Welcome!

The Institute for International and Area Studies (IIAS) is all about networking and bringing people together. It serves as an umbrella coordinating organization for our research and training centers, including the Public Diplomacy Center, the Global Leadership Center, the Center for Global Social Responsibility, and the EU Center. It brings together researchers for major research initiatives and projects such as the Global Top 5 Project on “Social Capital, Democratic Governance, and Corporate Social Responsibility”. We partner with other institutes and universities in Asia, North America, Europe, Latin America, and Africa. We also partner with government and non-government organizations to provide opportunities for scholars, students, and the general public. IIAS was selected as the co-host of the Korean-Germany Forum to be held every November in partnership with Korea Foundation. We have also launched the Korean-German Young Leaders Forum and are looking further to advance the Korean-German student and graduate student exchange program.

We work closely to arrange workshops, conferences, and publication opportunities with the Scholars Group for Public Diplomacy of the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs (I am one of the honorary envoys), with the Korean International Studies Association (KISA), with the Asian Political and International Studies Association (APISA), and with Palgrave Macmillan Publishers. The IIAS reaches out to the wider academic community through its journal, the International Studies Review (ISR). Ranked in the top bracket of journals by the National Research Foundation, ISR is the official journal of KISA, and one of the six journals endorsed by APISA. ISR has recently been awarded a major development grant aimed at raising its international profile still further. Since the first publication in December 1997, the ISR has advanced international studies research broadly defined. The IIAS provides innovative learning and leading-edge research opportunities for members of the Ewha Community and bridges the gap between academics and practitioners. I am looking forward to communicating more actively with practitioners, members of the public, and public servants, as well as members of the academic community.