NIAS - the Nordic Institute of Asian Studies is closed as of 31 December 2023
NIAS was an academically independent Nordic research and resource center, focusing on modern Asia from a predominantly social sciences perspective. NIAS was an integrated part of the University of Copenhagen with the status of a centre under the Department of Political Science.
For over 55 years, NIAS served as one of the leading research centres on Asia in the Nordic region. The reasons why it was founded back in the 1960s remain true today: Asia plays an increasingly important role in our lives yet is poorly understood. One reason is because, across the Nordic region, the field of Asian Studies has a marginal status and is fragmented across various disciplines and research environments.
NIAS received much of their funding through NordForsk, a regional research council which operates under the Nordic Council of Ministers. Without this core funding, NIAS could no longer exist and therefore closed down on 31 December 2023.
Read the full announcement here
Continued Services from NIAS
While the Nordic Institute of Asian Studies (NIAS) may be bidding farewell, several of our valuable services will continue to thrive in the capable hands of dedicated individuals and institutions within our network:
Nordic Asia Podcast
The management and production of the Nordic Asia Podcast have been seamlessly transitioned to a group of talented podcasters within our network. For further inquiries, please reach out to Outi Luova at Turku University via email at outluo@utu.fi
E-resources via AsiaPortal
Access to our e-resources previously available through the AsiaPortal will now be facilitated by the State Library in Berlin and a dedicated working group from the former Nordic NIAS Council (NNC). For information on how to join the new alliance, please contact: Erik Svanström, HT Libraries, Lund University, erik.svanstrom@htbibl.lu.se, Juha Leppämäki, Helsinki University Library, juha.leppamaki@helsinki.fi, Øystein Johan Kleiven, Humanities and Social Sciences Library, Oslo University Library, o.j.kleiven@ub.uio.no or Halina Hohenthal, Media Division, Uppsala University Library, Halina.Hohenthal@ub.uu.se
SUPRA Programme
The SUPRA programme will persist in a slightly modified format. For updated information, kindly contact Marina Svensson at the University of Lund via email at marina.svensson@ace.lu.se
NIAS Press
NIAS Press has found a new home with NUS Press of the National University of Singapore. For inquiries regarding NIAS Press, please contact director Peter Schoppert for more information. You can find the contact details for NUS Press here
Outreach
For comprehensive information on Asia Studies research and events in the Nordic and Baltic regions, our network of esteemed Asian Studies scholars (formerly NNC) will continue managing our social media platforms:
Feel free to visit these platforms for the latest updates and engagements in the field.
We are grateful for the ongoing support and enthusiasm within our network, ensuring the continuation of these vital services.