IIAS (International Institute for Asian Studies)

IIAS (International Institute for Asian Studies)
Name	International Institute for Asian Studies
Formation	1993
Type	Research institute
Headquarters	Leiden
Location	Leiden, Netherlands
Leader title	Director
Parent organization	Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences

IIAS (International Institute for Asian Studies) The International Institute for Asian Studies is a research and coordination center based in Leiden that promotes interdisciplinary study of Asia and supports networks among scholars, institutions, and policymakers across East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Central Asia. It functions as a hub linking universities, museums, archives, and funding bodies such as the European Commission, Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research, and international foundations. Through programs, fellowships, and publications it engages with topics intersecting with sites such as Beijing, Tokyo, Seoul, Jakarta, New Delhi, and Istanbul.

History

The institute was established in the early 1990s amid post-Cold War shifts that affected scholarly networks involved with China, Japan, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Pakistan. Early initiatives connected with projects on Silk Road, Maritime Asia, Dutch East Indies, Colonial Netherlands, and comparative studies involving institutions like Leiden University, University of Amsterdam, National University of Singapore, Peking University, University of Tokyo, and SOAS University of London. Its timeline aligns with major events such as the rise of ASEAN, the expansion of European Union research frameworks, and the acceleration of digitization projects linked to libraries like the British Library and archives such as the National Archives of India.

Mission and Objectives

The institute’s mission emphasizes fostering transregional scholarship across traditions exemplified by figures and works associated with Liang Qichao, Rabindranath Tagore, Ibn Battuta, Marco Polo, and institutions such as the Asian Development Bank, UNESCO, and World Bank. Objectives include building capacity for comparative studies involving repositories like the Vatican Library, museums such as the Victoria and Albert Museum and the National Museum of Korea, and facilitating dialogues among centers including Kyoto University, Tsinghua University, University of Malaya, and Chulalongkorn University.

Research Programs and Projects

Programs tackle themes ranging from urbanism in Shanghai and Mumbai to heritage in Angkor Wat, migration studies involving Bangkok and Manila, and environmental histories of the Ganges and Mekong. Projects have engaged multidisciplinary teams that include specialists connected to the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science, the Smithsonian Institution, the Australian National University, and the University of Hong Kong. Collaborative initiatives intersect with archives such as the Leiden University Library, museums like the Rijksmuseum, and international research agendas tied to the Helsinki Process and funding streams from foundations like the Ford Foundation and the Wellcome Trust.

Publications and Knowledge Dissemination

The institute publishes thematic journals, edited volumes, and working papers that circulate through networks involving publishers such as Brill, Routledge, Cambridge University Press, and Oxford University Press. Dissemination channels include conferences held alongside events at venues like the Royal Palace of Amsterdam, exhibitions in partnership with the Museum of World Cultures, and digital platforms modeled after projects from the Digital Public Library of America and the Europeana initiative. Series topics have treated subjects like colonial legal histories referencing the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824, literary modernisms featuring Lu Xun and Rabindranath Tagore, and art histories connected to Hokusai and Raden Saleh.

Education, Training, and Fellowships

Fellowship schemes support postdoctoral researchers and visiting scholars from institutions such as Pondicherry University, University of Yangon, Harvard University, Columbia University, and Stanford University. Training workshops have covered methods used in fieldwork in locales like Yogyakarta and Lhasa, archival work in repositories such as the National Archives of Japan and the National Archives of Pakistan, and digital humanities collaborations linked to the Digital Himalaya project and the China Biographical Database Project.

Partnerships and Collaborations

Strategic partners include regional consortia such as ASEAN University Network, research centers like the Asia Research Institute (Singapore), cultural institutions including the National Museum of Indonesia, and international agencies like UNESCO and UNDP. Collaborative ventures have tied the institute to initiatives with the European Association for Asian Studies, the Association for Asian Studies, and national academies like the Indian Council of Historical Research and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Organizational Structure and Governance

Governance combines an international advisory board with academic steering committees featuring scholars affiliated with Leiden University, Utrecht University, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Fudan University, Seoul National University, and Jawaharlal Nehru University. Administrative links to bodies such as the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences and cooperation with national ministries like the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (Netherlands) shape funding and oversight. Operational units coordinate programs in cooperation with partners including the Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study, the International Institute for Asian Studies network nodes across Asia, and library consortia such as OCLC.

Category:Research institutes in the Netherlands Category:Asian studies