The Agence universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF; ) is a global network of French-speaking higher-education and research institutions. Founded in Montreal, Quebec, Canada in 1961, as the Association des Universités Partiellement ou Entièrement de Langue Française (AUPELF), the AUF is a multilateral institution supporting co-operation and solidarity among French-speaking universities and institutions. It operates in French-speaking and non-speaking countries of Africa, the Arab world, Southeast Asia, North and South America and the Caribbean, Central, Eastern and Western Europe. As of 2020, the AUF has 1,007 members (public and private universities, institutes of higher education, research centers and institutions, institutional networks, and networks of university administrators) distributed throughout francophone countries on six continents. It is active in 119 countries, and represented by regional offices and information centers on campuses and in institutes. The Association receives funding from the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), and its headquarters are located at the Université de Montréal, Quebec. History Origins In 1959, Jean-Marc Léger (Canadian journalist at Le Devoir) and André Bachand (public-relations director at the University of Montreal) voiced the idea of a worldwide organisation which would create a link between French-speaking universities. On 13 September 1961 in Montreal, some 150 representatives of the French-speaking world created the foundation of what would become Association des Universités Partiellement ou Entièrement de Langue Française (AUPELF), French for the "Association of Partially or Entirely French-speaking Universities." From 1972 to 1975, Robert Mallet chaired the board of directors of AUPELF. Expansion In 1987, during the heads of state summit in Quebec, an "exchange university" project was implemented under the name UREF (Université des Réseaux d'Expression Français, University French Expression Networks). Its purpose was to create a university network for research and education. In November 1993, AUPELF became AUPELF-UREF. In April 1998, in Beirut, AUPELF-UREF became the Agence universitaire de la Francophonie. Reforms To answer the Moncton action plan's request, the AUF undertook reforms in three fields in 1999: Modification of its status Administration Programmes In 2005, the AUF endowed a four-year program to meet the goals and priorities of the decennial strategic agreement of the institutional French-speaking world. This agreement, adopted in 2004 by member states of the French-speaking world, sets the principles and strategies of the institutional French-speaking world and controls its activities. Structure The association is composed of seven bodies: General assembly: Main body of the AUF. Every four years, the 774 members of the