The University of Cambridge is a global institution. These pages provide an overview of Cambridge's international activities in pursuit of its mission to contribute to society through excellence of education, learning and research.
Explore our global impact
From the Arctic to Zambia, explore our interactive global map to learn about the work of Cambridge and its partners to make a positive impact around the world.
Explore the impact mapThe International Association of Research Universities (IARU)
IARU comprises 11 research-intensive universities spread throughout the globe, from the USA and South Africa, to Australia and Japan. IARU exists to facilitate joint working on key issues for the university sector, to support research that addresses pressing global challenges, and to enable international student exchange. The alliance is particularly active in the areas of sustainability, the management of university estates, and research in ageing, longevity and health.
Leadership of IARU rotates between members every two years and in April 2021 Cambridge was delighted to be confirmed as the new Chair. The Acting Vice-Chancellor, Dr Anthony Freeling, is serving as the interim IARU Chair and the IARU Secretariat sits within the Strategic Partnerships Office. The Chair will pass to the University of Cape Town in April 2023. The current Cambridge IARU senior officer is Dr Karen Kennedy and the IARU Secretariat can be contacted at iaru@admin.cam.ac.uk. More information can be found on the IARU website.