Governance
How the association is governed
IARSA is administered by a Governing Council and its standing committees. Each of the three national bodies is separately registered under the laws of its own country, and each stands on its own bylaws and constitution, published on its own country page. They operate as one association under a licence agreement between them.
Governing documents
License Agreement (2026)
The Master Intercompany Intellectual Property License Agreement of 11 August 2026, under which the three separately incorporated bodies operate as one association. IARSA Nigeria owns the association's name, marks, curricula and certification systems, and licenses them to the United States and Ghana bodies within their own territories, each of which remains independently governed and independently liable.
Constitution (Nigeria)
The constitution of IARSA Nigeria, as amended in March 2022 and again in June 2023, setting out its objects, membership, officers and procedures across seventeen articles. The United States and Ghana bodies each stand on their own governing document, published on their own country page.
Code of Ethics
Seventeen sections governing the professional conduct expected of members in research, publication and administration.
Operation Manual
The association's operating procedures, covering governance, membership administration, committees and programmes.
Chapters
Article XIII of the United States bylaws sets out how the Association establishes and supports chapters, including international chapters, each formed by petition and its own certificate of incorporation.
How the three bodies work together
One association, three separate legal entities
Each of the three national bodies is separately incorporated under the laws of its own country, and none of them is a branch or a subsidiary of another. The License Agreement is the instrument that lets them operate as one association without disturbing that separateness. It was executed by all three bodies with effect from 11 August 2026.
Who owns the name
IARSA Nigeria holds all global rights in the association's name, the acronym IARSA, its logos, its educational curricula, its certification systems and its research frameworks. It grants the United States and Ghana bodies a separate licence each, valid within that country's own territory. Neither licence may be sub-licensed, assigned or transferred to anyone else without Nigeria's written consent.
What each licence permits
Recruiting members locally, hosting academic conferences, issuing approved professional certifications and distributing research journals, within that body's own country.
Each body stands alone
The agreement expressly creates no partnership, joint venture, agency or parent-subsidiary relationship. Each body is solely responsible for its own debts, operations, employment contracts and legal liabilities, and none has authority to bind another. The United States and Ghana bodies each maintain their own bank accounts, financial ledgers and governing board, in compliance with their own national law.
One standard everywhere
Both licensees follow the academic and operational guidelines issued by Nigeria, and neither may alter the IARSA logo, change certification criteria or modify curriculum guidelines without prior written authorisation. This is what makes a certification issued in one country mean the same as one issued in another.
Term, law and disputes
The agreement runs for ten years from its effective date and may be renewed by mutual written agreement. It is governed by the laws of Nigeria, Ghana and the State of Delaware, and any dispute the parties cannot settle between themselves goes to final and binding arbitration under the rules of the International Chamber of Commerce, conducted in English.
Standing committees
Nine committees of the Council
Each committee has its own charter setting out its mandate, membership, reporting duties and, where it selects recipients or candidates, its conflict-of-interest rules.
Executive Committee
Carries the business of the association between meetings of the Board, and reports every action it takes back to the Board.
Finance Committee
A standing committee of the Board, advising on income and expenditure and providing financial oversight of the association.
Membership Committee
Offers services, benefits and opportunities across all types of institution, member and profession, and drives recruitment, engagement and retention.
Publications and Research Committee
Responsible for the quality of the association's publications and research, and for its editorial policy across print and electronic titles.
Training and Development Committee
Anticipates the training needs of member institutions and companies, and provides the programmes and guidance to meet them.
Awards Committee
Formulates policy for the association's awards and honours, and selects the recipients subject to the approval of the Board.
Conference Committee
Plans and executes every aspect of the Annual Conference and all other conferences the association organizes.
Fellowship Committee
FelCom
Established in 2022 to oversee the nomination and selection of Fellows, and to adjudicate appeals.
Researchers' Worldwide Networks Committee
IRWNC
The network of the association's scientists and researchers at leading institutions worldwide, supporting mobility, cooperation and career development.