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International Association of Universities
International Universities Bureau
Secretariat
UNESCO House
1, rue Miollis
75732 Paris Cedex 15
France
Tel.: (33 1) 45 68 48 00
Fax: (33 1) 47 34 76 05

IAU annual reports provide a yearly overview of IAU activities and accomplishments. Featuring financial information, they contribute to the Association’s total transparency.

 IAU Activities and Financial Report 2012-2016
 IAU Activities and Financial Report 2008-2012
 IAU Activities and Financial Report 2004-2008
 IAU Activities and Financial Report 2000-2004

IAU adopts positions and develops Policy Statements on issues of global concern for higher education. The topics are identified by the Association’s leadership and membership. Each Statement is the product of extensive drafting and international consultations. All statements are endorsed by the General Conference of the Association.

The topics of such Policy Statements are usually identified by the Association’s leadership and membership as requiring the attention of the international academic community. IAU Policy Statements most frequently identify the issue area, present a number of key principles and include a few recommendations for action at either the institutional or the governmental level or both.

Traditionally, the development of an IAU Policy Statement has been delegated by the IAU Administrative Board to a small Working Group or Reference Group whose members are drawn from each world region. IAU is committed to being the global voice for higher education institutions hence the international composition of the Expert Groups is essential in order to ensure that each Policy Statement reflects the collective interests of higher education without ignoring the specific concerns or interests of institutions in various parts of the world.




IAU Policy Statements:

 IAU Iquitos Statement on Education for Sustainable Development, 2014

 Affirming Academic Values in Internationalization of Higher Education: A Call for Action, 2012

 IAU-MCO Guidelines for an Institutional Code of Ethics in Higher Education, 2012, Prepared in collaboration with the Magna Charta Observatory

 Equitable Access, Success and Quality in Higher Education, 2008

 Sharing Quality Higher Education Across Borders: A Statement on Behalf of Higher Education Institutions Worldwide, 2005, List of signatories, Prepared in collaboration with AUCC, ACE and CHEA

 Universities and Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), 2004

 Towards a Century of Cooperation: Internationalization of Higher Education, 2000

  Academic freedom, Institutional Autonomy and Social Responsibility , 1998

 The Buenos Aires Statement on Higher Education Funding, 1994

 Kyoto Declaration on Sustainable Development, 1993

The International Universities Bureau is IAU’s permanent Secretariat and its major instrument of program implementation, along with the Administrative Board, various Committees and Working Groups. Created by UNESCO in 1949, the Bureau was instrumental in preparing the International University Conference in Nice, 1950, at which the IAU was founded. Today, under the authority of the IAU and as a partner organization of UNESCO, its mission includes:

• Monitoring and analysing trends in higher education and research at global level,
• Collecting and sharing information,
• Developing IAU positions and advocacy

International Association of Universities - International Universities Bureau
UNESCO House
1, rue Miollis
75732 Paris Cedex 15
France
Tel.: (33 1) 45 68 48 00
Fax: (33 1) 47 34 76 05
Contact us here
Website: www.iau-aiu.net

Hilligje van’t Land
IAU Secretary General, International Association of Universities
Executive Director, International Universities Bureau
Biography

“I dedicated my career to the advancement of higher education.

Today, I am proud to take up the responsibilities that come with the position of Secretary General of the prestigious International Association of Universities (IAU).

In close collaboration with the IAU President, the Members of the Administrative Board, and the Members of the secretariat, I will continue the excellent work undertaken by my predecessor Eva Egron-Polak and will work to ensure an efficient and impactful implementation of the IAU vision and mission. The IAU Strategic Plan 2016-2020 adopted in Bangkok in November 2016 leads the way for the years to come but plans are also being elaborated for way beyond.

IAU has worked to enhance international cooperation among universities since its inception. It has accompanied them in understanding and benefiting from a globalized world.

The four key strategic priorities as selected by the Board provide a solid frame for action. IAU has developed unique advisory services on internationalization to assist higher education leaders define or refine their own internationalization strategies; the Association developed a strong leadership programme and provides several cooperation platforms. It fosters exchange on sustainable development teaching, research and campus initiatives, and is in the development phase of a new strategy to understand the contribution of ICTs both in teaching and research but also throughout the institution.

The IAU knowledge hub - with its flagship publication, the World Higher Education Database (WHED), its peer reviewed research journal Higher Education Policy, its internationally renowned magazine IAU Horizons, the renewed ebulletin IAU Lynx, - is constantly updated and improved to better serve the global higher education community to the full.

As IAU Secretary General, I am committed to ensure this Association brings the necessary support to its Member universities and organizations as well as the overall higher education community. I will promote the ethics and values that must underpin higher education and develop activities to support our community in responding to current challenges.”

