IREG Observatory on Academic Ranking and Excellence (in short: IREG Observatory) is an international institutional non-profit association of ranking organizations, universities and other bodies interested in university rankings and academic excellence. Its purpose is strengthening of public awareness and understanding of range of issues related to university rankings and academic excellence. The experience acquired by a group of rankers and ranking analysts, who met first in 2002, led to creation of an International Ranking Expert Group (IREG). In 2009, this informal group was transformed into IREG Observatory as a non-profit organization. It is registered in Brussels, Belgium, and its Secretariat is located in Warsaw, Poland.