International Institute for Asian Studies (IIAS)

The International Institute for Asian Studies (IIAS) based in Leiden, Netherlands, promotes critical, humanistic, and collaborative work on, with, in, and beyond Asia.

IIAS takes a thematic approach to the study of 'Asia in the World', working with different regions, disciplines and sectors to address questions relevant to present-day Asian societies while paying attention to their cultural and historical contexts.

Hosted and supported by Leiden University, IIAS functions as an autonomous, versatile, interdisciplinary, and inter-regional facilitating platform that serves a multitude of stakeholders in Asia, Europe, and other regions worldwide. Thus, the Institute contributes decisively to the university’s new international strategy to act as a bridge across cultures and between diverse paths of knowledge.