International Research & Exchanges Board

History

IREX was established in 1968 by the American Council of Learned Societies, the Ford Foundation, the Social Science Research Council, and the US Department of State.

Since 1968, IREX has invested in people, communities, and institutions. IREX was created to bridge geopolitical divides and spread U.S. influence abroad by fostering the exchange of scholars, teachers, students, and ideas. IREX then built its expertise and network of relationships in Eurasia to become a leader in improving access to information technology and empowering youth through education and leadership development. As global needs shifted, IREX brought this expertise to new regions—first Asia, then the Middle East and Africa, then Latin America.

Throughout these decades of change, its focus on people and communities has been steady. IREX and its private sector, government, and other organizational partners have worked in more than 100 countries to empower youth, cultivate leaders, strengthen institutions, and extend access to quality education and information.

References

References

1. Sherry Lee Mueller and Mark Overmann, [https://books.google.com/books?id=HCMeAwAAQBAJ&dq=irex+1968&pg=PA213 Working World: Careers in International Education, Exchange, and Development], 2nd ed. (Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press, 2014).
2. Richmond, Yale. (2004). "Cultural Exchange and the Cold War: Raising the Iron Curtain". Penn State University Press.
3. Engerman, David. (2009). "Know Your Enemy: The Rise and Fall of America's Soviet Experts". Oxford University Press.
4. Capodilupo, Lucia. (1984). "IREX in Romania: Overview of Programs to Date and Plans for the Future". Economy, Society, and Culture in Contemporary Romania.