IPSA

What IPSA does

The International Political Science Association (IPSA), founded in 1949 in Paris under UNESCO auspices and headquartered in Montreal, Canada since 2006, is a private non-profit international association that operates as the global federation of the political science discipline. It serves individual political scientists, universities and research institutions, and 50 national political science associations as collective members, delivering value through a portfolio of academic publications, conferences, research committees, and educational programs rather than a single software product. Core offerings include two flagship publications (the International Political Science Review and International Political Science Abstracts, the latter covering nearly 1,000 journals with 264,000 references dating to 1951 and 8,000+ new abstracts annually), 50 active Research Committees, a triennial World Congress (most recently Wroclaw 2026 with Rome 2027 upcoming), nine Summer Schools across global locations, the IPSA Portal indexing 300+ curated websites, IPSAMOOC online courses, and specialty programs such as the Global South Solidarity Fund and the IPSA-AAPS Africa Workshop Series.

IPSA generates revenue through four streams: individual, institutional, and collective membership dues; subscription revenue from publications; transaction-based fees from World Congress, regional conference, and Summer School registration; and sponsorships that underwrite flagship events. Pricing for membership tiers and event registration is not publicly disclosed. Distribution relies on the website (ipsa.org), email newsletters, in-person events, and a channel network of 50 national member associations that act as ambassadors within their respective countries. The organization is governed by an elected Executive Committee and Council, with a professional Secretariat led since 2020 by Executive Director Kim Fontaine-Skronski (the first woman to lead the Secretariat) and rotating Presidents, currently Yuko Kasuya (2025-2027). Strategic partners include UNESCO (founder), the International Science Council, Concordia University, Montreal International, and the International Association of Political Science Students (IAPSS).

Name

IPSA

Legal name

International Political Science Association

Website

https://ipsa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1949

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The International Political Science Association (IPSA) is a non-profit global federation of political scientists founded in 1949 under UNESCO auspices, headquartered in Montreal, serving 50 national member associations, individuals, and institutions through publications, a triennial World Congress, and educational programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Scholarly Society & Association Publishing (EDAGAFAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

United Nations System & Specialized Agencies (BPADAAAA), Government & Public Sector Conferences (MPAGAGAH)

Keywords

• Professional association services
• Academic conference programming
• Scholarly publishing services
• Bibliographic database publishing
• Political science research networking

Headquarters

HQ city

Montreal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: IPSA generates revenue through individual, institutional, and collective membership fees from political scientists and national associations worldwide.
2. Publication Subscriptions: Revenue from subscriptions to International Political Science Abstracts, International Political Science Review, and other publications.
3. Event Registration: Registration fees for World Congresses, regional conferences, Summer Schools, and other IPSA events.
4. Sponsorships: Major sponsorships help fund World Congresses and other association activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

IPSA is a membership-based international non-profit association that advances political science globally by offering individual, institutional, and collective memberships; publishing peer-reviewed journals and bibliographic resources (notably the International Political Science Review and International Political Science Abstracts); and convening a triennial World Congress, regional conferences, nine Summer School locations, and 50 active Research Committees. Its offerings serve political scientists, universities, and national political science associations worldwide.

Product overview

IPSA (International Political Science Association) is a professional association serving as the global voice of political science. Rather than a single software product, IPSA offers a comprehensive portfolio of academic resources and programs. Its core offerings include two flagship publications—the International Political Science Review (IPSR) and International Political Science Abstracts—alongside additional publications such as Governance Review, IPSA Companion to Political Science, International Encyclopedia of Political Science, Participation newsletter, and specialized reports on gender, diversity, and predatory publishing. Digital resources include the IPSA Portal (cataloging 300+ political science websites), IPSAMOOC (online courses), and IPSA Digital content. IPSA organizes major events including World Congresses (triennial, with Rome 2027 upcoming), Regional Conferences, Summer Schools in 9 global locations, IPSA WiPS events, and Africa Workshop Series. The association also supports Research Committees (50 active), Awards, Conference Proceedings, and the Global South Solidarity Fund.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Individual Membership Annual subscription membership for political scientists and academic researchers worldwide, granting access to IPSA publications, Research Committees, conference participation, Summer Schools, and IPSAMOOC.
• Institutional Membership Annual subscription membership for universities and research institutions, supporting faculty and student participation in IPSA programs including Summer Schools and Research Committees.
• Collective Membership Annual subscription membership for national and regional political science associations, providing Council representation, governance voice, and ambassadorship within IPSA.
• International Political Science Review (IPSR) Peer-reviewed academic journal published by IPSA, featuring themed issues with guest editors that publishes high-caliber papers on political science topics.
• International Political Science Abstracts Bibliographic resource publishing abstracts of articles from selected political science journals; indexes and classifies entries under six main categories. Currently covers nearly 1,000 journals and publishes more than 8,000 abstracts a year, with a database of 264,000 references going back to 1951.
• IPSA World Congress Triennial international congress bringing together political scientists from around the world. Upcoming: 29th Congress in Rome 2027. Past attendance reached 2,000+ delegates at Fukuoka in 2006.
• IPSA Summer Schools Educational programs held in nine locations worldwide including Antalya, Mexico, Montreal, Naples, Poland, São Paulo, Singapore, Spain, and St. Petersburg.
• IPSA Regional Conference Regional conferences organized by IPSA, including the Wroclaw 2026 conference on 'Resilience of Democracy in a Polarized World'.
• IPSAMOOC Online learning platform offering massive open online courses (MOOCs) for political science education.
• IPSA Portal Digital portal that records, classifies, describes, and evaluates approximately 300 websites useful to the practice of political science. Headed by editor Mauro Calise.
• Governance Review IPSA publication covering governance-related research and analysis.
• International Encyclopedia of Political Science Encyclopedia providing extensive coverage of political science concepts, theories, and methodologies.
• IPSA-Concordia Summer Institute on Applied Diplomacy Summer School program offered in Montreal in partnership with Concordia University focused on applied diplomacy.
• IPSA WiPS (Women in Political Science) Virtual events dedicated to women in political science, including the Virtual 2026 edition.
• IPSA-AAPS Africa Online Workshop Series Online workshop series for Africa organized in partnership with AAPS, with 2026 programming available.
• Research Committees Program Program supporting 50 active Research Committees that follow research in specific fields within political science and enable specialized collaboration.

