Quite early in its life, and in line with its vision of being an internationally competitive university, IUO identified external linkages and networking with (older and mentoring-capable) universities and development partners as strategic to the realization of its goals. By March 2007, the university had established linkages with the University of Westminster (UK) in the areas of staff development, diplomatic studies and ICT and Howard University, USA (telemedicine and teleconferencing), and was finalizing an exchange programme with East Carolina University (USA) in the area of global development. The university was admitted into full membership of the Global University Network for Innovation, GUNI, based in Barcelona, Spain, the European Association for International Education, EAIE, and the Network Towards Unity for Health (Maastricht, the Netherlands) amongst other external affiliations. It was also part of the Consortium of Development Partnerships, CDP, a conglomerate of universities, research institutions, governments and development partners in North America, Europe and West Africa. IUO’s Centre for Presidential Studies coordinated and continues to coordinate Module 8 of the CDP’s project on Local Contexts of Conflict and Peace-building in West Africa that involves researchers from Ghana, Mali, Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal, the Netherlands and Nigeria.