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Research Centers

    • ▷Center for South and Southeast Asian Studies

      Founded in July 2022,the Center for South and Southeast Asian Studies is the first area studies center under the Institute for International and Area Studies(IIAS),Tsinghua University.As a non-entity research center,the Center is committed to the development of Area Studies as a first-level discipline and Tsinghua’s tenet of cultivating scholars who have“world-leading competence,interest in real-life problems and high moral values.”It seeks to become an intellectual high ground for South and Southeast Asian studies and to cultivate researchers in the field of area studies.To these ends,the Center will explore new models of discipline development and talent cultivation,try to improve the research and innovation mechanism and better guide the research direction.It will strive to become a comprehensive platform for transregional and interdisciplinary academic research,an incubator for South and Southeast Asian researchers,and a global hub of comprehensive research resources for South and Southeast Asian studies.

      The Center has two research clusters:one for South Asian studies and the other for Southeast Asian studies,covering disciplines such as political science,economics,sociology,law,literary studies,journalism and communication.The teaching and research team of five is led by Professor Jiang Jingkui,Deputy Director of the IIAS and a senior expert in South Asian studies.It also has 14 doctoral students and 2 research assistants.

      With the IIAS’strengths in interdisciplinary research and first-class teaching and research facilities,scholars of the Center focus on basic research and rely mainly on field research to actively strengthen the discipline of South and South Asian Studies,promote related research,innovation,social services,and international exchange and cooperation.The Center has a special collection and database dedicated to South and Southeast Asian studies,and publishes the collection ofSouth Asian Review(with inaugural issue in 2022)in China.It has launched cooperation with Kyoto University,the National University of Singapore,among other prestigious universities in the world,in education and research.


      ▷Center for Eurasia Studies

      The Center for Eurasian Studies of the Institute for International and Area Studies(IIAS)at Tsinghua University was founded in November 2022.The center is dedicated to promoting the development of the first-level discipline of regional and country studies while studying Eurasian affairs and training up talent.Under its new system of disciplines,the center is committed to building a synergistic and supportive academic research community to offer an encouraging environment for academic exchange for PhD students,researchers and visiting scholars.

      The center’s research team is led by Professor Shen Zhihua,an expert in Cold War history and a chair professor at the IIAS.The other team members include three assistant professors,four PhD students,and a research assistant.They have varying disciplinary backgrounds,covering political science,economics,world history and other disciplines,and their research spans many countries and regions,such as Kazakhstan,Kyrgyzstan,Uzbekistan,Georgia,Ukraine,Belarus and Poland.Every semester,the center organizes a series of academic lectures and conferences on different topics,as well as film,documentary and art exhibitions,providing a platform for scholars and anyone else interested to learn more about Eurasia.

      The center maintains close academic ties with a number of universities and research institutions in China and abroad.It has engaged in extensive,accomplishment-laden cooperation and joint research projects with Oxford University,the University of Exeter,KIMEP University in Kazakhstan,Osh State University in Kyrgyzstan,and the Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies.In addition,Eurasian studies field research by PhD students at the IIAS is supported by overseas partner institutions.


      ▷Center for West Asia and North Africa Studies

      Founded in November 2022, the Center for West Asian and North African Studies is a research center affiliated to the Institute for International and Area Studies (IIAS), Tsinghua University. The Center prioritizes fundamental research and fieldwork and dedicates itself to promoting comparative and interdisciplinary research on the West Asian and North African region from the past to the present, crossing the boundaries between humanities and sciences.
      The Center is headed by Associate Professor Dr. Duan Jiuzhou. At present, the Center boasts four assistant professors, six PhD students, and one research assistant. Professor Tim Niblock of the University of Exeter is appointed chair professor and his colleague Professor Adam Hanieh joint professor. Their studies focus geographically on countries in West Asia and North Africa, including Afghanistan, Egypt, Iran, Israel, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and cover a wide spectrum of disciplines, including political science, law, sociology, history, etc.
      The Center has collaborated extensively with a number of the world’s most prestigious universities and research institutes, including the Middle East Centre of Oxford University, the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies of the University of Exeter, the Department of Near Eastern Studies of Princeton University, the King Faisal Centre for Research and Islamic Studies, the Gulf Studies Center of Qatar University, and the Faculty of Economics and Political Sciences of the University of Shahid Beheshti in Iran. In addition, the center has established a field station with the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Sharjah in the UAE, further deepening the center's cooperation in the country of research focus.
      The Center is working with other centers of the IIAS to enrich the academic community’s understanding of Area Studies and strive to become an important academic force in promoting West Asian and North African studies.

