Center for Contemporary Asia Studies

The Center for Contemporary Asia Studies (CAS), established under the Corvinus Institute for Advanced Studies (CIAS) at Corvinus University of Budapest, functions as a semi-autonomous research center with a clear mission to investigate key political, economic, and security-related developments across Asia. Its vision is to become a leading center of excellence in Central and Eastern Europe for the study of contemporary Asia by fostering a deeper, research-based understanding of the region’s dynamic transformations. The Center’s primary goals are to produce interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary scholarship, disseminate integrated and innovative knowledge, and promote engagement with academic and policy communities. Through both theoretical inquiry and empirical research, CAS aims to contribute to the academic discourse on Asia while informing public debate and policymaking.

In pursuit of its mission, CAS supports undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral education, and places a strong emphasis on collaborative, immersive research and teaching. The Center facilitates the development of a scholarly community focused on Asia’s evolving regional dynamics and actively encourages the exchange of ideas across disciplines. Its main research areas include the shifting world order and regional dynamics within Asia, regional competition in the Indo-Pacific, the geopolitics and security of the Asia-Pacific region, EU-Asia relations, and regionalism and the role of regional organisations such as ASEAN, BRICS, and the SCO. A key strategic goal of the Center is to establish and expand interactive partnerships with individuals and institutions across Asia, thus fostering mutually beneficial knowledge-sharing and international academic collaboration.