Elections for President and Administrative Board (2022-2026)

The IAU General Conference is the supreme decision-making body of the Association. It meets once every four years and it is on this occasion that IAU Members elect the IAU President as well as the Administrative Board. The Board serves a tenure of four years; due to Covid-19, the outgoing Administrative Board, initially elected for 2016-2020, saw its mandate extended by two years.

Chaired by the President of the IAU, the Administrative Board is made of twenty elected and two ex-officio members as follows: eighteen executive heads of Member institutions and two heads of Member organizations, the immediate past President and the Secretary-General. A number of deputy members, from different regions and both categories of membership, are also elected. The Administrative Board meets annually, ensures that decisions of the General Conference are implemented and guides the work of the IAU Secretariat.

To facilitate payment of IAU Membership fees for election year (2022-2023), the request for payment of Membership fees will be sent one month earlier, in September 2022.

Important dates:

27/10/2022 10h00: deadline for submitting candidacies on site during the Conference
27/10/2022: list of candidates to be displayed at the Conference
27/10/2022: elections
28/10/2022: election results

Statutory documents:
IAU Constitution
IAU By-Laws

Hear from Current Board Members:

“Serving on the IAU Board over the last four years has provided me with an opportunity to engage with talented university leaders from around the world, and to develop with them ideas about how we, as universities, can contribute together to building our shared future.” 

- Andrew Deeks, Vice-Chancellor and President, Murdoch University, Australia

"We, the members of IAU, have created a unique platform of like-minded persons and institutions to share knowledge and experience that could help convert the ongoing technological and societal progress to the progress of the whole humanity. " 

- Inga Žalènienè, Rector, Mykolas Romeris University Lithuania

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Who can stand for election to the IAU Administrative Board?
Candidacies can be accepted from the executive head of an IAU Member institution (ie Vice-Chancellor, President, Rector) or organization provided the following criteria are met:
- The Member institution/organisation's membership fees are fully paid up including the year in which the election falls (2022-2023).
- The candidate has support from the executive heads of 5 IAU Member institutions/organisations in good standing (no membership fee arrears).
- The candidate is present at the time of the elections during the IAU 16^th General Conference.

2. What does being an IAU Administrative Board member entail?
- The IAU Administrative Board members are elected to serve for 4 years, until the next IAU General Conference.
- The IAU Administrative Board meets once a year, usually prior to the IAU Annual Conference, with the exception of the first year when there is an additional meeting organized in Paris.
- Committing to the Board means taking part in IAU activities and working groups, and providing strategic advice and feedback to the IAU Secretariat throughout the period of the mandate.
- IAU Administrative Board members should promote the Association, its Members and the work of the Association.

3. I am interested in standing for election, how do I proceed?
First, check your eligibility (see question 1).
- If eligible, please complete the Google Form available here. Here you will have to provide a bionote and a brief description of your institution or organisation (no more than 300 words). Once you have done this, please download and complete the nomination form and seek support from 5 IAU Members (institutions or organizations) in good standing (please note that the nomination form should be signed by the head of the Member institution/organization endorsing the candidacy). For questions regarding Members (contact information, advice, to confirm that the Member is in good standing) please contact Nicholas Poulton (n.poulton@iau-aiu.net).
- Once you have collected 5 endorsing signatures (they can be on 5 different nomination forms for ease’s sake), you should submit them to Nicholas Poulton at n.poulton@iau-aiu.net. You can also submit endorsing signatures as you have them; if you are unable to obtain all 5 signatures before the conference, we will help you obtain them on site. 
- Please download, sign and return to us the Letter of Commitment, along with a photo (the photo will be posted on the conference website and on site at the conference).

Nomination form
Letter of commitment

4. Who can vote?
The executive head of an IAU Member institution or organisation fully paid up in its membership fees, including the year in which the election falls (2022-2023), and who has registered for the Conference. To find out whether your institution/organization is fully paid up, please contact Nicholas Poulton (n.poulton@iau-aiu.net).

If the executive head of your institution is unable to attend the IAU 16th General Conference, a delegate may be chosen by the head to proxy vote. In order for IAU to accept this proxy vote, a letter certifying the proxy must be signed by the head of the institution. Please see a standard proxy letter here. 

Not yet a Member of IAU?

Learn how to join the Association or contact Membership@iau-aiu.net for more information.