A Global Intellectual Hub: The Vital Role of IIAS

For the past four years, I have had the privilege of being a Research Collaborator at the International Institute for Asian Studies (IIAS). As a strategic partner in the implementation of my European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant—Green Industrial Policy in the Age of Rare Metals (GRIP-ARM), valued at €1.5 million—IIAS has played an indispensable role in shaping the project’s global impact. The Institute’s involvement has helped establish vital collaborations with leading institutions and policy agencies, including the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD), the Brazilian and Kazakh embassies, University of Tokyo, Tsinghua University, and Duke University, among others. Philippe Peycam, IIAS Director, also serves on the International Advisory Board of my project, reinforcing the Institute’s commitment to fostering meaningful engagement between academia and policymakers.

IIAS has been instrumental from the proposal stage to the project’s execution, enabling us to conduct groundbreaking research across seven countries, with a particular focus on the Asia Pacific region. Their vast network and intellectual platforms have amplified the project’s success, facilitating South-South collaboration while bridging critical conversations between the East and West. Through their support, our findings have reached diverse audiences, and our policy dialogues have positioned the Netherlands at the forefront of discussions on critical minerals governance and energy transitions. A prime example of this was our guest lecture with South Korea’s former Minister of Trade Han-Koo Yeo, co-organized by IIAS, and the establishment of fieldwork collaboration with Seoul National University. These partnerships demonstrate how IIAS helps frame global conversations on political economy, placing Asia at the heart of contemporary debates.

Beyond its material support, IIAS cultivates research leadership. Through the Institute, I have had the unique opportunity to serve on a Postdoctoral Fellowship Committee, identifying and mentoring promising scholars embarking on independent research. Additionally, I have had the chance to engage with early-career academics, providing insights on career development and research management within European academia. The intellectual community fostered by IIAS is distinct: it creates a space where Dutch academia can stand out in conversations often dominated by scholars from the UK and the US.

The importance of IIAS extends far beyond supporting elite researchers. It serves as an irreplaceable hub for scholarly exchange, where senior and junior researchers learn from one another, challenge perspectives, and build international collaborations. It is a bridge between scholars and policymakers, between regions and disciplines, and between generations of academic thought.

IIAS occupies a unique and vital space in the global intellectual community, one that must be safeguarded, strengthened, and championed.