Association for Asian Studies

Association for Asian Studies
Name	Association for Asian Studies
Abbreviation	AAS
Formation	1941
Headquarters	Ann Arbor, Michigan
Region served	Worldwide
Membership	Scholars, teachers, students, librarians, professionals
Leader title	President

Association for Asian Studies is a scholarly organization devoted to the study of Asia across historical periods and geographic regions including East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and West Asia. Founded in the mid-20th century, the association brings together specialists in fields such as sinology, Japanology, Indology, Korean studies, Mongolian studies, Tibetan studies, and Indonesian studies to promote research, teaching, and public understanding. Its constituency includes faculty from Harvard University, University of California, Berkeley, SOAS University of London, University of Tokyo, Peking University, Jawaharlal Nehru University, and other major research centers, as well as independent scholars associated with institutions like the British Museum and the Smithsonian Institution.

History

The organization emerged amid debates following World War II and the Pacific War about area studies, language training, and diplomatic expertise tied to policies such as the Marshall Plan and postwar reconstruction. Early leaders comprised academics with links to Columbia University, Yale University, University of Chicago, Cornell University, and the University of Michigan, many of whom had served in wartime intelligence units like the Office of Strategic Services or in diplomatic posts connected to the Treaty of San Francisco (1951). Throughout the Cold War era the association intersected with funding agencies including the Ford Foundation and the Carnegie Corporation, contributing to the growth of centers such as the East–West Center and the establishment of doctoral programs at institutions like Stanford University and University of Pennsylvania. In the post-Cold War period the association expanded engagement with scholars from China, India, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Vietnam, Iran, Turkey, and the Central Asian Republics following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Recent decades saw interactions with cultural institutions such as the Library of Congress, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and international scholarly networks centered at venues like UNESCO.

Mission and Activities

The association's mission emphasizes support for research, pedagogy, and public outreach concerning Asia. It sponsors initiatives tied to language pedagogy at programs like The National Language Resource Center and curricular reform influenced by exemplars at Oxford University and University of Pennsylvania. The organization engages with librarianship networks including personnel from the New York Public Library and the Bibliothèque nationale de France to improve access to primary sources from archives such as the National Archives of India, the First Historical Archives of China, and the National Archives of Japan. Public-facing activities have involved partnerships with media outlets like BBC News and museums including the Metropolitan Museum of Art to contextualize exhibitions on artifacts from the Ming dynasty, Maurya Empire, Tokugawa shogunate, and the Gupta Empire.

Membership and Governance

Membership comprises professors and researchers from universities such as Princeton University, University of Oxford, McGill University, National University of Singapore, and Australian National University; curators and specialists from institutions like the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Freer Gallery of Art; as well as graduate students and retired experts affiliated with organizations including the Asia Society and the Royal Asiatic Society. The governing board includes an elected president and an executive council with representatives from regional councils that mirror scholarly subfields like Buddhist Studies, Chinese History, Japanese Literature, Korean Studies, South Asian History, and Southeast Asian Archaeology. Administrative offices liaise with university presses such as Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, and University of California Press for publishing collaborations.

Publications and Conferences

The association publishes flagship journals and monograph series used by scholars at Yale University Press, Harvard University Press, and Columbia University Press; its meetings attract presenters from centers such as East China Normal University, Nagoya University, Banaras Hindu University, and Chulalongkorn University. Annual conferences feature panels on topics linked to primary sources like documents from the Qing dynasty, inscriptions from the Mauryan Empire, manuscripts from the Pali Canon, letters related to the Taiping Rebellion, and archival holdings from the British Library. The association's venues are frequented by recipients of fellowships from the Humboldt Foundation, the Fulbright Program, the Japan Foundation, and the Raman Fellowship.

Awards and Prizes

The organization administers prizes that recognize scholarship comparable to awards such as the Pulitzer Prize in area studies, the John K. Fairbank Prize in East Asian history, and book prizes akin to honors from the Man Asian Literary Prize and the Kluge Prize. Awards celebrate achievements in fields represented by scholars of the Tang dynasty, the Mughal Empire, Meiji Restoration studies, and contemporary work on topics involving the Asian Development Bank and intergovernmental forums like the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. Honorary recognitions have been conferred on historians, literary critics, and anthropologists connected to institutions including Princeton University, SOAS University of London, and Seoul National University.

Regional and Scholarly Programs

Regional councils and working groups support specialized programs in subfields such as Tibetan Studies, Mongolian Studies, Sino-Japanese Relations, Indo-Pacific Studies, and Islamic Studies in Asia. Collaborative projects link researchers at centers like the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science, the École française d’Extrême-Orient, and the National Centre for the Performing Arts (India) to create digital archives, translations of primary texts, and curricular modules used at universities including Duke University and University of California, Los Angeles. Training programs and mentorship schemes often coordinate with doctoral programs at Columbia University, University of Chicago, and University of British Columbia to cultivate the next generation of specialists in Asian studies.

Category:Professional associations Category:Area studies organizations