An Institute of International Studies or Institute for International Studies is a type of

research center Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentricity ...

that focuses on

international studies International relations (IR), sometimes referred to as international studies and international affairs, is the scientific study of interactions between sovereign states. In a broader sense, it concerns all activities between states—such as ...

international relations International relations (IR), sometimes referred to as international studies and international affairs, is the scientific study of interactions between sovereign states. In a broader sense, it concerns all activities between states—such as ...

, or

area studies Area studies (also known as regional studies) are interdisciplinary fields of research and scholarship pertaining to particular geographical, national/ federal, or cultural regions. The term exists primarily as a general description for what ar ...

. It is often, though not always, part of a university or college where it is often affiliated with, and sometimes funded by, a university's public policy, public administration, or international relations school, a degree-granting institution. These centers may also provide geographic areas of specializations, offer internship or study-abroad opportunities, and/or give support services to university students. One of the earliest centers for international studies was founded in 1935 at

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...

. The

Yale Institute of International Studies The Yale Institute of International Studies was a research institute that was part of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. It was founded in 1935 and was led by directors Nicholas J. Spykman and later Frederick S. Dunn, under whom there wa ...

(1935-1951) sought to establish a central point of contact for teaching and research on international affairs, societies, and cultures. Its successor today is the

MacMillan Center for International and Area Studies The Whitney and Betty MacMillan Center for International and Area Studies at Yale, commonly known as the MacMillan Center, is a research and educational center for international affairs and area studies at Yale University. Academics As of 2021 ...

. Some scholars felt that scholars at the institute conducted too much research as individuals rather than in groups. Eight of these scholars moved to

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial Colleges, fourth-oldest ins ...

where they founded the

Center of International Studies The Center of International Studies (CIS) was a research center that was part of Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs in Princeton, New Jersey. It was founded in 1951 by six scholars who came to Princeto ...

in 1951. Institutes similar to those at Yale and Princeton soon emerged in the 1950s at

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

and the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the ...

. Some of these institutions are

think tank A think tank, or policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, technology, and culture. Most think tanks are non-governmenta ...

s and focus on both

military strategy Military strategy is a set of ideas implemented by military organizations to pursue desired strategic goals. Derived from the Greek word '' strategos'', the term strategy, when it appeared in use during the 18th century, was seen in its narrow s ...

and

international diplomacy Diplomacy comprises spoken or written communication by representatives of states (such as leaders and diplomats) intended to influence events in the international system.Ronald Peter Barston, ''Modern diplomacy'', Pearson Education, 2006, p. 1 ...

(the two being interlinked). Examples include the

International Institute for Strategic Studies The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) is a British research institute or think tank in the area of international affairs. Since 1997, its headquarters have been Arundel House in London, England. The 2017 Global Go To Think T ...

and the

Center for Strategic and International Studies The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) is an American think tank based in Washington, D.C. CSIS was founded as the Center for Strategic and International Studies of Georgetown University in 1962. The center conducts polic ...

. This article focuses mainly on the

academic An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary education, secondary or tertiary education, tertiary higher education, higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membershi ...

institutes.

United States

Other countries

* Institute for International Studies at

University of Technology Sydney The University of Technology Sydney (UTS) is a public research university located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Although its origins are said to trace back to the 1830s, the university was founded in its current form in 1988. As of 2021 ...

, Australia *

Center for International Legal Studies The Center for International Legal Studies (CILS) is a non-profit research, training, and law publications institute, established and operating under Austrian law. Its international headquarters are in Salzburg, Austria. The Center has operated from ...

, Austria *

Montreal Centre for International Studies The Montréal Centre for International Studies (french: Centre d'études et de recherches internationales), known as Cérium, is a research centre of the Université de Montréal specializing in international studies. Goals of Cérium Launched i ...

of the University of Montréal, Canada *

Munk Centre for International Studies The Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Toronto is an interdisciplinary academic centre with various research and educational programs committed to the field of globalization. Located in Toronto, Ontario, it offers ...

of the University of Toronto, Canada *

Institute of International Relations Prague The Institute of International Relations Prague (IIR) is a public research institution that produces basic and applied scientific research in the field of international relations. Dr. Ondřej Ditrych is the director of the IIR. The founder of th ...

, Czech Republic *

Danish Institute for International Studies The Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS) is a public institute for independent research and analysis of international affairs, financed primarily by the Danish state. DIIS conducts and communicates multidisciplinary research on global ...

, Denmark * Institute of International Studies at

Universitas Gadjah Mada Gadjah Mada University ( jv, ꦈꦤꦶꦥ꦳ꦼꦂꦱꦶꦠꦱ꧀ꦓꦗꦃꦩꦢ; id, Universitas Gadjah Mada, abbreviated as UGM) is a Public university, public research university located in Sleman Regency, Sleman, Yogyakarta (special region) ...

, Indonesia *

International Center for Persian Studies The Dehkhoda Lexicon Institute ( fa, مؤسسه لغت‌نامه دهخدا, Muʾassasa-ye Loghatnāme-ye Dehkhodā, meaning Dehkhoda Dictionary Institute) or International Center for Persian Studies: ICPS (مرکز بین‌المللی آمو� ...

, Iran *

Vidal Sassoon International Center for the Study of Antisemitism Vidal Sassoon International Center for the Study of Antisemitism (SICSA) () is a research center affiliated with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. It was named for Vidal Sassoon, who financed its establishment in 1983. The Vidal Sassoon center ...

, Jerusalem, Israel *

Center for International and Regional Studies The Center for International and Regional Studies (CIRS), located in Doha, Qatar, is a center for international and regional affairs. The center is a part of Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar (SFS-Qatar). The center works clo ...

, Qatar *

International Centre for Studies into Communism The Memorial of the Victims of Communism and of the Resistance ( ro, Memorialul Victimelor Comunismului și al Rezistenței) in Romania consists of the Sighet Museum (often confused with the Memorial), located in the city of Sighetu Marmației, Mara ...

, Romania * CEI International Affairs of the

University of Barcelona The University of Barcelona ( ca, Universitat de Barcelona, UB; ; es, link=no, Universidad de Barcelona) is a public university located in the city of Barcelona, Catalonia, in Spain. With 63,000 students, it is one of the biggest universities i ...

, Spain *

Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies Bandaranaike International Diplomatic Training Institute (BIDTI) is the institute in Colombo where Sri Lanka Overseas Service officers are trained. The Institute functions under Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute of International Relations and Strategi ...

, Sri Lanka *

Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies The Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, or the Geneva Graduate Institute (french: Institut de hautes études internationales et du développement), abbreviated IHEID, is a government-accredited postgraduate institution ...

, Geneva, Switzerland * Institute of International Studies at Ramkhamheang University, Thailand *

International Centre for Policy Studies The International Centre for Policy Studies (ICPS) is an independent NGO, founded in 1994 which aims to promote public policy concepts and practice and apply them to influential policy research that affects both the public and private sectors in Uk ...

, Ukraine *

International Centre for Prison Studies The World Prison Brief at PrisonStudies.org is an online database providing free access to information on prison systems around the world. It is now hosted by the Institute For Crime & Justice Policy Research (ICPR), Birkbeck College, University of ...

of the University of Essex, UK

United States

Other countries

References

See also