Since the 1970’s IHS has been involved in institution building programmes in a number of countries resulting in the establishment of new training and capacity building institutions or the strengthening of existing ones. These institutions have evolved to become active players in local capacity building addressing the challenges of making cities work in their home countries and region. With most of these institutions IHS keeps a partner relation imparting joint training, research and technical advisory works.

In addition IHS has strategic alliances, partnership and framework agreements with national and local government institutions, NGO’s and multilateral organisations that supports IHS in achieving its mission on a global scale. These partnerships vary from a range of direct on-the-job assistance through tailor-made programmes linked to specific policies and programme implementation to research and capacity building activities.

In The Netherlands and abroad, apart from various departments of its home university, the Erasmus University Rotterdam, IHS also works in partnership with the other Dutch International Education Institutes like the Institute of Social Studies-ISS, International Institute for Aerospace Survey and Earth Sciences-ITC, Institute for Water Education-IHE UNESCO and Wageningen University in a number of research and educational projects.

IHS is an active member in a number of international networks and professional discussion groups like the European Network of Housing Research, the Best Practice Network, the EU sponsored URBAL Network, NAERUS, etc.