IREX
International Research & Exchanges Board

IREX History

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IREX Timeline
View a timeline commemorating
IREX's 35-year anniversary

In 1968, IREX (International Research & Exchanges Board) was established by leading US universities to administer exchanges with the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. According IREX's founding documents, a centralized organization was needed "to reflect disparate interests, be capable of centralizing diverse functions and administer them efficiently,...enjoy confidence of the profession and the participating institutions, act with authority on both sides of the Atlantic, solicit and attract sufficient funds, be immune to political pressures from all sides, [and] fulfill the sensitive role of clearinghouse for information." The immediate goal of IREX was to administer exchange programs with the Soviet Union and Eastern European countries. But while the founding proposal cites an "immediate mandate" focusing on that region, it also makes clear that "there is no disposition to limit [IREX’s] jurisdiction geographically."

After 35 years of administering cultural, professional, and scholarly exchanges, IREX remains committed to supporting scholarship and free intellectual inquiry among scholars and individuals worldwide. Today, IREX has offices and representatives in over 125 cities of Europe and Eurasia and administers programs to advance education, support independent media, promote Internet development, and build civil society.

For a more detailed history of IREX, view a timeline commemorating IREX's 35-year anniversary.