International Institute for Asian Studies

The IIAS was established in 1993, following recommendations by two successive committees, installed by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (Netherlands) (1989) and the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences. Headquartered in Leiden, IIAS was conceived as a national consortium-based collaboration between KNAW, Leiden University, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, and the University of Amsterdam. From 1997 to 2012, the institute also maintained a branch office at the UvA in Amsterdam. Since 2012, IIAS has been hosted exclusively by Leiden University, with funding from the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. In addition, the institute receives generous support from a range of distinguished foundations and institutions, including the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Henry Luce Foundation, the Japan Foundation, among others.

Founded to position the Netherlands as a hub for engaging with Asia’s rising global prominence, IIAS has fostered interdisciplinary research on Asia. With a global perspective, the institute has promoted national and international collaboration, advancing Asian Studies in a multicentered world, including expanding its reach to Africa and South America in recent years.