IACEE is an international, non-profit and non-governmental organization. The aim of IACEE is to support and enhance lifelong engineering education and training world-wide, including the special needs of the developing countries.

IACEE is governed by its 20-member Council, with a 6-member Executive Committee handling business between the annual Council meetings. The Council consists of representatives of three Regional Leader Organizations, representatives of three other classes of institutional membership, and representatives of individual members, the President, and the immediate Past President.

The history of IACEE and its World Conferences on CEE begins in 1973, when UNESCO formed the Working Group on Continuing Education of Engineers and Technicians (WGCEET). Subsequently, UNESCO formed the Working Group on Engineering Education/Industry Cooperation in 1974. John Klus, Joe Biedenbach and Charles Sener “invented” the 1st World Conference on Continuing Engineering Education, which was held in Mexico City during 1979 and a series of triennial World Conferences followed. In 1987 the UNESCO Working Group on Continuing Education of Engineers and Technicians (WGCEET) presented a plan for an international association to UNESCO.
The idea received strong support from UNESCO and its International Working Groups on Continuing Education of Engineers and Technicians, and on Engineering Education and Industry Cooperation. From the very start, several international organizations within the field of engineering education actively promoted the new association. The IACEE charter was signed during the opening session of the 4th World Conference on Continuing Engineering Education on May 17, 1989 in Beijing, China.

Helsinki University of Technology was the first administrative home for IACEE. The American Society of Engineering Education became the next headquarters in 2002 and in 2010, the administrative home is moving to the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.