Association of Commonwealth Universities

The ACU is the oldest inter-university network in the world, with around 500 member institutions spread across six continents. Its mission is to strengthen the higher education institutions within its membership through international co-operation and understanding.

Woburn House, 20-24 Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9HF, UK

Tel: +44 20 7380 6700 | Fax: +44 20 7387 2655

Email: info@acu.ac.uk | www.acu.ac.uk

Foundation: 1913

Officers

Chair of Council: Dr Theuns Eloff, Vice-Chancellor of North-West University, South Africa; Secretary-General: Professor John Wood CBE FREng

Activities

The ACU’s portfolio of services includes: an annual Conference of Executive Heads; information on universities and studying in the Commonwealth, including a comprehensive database of Commonwealth universities and staff; professional networks in key functional areas (Research Management, Human Resource Management, Public Relations, Marketing and Communications, Libraries and Information, University Extension, Graduate Employment); a benchmarking programme enabling participating universities to compare key management processes; research and policy analysis; negotiated discounts on recruitment advertising and academic journals. The ACU also provides the secretariat for the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK, the Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission, Commonwealth Universities Study Abroad Consortium and the Staff and Educational Development Association.

Publications

Bulletin (4 issues a year), VC-Net (monthly), Research Global (3 issues a year), and various reports and papers on key issues in international higher education.