      ▷Center for Sub-Saharan African Studies

      The Center for Sub-Saharan African Studies (CSAS) was founded in April 2024 as a research center affiliated with the Institute for International and Area Studies (IIAS) at Tsinghua University. The Center prioritizes fundamental research, fieldwork, and the construction of research databases related to African studies, dedicating itself to the development of the first-level discipline of Area Studies in China. With the production and dissemination of knowledge on African Studies as its mission, the Center is committed to promoting the exchange of academic thoughts and hopes to become an important research platform connecting China, Africa, and the international African Studies community.

      Currently, the Center is headed by Dr. Liangmin Gao (director) and Dr. Xinghan Xiong (vice director), and includes five assistant professors, five PhD students, and one research assistant. The researchers at the Center have diversified disciplinary backgrounds, covering anthropology, sociology, economics, political science, public administration, world history, and other disciplines. Their research focuses geographically on countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, including South Africa, Tanzania, Madagascar, Uganda, Rwanda, Mauritius, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Senegal, Cameroon, Ghana, Chad, and others.

      The Center maintains close academic ties with many universities and research institutes both in China and abroad, especially those in Sub-Saharan African countries. It has developed cooperation with institutions such as the University of Oxford, the University of Exeter, the University of Cape Town, the University of Rwanda, the University of Dar es Salaam, the Ifakara Health Institute of Tanzania, the Makerere University, the University of Toamasina, the University of Mauritius, the University of Lagos, the Medical College of the Aga Khan University in Kenya, and the University of Dakar, among others. The academic exchanges, field research, and academic visits carried out by the Center's faculty and students in their research countries have been supported by these collaborating institutions. Additionally, the Center has jointly established a field station with the University of Rwanda in Kigali, which will further expand and deepen the cooperation between the two sides.

      In addition to the individual academic outputs of its researchers, the Center for Sub-Saharan African Studies also produces scholarly works as a whole. With the significant historical, political, economic, and social issues in Sub-Saharan Africa as its primary focuses, the Center engages in academic exchanges and cooperation both within and outside the institution, across regions and disciplines, producing relevant academic outcomes. Committed to becoming an academic platform that balances academic vision, professional depth, and the promotion of public knowledge, the Center organizes academic conferences, hosts academic lectures, and launches a column on "Regional Dynamics" in Sub-Saharan Africa.


