The International Association of Byzantine Studies was launched in 1948, shortly after World War II. The need for its foundation arose in the Byzantine congresses of that time. The International Bureau constitutes the permanent executive body of AIEB, with the participation of representatives of all national committees [see the statutes]. From its first steps AIEB, under the presidency of Paul Lemerle and following the proposal of Dionysios Zakythinos, decided the publication of the Bulletin d' information et de coordination aiming to the promotion of Byzantine studies at an international level. The Bulletin, the first issue of which appeared in 1964, continued to circulate in conventional form for many years, informing all those interested about new publications and works under preparation, as well as research programs of individual scholars or groups in various sectors of Byzantine studies. The Bulletin offers the reader an opportunity to follow the development of Byzantine studies in various countries.

The function of the Bulletin is now taken over by the aiebnet.gr. Following the decision of the Inter-Congrès that met in Andros, the information is now to be disseminated electronically, and we are calling all the colleagues to provide relevant information concerning the scholarly work of institutions and individuals alike. The website will be updated every six months.

One of the most important activities of the AIEB is the organization of international conferences taking place in a different country each time. 21 such conferences have been realized until today, the last of which in London in 2006. These conferences offer researchers the possibility to keep up to date with research in progress conducted by scholars of various countries and to get to know their colleagues in person. The next conference will take place in Sophia (2011).