Pam Fredman
IAU President (2016-2020)
Former Vice-Rector of Gothenburg University
Biography

As IAU President, I am committed to the IAU vision and mission to support the higher education community as key actor in the development of sustainable and fair societies. More than 10 years as Vice-Chancellor of Gothenburg University have educated me into the challenges universities and their leaders face. In this context, I have personally benefited from IAU knowledge sharing and networking opportunities. Indeed, it offers a unique forum for university leaders to learn from each other globally and locally. It also provides a unique support to universities in taking full advantage of higher education internationalization processes and opportunities.

Through strong collaborative work, IAU makes a difference for its members, the wider higher education community and society at large. The IAU strategic plan 2016-2020 reflects those commitments.

The main areas of work of the IAU include the internationalization of higher education and the new directions required in the current political and economic contexts; higher education and research’s roles in addressing the sustainable development goals as identified in Agenda 2030; higher education strategic and globally engaged leadership development; strategic reflection on information and communication technologies. These are all areas for which IAU develops services and offers support.

Students are most important and their access to quality higher education and success is essential. They are the driving force for change and innovation in public and private sectors and in civil society; they are the future decision makers. Higher Education is tasked with the mandate to equip them with the academic, critical, and creative thinking skills and competences they will need to lead society in the right directions. IAU works with student associations in all parts of the world to debate on issues of primary importance.

IAU Membership is composed of Universities and higher education institutions from around the world on the one hand and university associations on the other and this is reflected in the international and highly representative IAU Administrative Board, which counts 21 higher education leaders from the five continents. At the secretariat, IAU’s work is carried out by an international professional staff. Through its broad membership base, its Board and its staff the Association has a lot to offer.

This website is a unique platform for knowledge seeking and sharing, knowledge development and transfer. It is to help foster the fundamental values of academic freedom and university autonomy, equitable access to higher education, appreciation for the differences of opinion and freedom from political interference, ethics and integrity at all levels within the institutions and in the relation to all stakeholders in the wider community.

I take this opportunity to thank Eva Egron Polak who retired from her position as secretary general of the IAU in September. Over the last 15 years she has changed the organization and put it on the future oriented track it is on now. She created the solid ethical and dynamic base that allows the association to develop further into the future. Together with the IAU Members, the Members of the IAU Board and of the staff, we thanked her in Ghana on the occasion of the IAU 2017 International Conference. We also thank her here for her invaluable contributions and for the way in which she has developed the Association into the strong association that it is today.

I am pleased to welcome Hilligje van’t Land, who took over as Secretary General on 1 September 2017. She has a long international experience in the field of higher education and from working at IAU. With her as the successor to Eva Egron, the members will see the association develop even further as a global actor for higher education and its role for a sustainable future of society."

The International Association of Universities is a membership organization. It is governed by its members who are represented or elect their representatives to three different decision-making bodies. The two main categories of members who hold decision making power are the institutional members (universities & other higher education institutions) and organizational members (association of universities). IAU official statutory documents: IAU Consitution & IAU By Laws

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. IAU brings together its Members from more than 130 countries for reflection and action on common priorities. IAU is an independent, bilingual (English and French), non-governmental organization. IAU is an official partner of UNESCO (Associate status). It acts as the voice of higher education to UNESCO and other international higher education organizations, and provides a global forum for leaders of institutions and associations. Its services are available on the priority basis to Members but also to organisations, institutions and authorities concerned with higher education, as well as to individual policy and decision-makers, specialists, administrators, teachers, researchers and students.


For more information on IAU’s activities and membership, please consult our brochure.

• Academic freedom, institutional autonomy and social responsibility locally and globally
• Cooperation and solidarity based on mutuality of interests and shared benefits
• Tolerance of divergent opinions, freedom from political interference
• Equity in access and success in higher education and open access to knowledge
• Scientific integrity and ethical behaviour as cornerstones of conduct for all stakeholders in higher education
• Higher education and research in the public interest
• Quality in learning, research and outreach

IAU works to enhance higher education community’s role and actions in advancing societies worldwide. As a global membership organization, IAU represents and serves the full spectrum of higher education institutions and their associations. The Strategic plan 2016-2020, adopted during the 15th IAU General Conference, in 2016, it deepens IAU’s focus on four key higher education priority themes, while improving support and services to members as well as enhancing their visibility and engagement.

IAU 4 strategic priorities:

• Promoting values-based leadership in higher education
• Remaining a leader for inclusive, fair and ethical Internationalization of higher education
• Integrating sustainable development fully into higher education strategies
• Enhancing the role of technology in higher education

IAU fulfils its goals through:

• Expertise development & trends analysis
• Publications & specialized portals
• Advisory services
• Training & peer-to-peer learning
• Knowledge sharing events
• Global advocacy & representation

IAU continuously enhances its efficiency by:

• Engaging & enlarging IAU membership
• Ensuring financial sustainability