Instituto do Oriente

Founded in 1989 the Orient Institute (IO) is the most enduring and experienced research unit in Portugal specialized in Asian Studies, integrated in the School of Social and Political Sciences of the Universidade de Lisboa. Research is developed in a Social Science multidisciplinary perspective - International Relations, Political Science, Culture, Society and Identity and exploring the historical and present links between Portugal and Asia. The unit’s nearly 40 researchers are organized in three research groups: - Middle East and Central Asia; - Southeast Asia and South Asia; - East Asia. The unit envisions its core general objectives as: - Contribute to the scientific progress through the comprehension and analysis of the main issues of the Asian contemporary history and current affairs; - Continuing to be a reference for those interested in Asian Studies; - Promote understanding between Portugal and the Asian countries; and - Assist private and public institutions and entities in approaching Asia. Those that study Asia find in Orient Institute a valuable resource of information and advisory, through bibliographic content at the Documentation Centre, research, supervision of PhD. and Master theses, Daxiyangguo – Portuguese Journal of Asian Studies, advisory by researchers and opportunities to work and study in Asia that are frequently forwarded and are in permanent update at the unit’s website, both in Portuguese and English at http://ioriente.iscsp.ulisboa.pt/oportunidades. Private and public institutions and entities find in IO a more informed way of approaching Asian countries, through IO’s consultancy services. Finally, those that are broadly interested in Asian culture and history find in IO the possibility to know more and to get closer to Asian reality through bibliographic resources at the Documentation Centre, the Asian Press Review, several events and the permanently updated website and Facebook.