The International Institute for Asian Studies (IIAS) is a global research institute and knowledge exchange platform, based in
Leiden
Leiden (; in English and archaic Dutch also Leyden) is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland, Netherlands. The municipality of Leiden has a population of 119,713, but the city forms one densely connected agglomeration wit ...
,
the Netherlands
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. The Institute initiates and promotes interdisciplinary and trans-sectoral programmes that engage partners in Asia as well as institutes elsewhere in the world. So doing, the Institute aims to promote a more integrated understanding of present-day Asian realities as well as to pioneer new approaches to
Asian Studies
Asian studies is the term used usually in North America and Australia for what in Europe is known as Oriental studies. The field is concerned with the Asian people, their cultures, languages, history and politics. Within the Asian sphere, Asian ...
in a changing global context, and, more specifically, to contribute to new humanistically-informed and policy-relevant knowledge about Asia.
Establishment
The International Institute for Asian Studies was established in 1993, following recommendations by two successive committees, installed by the
Dutch Ministry of Education and Science (1989) and the
Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences
The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences ( nl, Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen, abbreviated: KNAW) is an organization dedicated to the advancement of science and literature in the Netherlands. The academy is housed ...
(KNAW).
The city of Leiden was only a logical choice for the Institute’s headquarters. Leiden is home to many institutes with expertise and resources about Asia, including
Leiden University
Leiden University (abbreviated as ''LEI''; nl, Universiteit Leiden) is a Public university, public research university in Leiden, Netherlands. The university was founded as a Protestant university in 1575 by William the Silent, William, Prince o ...
, the
(KITLV), the
Siebold House Japan Museum, the
Netherlands Institute for the Near East
The Netherlands Institute for the Near East (Dutch: ''Nederlands Instituut voor het Nabije Oosten''; colloquially known by its abbreviation: NINO) is an institution for the advancement of the study of the Ancient Near East, Mesopotamia, Anatolia, a ...
(NINO), the
National Museum of Ethnology and the
National Museum of Antiquities.
The International Institute for Asian Studies was, and still is, hosted by Leiden University, which provides office space as well as administrative and IT services. From 1997 to 2012, IIAS also had a branch office in
Amsterdam
Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...
, facilitated by the
University of Amsterdam
The University of Amsterdam (abbreviated as UvA, nl, Universiteit van Amsterdam) is a public research university located in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The UvA is one of two large, publicly funded research universities in the city, the other being ...
.
IIAS receives its core funding from the Ministry of Education. The Institute additionally generates income from external sources, via grants, subsidies, and the joint execution of programmes.
While upholding its original mission, the Institute has over the years adapted and expanded its programmatic agenda in response to the demands of a changing global context.
Activities
Activities include multi-year research programmes and the building of academic networks, the organisation of international conferences and roundtables, a fellowship and a publication programme, PhD in-situ masterclasses, and the publication of a free periodical on Asian Studies (titled,
The Newsletter').
The following current programmes and networks are among the Institute's main initiatives:
Urban Knowledge Network Asia (UKNA)Southeast Asia Neighborhoods Network (SEANNET)Humanities across Borders: Asia-Africa in the WorldAsia-Africa, A new Axis of KnowledgeLeiden Centre for the Indian Ocean StudiesInternational Convention of Asia Scholars (ICAS)European Alliance for Asian StudiesCritical Heritage Studies of Asia and Europe
References
External links
*https://www.iias.asia
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Asian studies
Research institutes in the Netherlands