The guide is a co-publication of the INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITIES (IAU) and the Association of African Universities (AAU). IAU, an international, non-governmental organization in Paris, was formally established in 1950, with the purpose of encouraging and giving institutional form to the already existing links between universities and colleges throughout the world. The original initiative came from UNESCO, and the IAU has developed and maintained close relations with that organization. Membership of IAU is open to all degree-conferring institutions at the level of higher education and associate membership has been granted to a number of regional and international university bodies, giving IAU a firm footing in the different regions and cultural communities of the world. AAU, whose headquarters are in Accra, Ghana, is an international non-governmental organization set up by the universities in Africa to promote cooperation among themselves and between them and the international academic community. It was established in November 1967 at a founding conference in Rabat, Morocco. AAU is the apex organization and principal forum for consultation, exchange of information and cooperation among the universities and other higher education institutions in Africa, with a current membership of one hundred and forty-eight institutions.