Quantifiable outcome

• The International Political Science Abstracts covers nearly 1,000 journals and publishes more than 8,000 abstracts annually, adding to a database of 264,000 references.
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• UNESCOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNESCO was the founding force behind IPSA, convening the conferences in 1948 and 1949 that led to the association's creation. UNESCO provided initial financial support through the International Social Science Council and continues as a key institutional partner. IPSA maintains affiliation with UNESCO as part of its organizational identity.
• International Science Council (ISC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe International Science Council, formerly the International Council for Science, is a key international body with which IPSA maintains affiliations and collaborative relationships in the broader scientific community.
• Concordia UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConcordia University partners with IPSA to offer the IPSA-Concordia Summer Institute on Applied Diplomacy in Montreal. Concordia University, led by former Secretary-General Guy Lachapelle, has been a key institutional supporter.
• Montreal InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMontreal International is a public-private partnership that works to attract international organizations to Montreal. Their support enabled IPSA's move to Montreal in 2006 and continues to provide institutional backing for the association's operations in the city.
• International Association of Political Science Students (IAPSS)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIAPSS is a partner organization that represents political science students globally and works with IPSA to promote student participation in the discipline and association activities.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• American Political Science Association (APSA): The leading US-based political science association, publishing multiple peer-reviewed journals (APSR, Perspectives on Politics) and hosting the largest annual political science congress. APSA is the most direct functional peer to IPSA, serving overlapping scholarly audiences with comparable membership and publication models.
• International Studies Association (ISA): ISA is the largest international association for scholars in international relations and international studies, hosting an annual convention, publishing journals (International Studies Quarterly, ISA Quarterly), and serving a closely adjacent scholarly community to IPSA's global political science audience.
• European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR): An international political science organization based in Europe that runs joint sessions, summer schools, and publishes methodologically oriented resources. ECPR is a close peer in serving political scientists globally with events, training, and methodological infrastructure.
• International Sociological Association (ISA): A UNESCO-affiliated global federation of sociologists operating a near-identical federated model (national associations, World Congresses, research committees, summer schools). ISA is the direct disciplinary peer of IPSA within the social sciences.

Others

• International Science Council (ISC): The umbrella body for international scientific associations, of which IPSA is a member. ISC overlaps with IPSA in convening and policy advocacy for the scientific community, though it operates one layer above disciplinary associations.
• UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization): IPSA's founding patron and ongoing institutional partner, UNESCO shares the international social science convening role and provides grants and legitimacy that shape IPSA's operations. UNESCO functions as an ecosystem partner rather than a competitor.
• Council for European Social Science Associations (CESSDA): A European infrastructure consortium supporting social science data archives and services. While not directly competing, CESSDA operates adjacent infrastructure (data, training, archiving) used by the same scholarly community IPSA serves.

Emerging players

• European Political Science Association (EPSA): A relatively newer European-focused political science association that hosts an annual conference and publishes the European Political Science Review. EPSA competes with IPSA and ECPR for European political scientist engagement but at a more focused geographic and methodological niche.
• International Association of Political Science Students (IAPSS): A student-focused political science association that partners with IPSA. IAPSS serves a younger demographic within the same discipline and represents an emerging channel for engaging next-generation political scientists who may later become IPSA members.

Regional players

• African Association of Political Science (AAPS): A regional political science association covering the African continent that partners with IPSA on the IPSA-AAPS Africa Online Workshop Series. AAPS serves an overlapping scholarly audience within a defined geography and complements rather than competes with IPSA's global mission.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ipsa_aisp
• Facebookfacebook.com/ipsa.aisp
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-political-science-association-ipsa-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about IPSA