IREX partners with communities and institutions in the United States and around the world to cultivate leaders, expand access to education, and create economic opportunity. With a proud legacy and a forward-looking vision, IREX helps people and institutions thrive in a rapidly changing world.

A leading global solutions provider and longstanding implementation partner to the U.S. government, IREX also works with governments, universities, businesses, foundations, and civil society to advance public-purpose programs and deliver meaningful results. Its robust exchange programs and enduring partnerships reflect a deep commitment to service, mutual understanding, and lasting impact.

Today, IREX’s world-class AI for Education, Future-Ready Workforce, Higher Education Solutions, Leadership Development, and Online Safety practices demonstrate how the organization is shaping the future with purpose and ambition. Across its portfolio, IREX combines practical expertise with innovative approaches to managing, analyzing, and learning from data to strengthen performance, sharpen decision-making, and help maximize value for partners.

Founded in 1968 by a network of leading U.S. universities with support from the Ford Foundation, the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS), the Social Science Research Council (SSRC), and the U.S. Department of State, IREX began by advancing exchange and international engagement across the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. That foundation continues to inspire the organization’s work today: building trust, expanding opportunity, and serving partners and communities with integrity, excellence, and optimism for what is possible. Learn more about our history.

Our Vision for Impact 

We believe real progress comes from investing in people, building relationships that last, and creating the conditions where trust can grow.

We focus on three horizon goals that define our impact:

• Leaders bridge divides – Leaders collaborate with communities, institutions, and the private sector to build trust, co-create solutions, and deliver results.
• Learners succeed in the world of work – People enter and advance in dignified employment through education and training that respond to their needs and the evolving demands of work.
• People thrive in a technology-, AI-, and data-driven world – They exercise agency, make informed choices, drive innovation, and ensure that digital progress advances human well-being.

How We Create Lasting Impact

We work alongside governments, businesses, universities, community groups, and local organizations to turn shared ambition into practical progress. More than implementing programs, we build trusted partnerships, bring global perspective and deep technical expertise, and help create solutions that are grounded in local context and designed to endure.

Young people are central to IREX’s vision for a more resilient, innovative, and better future. As a longtime pioneer in youth engagement, IREX invests in the next generation of leaders, learners, and changemakers because their ideas, skills, and energy are essential to stronger communities, thriving economies, and lasting progress.

Across its global portfolio, IREX pairs practical experience with agility, innovation, and data-informed learning to strengthen performance and deliver meaningful results for partners. This commitment to evidence, adaptation, and excellence enables IREX to respond to emerging challenges while creating lasting value for the people and communities it serves.

Innovation With Development Gateway

IREX’s strategic partnership with Development Gateway reflects a shared commitment to expanding what is possible for partners and communities around the world. As an IREX venture, Development Gateway strengthens IREX’s investments in people, future-focused solutions, and global reach with innovative expertise in data, technology, and evidence. Together, IREX and Development Gateway bring even greater depth to our AI for Education, Future-Ready Workforce, Leadership Development, Higher Education Solutions, and Online Safety initiatives—delivering enduring services and forward-looking solutions that help partners achieve lasting impact.

Based in Washington, Connected Worldwide

From its headquarters in Washington, D.C., IREX brings a global outlook and a deep sense of purpose to partnerships that strengthen communities, expand opportunity, and help institutions and individuals thrive. Grounded in its U.S. base and connected to partners around the world, IREX advances shared interests through trusted relationships, practical expertise, and solutions designed for lasting impact.

By connecting people and institutions to the ideas, skills, and networks that shape stronger futures, IREX helps build resilience, deepen mutual understanding, and open new pathways for innovation, security, and economic opportunity. This is how IREX turns connection into momentum and partnership into enduring progress.

Learn more about our continued commitment within the United States.

The IREX Brand

The IREX brand stands as a trusted symbol of quality, integrity, and purpose recognized by partners and communities around the world. It reflects our enduring commitment to helping people learn, lead, and thrive, and to creating opportunities for individuals and institutions to succeed in a technology-, AI-, and data-driven world.

Use of the IREX brand is reserved for approved partners, funders, and supporters. The IREX Communications team can provide access for approved use upon request at communications@irex.org.

IREX’s brand guidelines and logo files must not be altered, though logos may be resized proportionally as needed. Our team is available to answer questions and support proper use of the brand guidelines and logo files.