Resource Spotlight | International Institute for Asian Studies
International Institute for Asian Studies
Digital Resources
IIAS is a global humanities and social sciences research institute and knowledge exchange platform that supports programs that engage Asian and other international partners. IIAS aims to contribute to a better and more integrated understanding of present-day Asian realities as well as to rethink 'Asian Studies' in a changing global context. IIAS works to encourage dialogue and link expertise, involving scholars and other experts from all around the world in its activities. IIAS thus acts as a global mediator, bringing together academic and non-academic institutes in Asia and other parts of the world, including cultural, societal, and policy organizations. IIAS is located in Leiden, the Netherlands. Originally established (1993) by the Dutch Ministry of Education as an inter-university institute, IIAS today is based at Leiden University, where it works as a globally oriented interdisciplinary institute with strong connections throughout the Netherlands, Europe, Asia, and beyond.
IIAS organizes most of its research and other activities around its three thematic clusters. The purpose of this approach is to cultivate synergy and coherence between people and projects and not to exclude anything or anyone. IIAS remains open to other possibly interesting areas of investigation.
Research Focus
The activities of these clusters are all built around the notion of social agency and address questions relevant to present-day Asian societies while paying attention to their cultural and historical contexts.
Method
Collaboration
Almost all of the IIAS activities – from research to conferences to masterclasses – are based on international cooperation. Most relevant to all the activities is the continued collaboration with Asian partners to further anchor IIAS and our network at the core of knowledge-making in and on Asia.
The Institute’s fundamentally collaborative and inclusive nature has allowed IIAS to become the most global research-led meeting ground in the field of Asian Studies. The Institute moreover enjoys an open mandate, enabling it to freely shape its own research agenda and activity program.Thematic multi-sectoral approach
IIAS adopts a thematic approach to the study of Asia, fostering research that transcends disciplinary and regional boundaries. The Institute moreover works together with academic as well as non-academic partners, including cultural, political, and societal organizations. Bringing together scholars and practitioners, IIAS aims to act as a trans-cultural interface, linking academic expertise with practitioners’ experience.Programmatic instruments
Over time, IIAS has developed a number of effective programmatic instruments:
In addition to supporting various types of (research) networks and programs, IIAS organizes different types of academic events throughout the year, many of them in Asia. In addition to international conferences, workshops, and seminars, IIAS also organizes thematic roundtables that act as focused interactive think-tanks for a diversity of scholars and expert practitioners.
The IIAS fellowship program is aimed at aspiring as well as experienced scholars from around the world. In addition, the Institute hosts a number of visiting professorship positions as part of agreements with external funding organizations.
The IIAS publication program helps fellows and other scholars to publish their work efficiently and for a global scholarly audience.Communication Instruments
As a clearinghouse of information and knowledge, IIAS has developed a range of communication instruments serving thousands of academics and professionals. Most notable is ‘The Newsletter’, the IIAS periodical on Asian Studies. The Newsletter gives its contributors an exceptional opportunity to share their work with academic colleagues and others interested in Asia. With a broad readership of 50,000 worldwide, it is the largest periodical on Asian Studies.
