The Academic Alliance is an exclusive membership-based advisory board within IEA designed for distinguished academics and researchers from a variety of fields. The Academic Alliance contributes to and benefit from IEA’s annual Programs and events. Members of the Academic Alliance join IEA’s quality network of peer Alliance members made up of global leaders from business, government, finance and academia.

Because of the intricate nature of finding durable, equitable, and broadly-supported solutions to economic challenges, Academic Alliance members engage in their areas of specialization to create influential findings related to international economic policies and investments that can stimulate economic growth and foster job creation. The Academic Alliance’s Programs are practical, sensitive to time-constraints, and are designed to advance members’ research and dissemination.

Working with Harvard Professors and Alliance members, IEA has developed a unique interactive approach towards solving important business issues, by bringing leaders together in conducive settings throughout the year via IEA Programs. Academic Alliance members have year-round access to IEA's Programs, which include: innovative joint research, student outreach, and practical events, such as in-person, online, teleconference, or video meetings, the Global Technology Symposium and the Global Investment Symposium held during the opening of the UN General Assembly.

The Academic Alliance enables its members to disseminate their research to peer Academic Alliance members as well as to all IEA stakeholders via aforementioned IEA venues. Members are also encouraged to engage in practical dialogue with other Alliance members with whom they may share their research on relevant global economic trends.

Notable members include Professor John Quelch, Professor Malcom Salter and Professor H.K. Vietor of the Harvard Business School, Professor Timothy Colton of Harvard’s Davis Center, and Professor Edward Glaeser and Professor Robert Lawrence of Harvard’s Kennedy School.