International Relations Officers’ Network of the Association of European Life Science Universities

IROICA as a network of international relations officers was established in 1997 as an activity within the "DEMETER" Socrates Thematic Network project. In 1998, IROICA became a Standing Committee within ICA. Today IROICA has the status of a non-profit international association with its own statutes. The governing body is the IROICA General Assembly which meets annually at the time of the annual conference. The Executive Committee is elected by the General Assembly.

IROICA’s main goals are to support and enhance the work of the international relations officers in the member institutions of the network by:

• supporting the development of international cooperation by its member institutions
• promoting and supporting international activities for undergraduate and post-graduate students, and for academic and administrative staff of their institutions
• providing a pool of information about important developments in the field of international higher education
• providing professional development for international relations officers in the field of academic international relations management
• providing guidance for newly established international offices in relation to their overall profile and their principle tasks
• disseminating outcomes from projects implemented by member universities
• promoting internal quality assurance of institutional internationalisation strategies through the adoption of IROICA’s standardised quality assurance procedures, and
• providing intercultural communication training for international relations officers and administrative staff

At all times IROICA promotes quality and high standing in its activities, which are guided by a spirit of openness, human rights and democracy.

In order to achieve these goals, the IROICA network acts as a forum for discussion. IROICA convenes physical meetings and with electronic communication enables members to express their views and requests. IROICA also leads and participates in projects.

See IROICA website for details of upcoming events and conferences

Publications:

Delgado M, Hellgren S-L, Nielsen M, Vandecasteele H, Wojciechowska A and Heath S (2008). Handbook of good practice in the management of the academic studies and pastoral care of international Master students. Association for European Life Science Universities, Gent, Belgium, pp 45 .

Karlsson I, Mueller I, Atkinson H, Toborn J and Bengtsson (2004). Good practice for international relations officer. Interuniversity Consortium for Agricultural and Related Sciences in Europe, 2nd edition, pp55.

Heath S B (2004).  Quality in internationalisation, the password for the future.  Proceedings of the 8^th European Conference for international relations officers at higher education institutions for agricultural and related sciences. Institute National Polytechnique de Lorraine (INPL), Nancy, France pp 43.

Mueller I (2000). International relations management at higher education institutions in agricultural and related sciences – contributions at IROICA workshops 2000. Interuniversity Consortium for Agricultural and Related Sciences in Europe, pp56.

For more information or contact:

Lukáš Pospíšil
International Relations Specialist
Agricultural University of Iceland
Hvanneyri, 311 Borgarbyggð, Iceland

tel: +354 433 5000
email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.