Formation	1950; 74 years ago (1950)
Type	NGO
Headquarters	Paris, France
Region served	Worldwide
Membership	More than 600 members- Universities, higher education institutions & associations
Official language	French, English
President	Andrew J Deeks
Executive General Secretary	Hilligje van't Land
Main organ	IAU General Assembly
Affiliations	UNESCO
Website	IAU Official website

The International Association of Universities (IAU) is a membership-led non-governmental organization working in the field of higher education. It comprises more than 600 higher education institutions and organizations in over 130 countries.^[1] IAU is an official partner of UNESCO.^[2] The IAU secretariat is based in Paris and is located at the headquarters of UNESCO.

History

IAU was created under the auspices of UNESCO on 9 December 1950 during the International Conference of Universities in Nice. Its goal was and remains to encourage cooperation among institutions of higher education worldwide.

Governance

The governing bodies of the IAU are the General Assembly and the Administrative Board. The Secretariat implements the strategy adopted by the governing bodies.

Members

As of 1 January 2022, the International Association of Universities counts more than 600 members (institutions, organizations, affiliates and associates) in over 130 countries worldwide.