Institute for Area Studies

The Leiden University Institute for Area Studies (LIAS) is devoted to the study of Asia and the Middle East from antiquity to the present time in a comparative and interdisciplinary perspective.

Our research relies on a dynamic combination of area expertise and disciplines in the humanities and social science. The areas studied, primarily within Asia and the Middle East, are not only regarded as sources of data, but also as sources of theories and methods that challenge disciplinary claims to universality.

For more information, please visit the website of Institute for Area Studies.