On the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences
The Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences has a long historical record, it turned 200 years old in 2018.
The Institute of Oriental Studies is an academic research organization possessing great intellectual potential of the scholars working here. We develop Russian science and represent proudly it across the world. Currently, we are a world-scale leading scientific center working on widely various fields of oriental studies. The scope of our interest includes countries from Northwestern Africa to the Pacific Islands and periods from ancient times to present days.
Every department of the Institute reflects either an aspect of the research or the geographic region. Our Research Centers and departments are mostly connected to particular countries and regions (i.e. Arab Studies Center, Japanese Studies Center, Center of Southeast Asia, Australia and Oceania), however, some groups are dedicated to the crucial problems of modern East (for instance, the Center of Energy and Transport Research etc.) The structure of the Institute also includes the Scholarly Archive, Publication Department, and other offices which assist the research process.
International scientific cooperation is an important part of the Institute’s everyday life. Our scholars take part in dozens of international conferences and congresses every year. Among them, we should mention the Permanent International Altaistic Conference, the International Congress of Mongolists, the Congresses of Turkish Historical and Linguistic Society, the international congresses on Sanskritology and Chinese Studies etc.
The Institute actively participates in the organization of high-level international forums. Within the framework of international cooperation the Institute hosts meetings of world-famous scholars, foreign politicians and even national leaders.
The Institute has close ties with numerous international organizations and collaborates actively with them in joint scientific and cultural events. Among them are: the Arab League Education, Culture and Science Organzation (ALECSO), the International Association of Mongolists, the Indian Council for Social Research etc.
The Institute regularly holds various conferences such as “Russia and the East: the problems of interaction”, “Annual Arab Studies Conference”, “The problems of modern Iran”, “China: state and society”, “Australia and Oceania: the past and the present”, “Russia and the Arab World”.
We provide the base for regular expeditions to the Eastern countries – i.e. the Russian multidirectional expedition in Yemen operating since 1983 and researching the ancient civilizations of Southern Arabia and the Russian archeological expedition in Giza, Egypt. Our scholars take part in the joint international expeditions such as the Italian-Russian one in Abu Erteilah (Meroe Island, Sudan). The field research in the historical and cultural aspects of relationships between Russia and the Eastern ethnicities is held in Buryatia and Crimea. The epigraphic expedition works in Altai Region, Republic of Tuva and Khakassia, numerous modern languages of ethnic minorities are researched on the ground. One of the largest projects deeply influencing both scientific groups and Russia’s cultural life is the national research program “The fortress of Por-Bazhyn” which includes the excavation, restoration and investigation of an Ancient Uygur fort in Tuva.
Unique academic writings and projects are published in our Institute. Our scholars have compiled and published “The Oriental History”, a collective, fundamental 6-part work including every historical period from the ancient times to early 21st century. The sources on the Oriental History and the information on lives and heritage of Russian Orientalists are also published. Various book series such as “The History of Eastern Nations” have been published for a long time. Currently, the project on electronic publications is carried out.
Our publications are not limited to the numerous monographs, we also issue various academic journals and almanacs. The “East/Oriens”, “Asia and Africa today” (in collaboration with the African Institute of the Academy of Science), “The Oriental Archive”, “Historical Psychology and the Sociology of History” journals; the “Epigraphy of the East”, “Japan”, “Altaica” and “Irano-Slavica” yearbooks; the “China: State and Society”, “Middle East in Modern Times” (in collaboration with the Institute of Middle East), “Studies of the Center of Arab Research”, “Southeast Asia: problems of development” almanacs are issued either regularly or based on the discussions within annual academic conferences.
We play a major role in teaching the new generations of orientalists. For many years, the Oriental University operates within the Institute, training professionals in many fields: researchers, teachers, government and international organization officials, managers in business.
The Postgraduate Department works with younger high-level researchers. Within the National Project of support for young scholars, our postgraduates enjoy vast opportunities for profound academic research. The Institute hosts the annual School of Young Researchers which facilitates the exchange between younger and older scholars and the integration of our younger colleagues into the academic society.
Numerous researchers of our Institute have been rewarded with honorary prizes and titles – both Russian and foreign ones – for their important advancements in different fields of oriental studies, for their influence on the development of world science, for strengthening the international academic relations and other achievements.