      ▷Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies


      The Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies at the Institute for International and Area Studies (IIAS) of Tsinghua University was established in April 2024. The Center is committed to advancing the field of Area Studies, with a focus on Latin American and Caribbean Studies and talent cultivation. It prioritizes problem-oriented basic research, extensive fieldwork of long-time local immersion, interdisciplinary collaboration through comparative studies, and theoretical innovation that balances particularity and generality. The Center's goals include conducting in-depth examinations of the history and reality of Latin America and the Caribbean, promoting knowledge production and talent cultivation, and facilitating academic exchange. It aims to foster an academic community in Latin American and Caribbean Studies, encompassing researchers, PhD students, and scholars from around the world, to encourage collaborative and innovative academic endeavors.
      At present, the Center’s research team includes 1 chair professor, 4 assistant professors, 8 PhD students and 1 research assistant. Currently, the Center is headed by Assistant Professor Dr. Yan Zhou. The Team owns diverse disciplinary backgrounds including political science, economics, public administration, sociology, world history, art theory, and ecology. Their research focuses on countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Peru, Venezuela, etc. The Center plans to organize various academic activities every semester, including individual lectures and series lectures, academic conferences and salons, to provide a platform for scholars in fields related to Latin American and Caribbean Studies to deepen their understanding of the region.
      The Center continues to enhance exchanges and cooperation with the world’s leading universities and research institutes, engaging in joint research projects, academic conferences, and field research work, and more. Currently, the Center's partners include University of Oxford, University of Exeter, University of CEMA, Torcuato Di Tella University, University of Chile, University of Brasilia, College of Mexico, National Autonomous University of Mexico, etc.
      Building upon the interdisciplinary and inter-regional teaching and research strengths of the IIAS, the Center aims to enrich the academic community's knowledge and understanding of area studies. It seeks to advance the development of the first-level discipline of area studies, and endeavor to play an important academic role in the advancement of Latin American and Caribbean Studies.


      ▷Center for Global Studies

      The Center for Global Studies addresses the impact which the global economy and the global political order have on the countries and regions of the Global South.In pursuing this objective,it seeks to explore and develop methods,theories,and paradigms for Area Studies which enable an integrated understanding of the Global South.The focus is on issues which are of common concern to the countries of the Global South,using interdisciplinary approaches.Attention is,in particular,given to the impact of global factors on these countries.In pursuit of the stated aims the Center will establish relevant scholarly and institutional linkages,nationally and internationally,and will lead initiatives for the collection of research data,the comparative study of fieldwork experience,and developing field research stations across the Global South.

      The Center for Global Studies pursues its role through a wide array of different strategies and activities.Among these are:

      1. Coordinating the activities of the IIAS’s Key Field Laboratory,which include:establishing and managing overseas fieldwork stations,and reviewing the budgets,final accounts and operation of these stations;collecting and verifying fieldwork materials;working with the data center to coordinate field data collection;and directing investigations into the links between the fieldwork undertaken and the theoretical framework and research paradigms of regional and country studies.

      2. Launching and running the journals Area Studies and Tsinghua Journal of Field Research,assisting in their publications.

      3. Coordinating the establishment,operation and upkeep of the data center of the IIAS,including:working with other area studies centers to plan database procurement,classification,and use;managing matters related to database procurement and operation;and receiving the field data collected by the Key Field Laboratory.

      4. Aiding the IIAS’s teaching staff in creating postgraduate courses in Global Studies under the direction of the IIAS,particularly in selecting research topics and allocating top-notch teaching resources

      5. Planning and publishing research projects on global issues,fostering academic cooperation among IIAS researchers and between the IIAS and other institutions,and encouraging IIAS researchers to do research and produce academic outputs on the global issues which impact developing countries.

      6. Establishing and maintaining domestic and international networks for Global Studies,supporting the establishment and development of high-quality academic communities in the field,and increasing the IIAS’s influence in the fields of global,regional,and country studies.

      7. Organizing and hosting a series of lectures on China development studies,inviting distinguished experts in the field to share their findings,fostering conversation between experts in Chinese studies and global studies,and supporting the dissemination of recent research findings in Chinese studies to academic communities abroad.

      8. Organizing and hosting a series of lectures on comparative research,inviting distinguished scholars with outstanding achievements in comparative research to give lectures on comparative research topics,with a view to helping researchers at the IIAS to better understand comparative research and to integrate comparative research perspectives,methods and reflections into global,regional and country studies.

      9. Identifying global issues of current and ongoing significance,organizing debates and dialogues on these issues,and producing academic and public outputs,including(but not limited to)papers,reports,videos,and audios.

      10. Evaluating and funding research projects on atypical global issues,including research projects on China development studies,in a spirit which recognizes diversity,openness,and inquiry,and trying to find the underlying logic and relationships between atypical and typical research topics in the field of global studies.


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