ICNEN was officially launched in Durban, South Africa during the ICN 24th Quadrennial Congress 2009 by the then ICN President, Hiroko Minami.

“The ICN Education Network is a significant step forward in addressing nursing education and putting it on the global health agenda,” stated Dr. Minami. “We need the voice of educators as we deal with the challenges of regulation and practice and we are very happy that the NLN has put this forward.”

ICN member national nurses associations (NNAs) that wrote letters of support for the ICNEN were asked to suggest an individual to join the Network’s inaugural Steering Committee and contribute to the initial development phase.. The Steering Committee is expected to draft the governance structure of ICNEN, initiate the formal development of the Network, and prioritize topics for ICNEN members to explore during the biennium. Members represent Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe, Latin America, and North America.