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The Institute's Profile and Objectives

The East Asian Institute (EAI) was set up in April 1997 as an autonomous research organization under a statute of the National University of Singapore.  It is the successor of the former Institute of East Asian Political Economy (IEAPE), which was itself the successor of the Institute of East Asian Philosophies (IEAP), originally established by Dr Goh Keng Swee in 1983 for the study of Confucianism.

The main mission of EAI is to promote academic and policy-oriented research on contemporary China and other East Asian economies.  More specifically, EAI scholars conduct studies on various aspects of political, economic and social changes in China arising from its economic reform and open-door policy, the regional and global implications of the economic rise of China, and the cultural and commercial networks of the ethnic Chinese from a global perspective.  The Institute also monitors developments in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau, and China's relations with Japan and Korea.

To promote academic exchange and to enable its research findings to reach out to a wider segment of the public, EAI organizes seminars and publishes research papers on a regular basis. EAI also participates in joint research projects with government ministries and statutory boards in Singapore, promotes collaborative programmes with similar institutions in the region as well as organizes regional and international conferences and workshops on East Asian issues.

The long-term vision of EAI is to develop into the region's foremost research institution on East Asian development. While its initial focus is on contemporary China, the Institute may in future extend its research efforts to Japan and Korea as it builds up its resources.

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