The
IAUP is an association of around 600 members, who are/were leaders on
institutions of higher education, ie rectors, presidents, chancellors and
vice-chancellors.
Mission: The overall obligation for the IAUP is to involve
the members in the world's crucial issues:
- to reduce the economic and social differences between
countries as well as between people
- to reduce inequality between races and between sexes
- to improve competence and knowledge globally and in
distinct parts of the world
- to increase mutual understanding, tolerance and respect
between peoples
- to create instruments and form attitudes that can reduce
conflicts in the world and contribute to a more peaceful
global society.
This should be done through the improvement of members' capacities and
opportunities:
- to transfer experience and knowledge between our members
and other universities, for instance by the use of information
technology
- to cooperate in academic areas with the purpose of
inspiring each other and learning from each other, and thus
improve the qualities of our universities in general
- to support the members' efforts to improve their conditions
as independent autonomous institutions, as well as to
improve the working conditions of the member universities,
including staff and students.
The efforts of the IAUP is supported through cooperation with
international organisations, such as the United Nations, UNESCO, the World
Bank and other international organisations such as the European Commission
and the International Association of Universities (IAU). At regional
levels, the IAUP cooperates with NGOs in Africa, Europe, Latin America,
North America, the Arab Countries, Asia and the Pacific.
The Activity Plan includes a number of proposals on achieving good
practice by means of a number of working groups:
- The use of technology in universities
- Dialogue of Cultures
- Disarmament education, conflict resolution and peace
- Quality assurance and global accreditation
- Presidential Exchange Program
- Links between universities and industry
- Equity for All
- Greater access for minority groups
- Regional study tours
- Trans-national education
Activities: The Triennial meeting is held as a conference for
higher education leaders every three years. The IAUP attempts to sensitise
its membership to the opportunities and challenges ahead and as such the
2002 Triennial was focussed around the theme "Academic Values,
National Dreams, Global Realities". The next Triennial will take
place in Thailand 2005.
In addition to the Triennial, the IAUP Executive Committee meets at
Executive Committee Meetings to formally and intensively review and decide
on the policy directions and programmes of the organisation. At the
Executive Committee meetings, representatives of the working groups are
present to discuss the activities of the individual groups. A large
conference will often be joined to Executive Committee meetings.
The Regional Chairs initiate activities which are open to members of
IAUP and which maintain the global interaction and dynamism that
characterise IAUP. The various Regional Councils take major responsibility
for many programmatic events. An illustration is the series of conferences
on the topic "Human Resource Development in the Pacific Basin"
which have taken place in Sacramento, Taichung, Guadalajara, Manila,
Shanghai, and Vina del Mar.
In addition, the IAUP conducts annually numerous seminars, conferences
and workshops on various essential cultural and political issues in
different parts of the world and often in cooperation with global
organisations. As an example, IAUP collaborates with US and UNESCO in the
field of peace studies in an expanding number of universities around the
world.
