About CIHEAM 
The Centre has several organs: a Governing Board, four Mediterranean Agronomic Institutes (MAIs), a General Secretariat and a Scientific Advisory Board. Around 180 permanent officials and 200 project consultants are now working for the Centre.
The Governing Board
The Centre's managing and decision-making body, the Governing Board consists of one representative from each of the thirteen member countries. Representatives of the OECD and the Council of Europe are ex officio members, who sit on the Board in an advisory capacity. Representatives of the FAO, the AOAD and MAP/Blue Plan attend meetings as observers.
The President of the Board is elected by a two-thirds majority of its members for a period of four years. The President is assisted by Vice-Presidents elected for the same period by the same voting procedure.
The General Secretariat
The General Secretariat in Paris is the pivotal element in CIHEAM’s operation. Its role is to facilitate, coordinate and implement work by the different organs of the Centre.
The Mediterranean Agronomic Institutes (MAIs)
The four MAIs of Bari, Chania, Montpellier and Zaragoza are where most of CIHEAM's educational, research and cooperation work is carried out. Every year an average of 400 students are enrolled on full-time diploma courses, including 300 scholarship students, and about 1,000 more take specialised short-duration courses at the MAIs.
The Scientific Advisory Board
The Committee consists of a number of eminent figures appointed for a period of four years by the Governing Board. They are "chosen, in particular, from among members of establishments for higher education in agriculture and of agricultural research institutes" (article 5.1 of the 1962 Agreement). It gives its views on questions put to it by the Governing Board.
