The Network is an informal association of institutes which are entrusted with the education of archivists. Originaly Hans Scheurkogel (Archiefschool Amsterdam) had the idea to establish the Network. In January 2005, he emphasized in a primary working paper how desirable it would be to intensify the cooperation between the individual educational facilities in Europe. The Network of North-Western European Archival Educators was supposed to be the first step in this direction.

The Archive School Amsterdam invited colleagues from Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom and they, therefore, met for the first time in May 2005 in Amsterdam to exchange their views.

A second meeting, where the Swiss colleagues also participated, took place in September 2006 in Hamburg. Since the third meeting, which was held 11-13 June 2008 in Marburg also French institutes are member of the network.

The last meeting of the network to prepare the 'summer school 2012' was held in Marburg in 5th-6th August 2011

A small working group prepared the summern schools 2012 and 2013 in Amsterdam 2nd-3rd february 2012.

The Network is organizing the international ARCHIDIS Summer School in August 2012 in Härnösand.