higher education community, such as Organisational Members, Affiliate Members, and Associates. To strengthen collaboration amongst Organisational Members, the Global Meeting of Associations (GMA) was established in the early 2000s.
2010 - Present Day
In contribution to the UN-DESD, the IAU was invited to participate in the International Steering Group (ISG) in preparation for the Decade World Conference on ESD (WC-ESD) in Aïchi Nagoya, Japan, in November 2014. The Conference Declaration incorporated recommendations from the IAU Iquitos Statement on Higher Education for Sustainable Development, which was adopted by the IAU Administrative Board at the IAU 2015 International Conference in Siena, Italy.
IAU 16th General Conference in Dublin, November 2022
The IAU moreover contributed to the drafting and adoption of the UN Agenda 2030, emphasizing the crucial role of higher education institutions in society. The IAU launched a global survey series to monitor higher education's evolving contribution to sustainable development, conducting the first survey in 2016, a second in 2019, and a third in 2023. In 2018, the IAU established a Global Cluster on Higher Education for Sustainable Development (HESD) to advocate for higher education institutions in building more sustainable societies. In 2015, the Association also launched a leadership development programme, "Leading Globally Engaged Universities (LGEU)," which was reconceived in 2023 as the Executive Leadership Programme (ELP).
In 2015, the IAU introduced the World Higher Education Database (WHED) as an online portal in collaboration with UNESCO. It provides authoritative information on over 21,000 higher education institutions worldwide and some 196 higher education systems. In 2019, the Global WHED ID was introduced, offering a unique digital code for each HEI in the WHED, in support of the UNESCO Global Convention on the recognition of higher education qualifications.
During the 15th General Conference held at the University of Siena, Italy in 2016, IAU Members identified four key priority areas for the IAU strategy: leadership, internationalization, sustainable development, and digital transformation of higher education. These themes were reaffirmed during the 16th General Conference in 2022. The President and the Administrative Board members guide the Association's work within these areas.
