International Association of Universities (IAU)
Website: http://www.iau-aiu.net/
Category: Education
Year of Foundation: 1950
Location of Foundation: Nice, France
Location of Headquarters: Paris, France
Brief Description: The International Association of Universities describes itself as 'the UNESCO-based worldwide association of higher education institutions.' (Source: www.iau-aiu.net; accessed 19 April 2010).
Founding Rationales:
At the 1948 Utrecht Preparatory Conference of University Representatives initiated by UNESCO, the 'Suggested purposes for a proposed International Association of Universities' included: '1. To provide a centre of co-operation at the international level among universities and similar institutions of higher education, and for organizations in the field of higher education more generally; 2. To promote international understanding through the universities of the world and to assist them in contributing to the realization of this objective; 3. To convene international and regional conferences on problems of higher education; 4. To choose for investigation problems of international importance to universities, such as: student health and welfare; equivalence of entrance qualifications and degrees; academic freedom; university finance; selection of students; methods of teaching at the university level; and curriculum reform; 5. To make recommendations on these and other academic problems, on the one hand to universities and similar institutions of higher education for their consideration; and, on the other, to the United Nations and to Unesco and other specialized agencies for consideration and, where deemed desirable, transmission to national governments; 6. To administer an International Universities Bureau with the purpose of furthering directly or indirectly the following objects: (a) The collection and dissemination of information relating to institutions of higher education throughout the world ... ; (b) The undertaking of such investigations into university problems as may be chosen by the association; (c) The promotion of facilities for the interchange of university students ... ; (d) The formation of measures for the better distribution and exchange of laboratory materials, books, and other equipment for university study and research among the countries of the world.'
Source: International Universities Bureau, 'Report of the International Conference of Universities held at Nice 4th - 9th December 1950' (Paris: International Universities Bureau, 1951), pp. 37-38.
Evolution of Membership (institutions):
Sources: YIO; EAIO; www.iau-aiu.net (accessed 20 April 2010)