EAIR—The European Higher Education Society

EAIR, originally an abbreviation for European Association of Institutional Research, was born on November 16, 1979, at the Sorbonne University in France when 26 individuals from 12 countries came together to create an association where administrators, managers, and leaders in the field of European higher education could engage in mutual learning and gain knowledge from shared experiences of reform and change in their institutions. Although originally its name was closely aligned with an institutional research profile, this kind of introspective analysis has been quite rare in the European context—which was reflected in the name change to EAIR—The European Higher Education Society. This entry provides an overview of EAIR, including its origins and evolution, as well as contemporary developments.