Our Activities

Since its inception in 1993, IIAS has focused on transforming conventional patterns of academic practice in Asian Studies, particularly by emphasising the development of a humanistic, collaborative, and multicentred mode of generating and sharing knowledge. Working together for three decades with institutions, academics, and practitioners around the world, the institute is now an active contributor in numerous dynamic knowledge networks, both within Asia and beyond. 

Several of these networks were initiated by IIAS itself. Committed to deepening and expanding these partnerships beyond the traditional centres of academic power, IIAS has increasingly brokered new connections with counterparts in the Global South. Working with partners across South America, Africa, and Asia imbues these institutions—as well as those from the Global North—with a new and well-deserved visibility in the global academic landscape. 

Many of IIAS’ successful networks have been shaped around collectively-defined programmatic objectives. These range from thematic research topics (e.g., neighbourhoods, ‘River Cities’) to shared aspirations (e.g., collaboration, accessibility, experimentation). With time, unplanned convergences among different actors have organically crystalised into vibrant coalitions of partners willing to leverage each other’s contribution for the sake of a common vision. For example, the ‘Africa-Asia’ platform, which itself emerged within IIAS’ International Convention of Asia Scholars (ICAS), emphasises a ‘new axis of knowledge’ and facilitates new connections across continental and institutional barriers. Likewise, the groundbreaking pedagogical programme ‘Humanities Across Borders’ (HAB) was forged around a shared ambition to creatively rethink aspects of higher education beyond old hierarchies and canons, in both the North and the South.

The recently transformed international Fellowship Programme offers fellows time, space, and resources to work on diverse topics. In addition to enjoying unparalleled latitude in pursuing their work, fellows can also participate in multiple academic programming and social activities at IIAS. Such opportunities enable fellows to enrich their research, diversify their collegial networks, and expand their methodological approaches. All of this is intended to broaden fellows’ horizons beyond the often-too-narrow profiling typically imposed by mainstream academia. 

In short, IIAS operates as a facilitator of scholarly activities and as a laboratory for intercultural, transregional, and civically-minded knowledge collaborations.