An Institute of International Studies or Institute for International Studies is a type of research center that focuses on international studies, international relations, or area studies. It is often, though not always, part of a university or college where it is often affiliated with, and sometimes funded by, a university's public policy, public administration, or international relations school, a degree-granting institution. These centers may also provide geographic areas of specializations, offer internship or study-abroad opportunities, and/or give support services to university students.
One of the earliest centers for international studies was founded in 1935 at Yale University. The Yale Institute of International Studies (1935-1951) sought to establish a central point of contact for teaching and research on international affairs, societies, and cultures.[1] Its successor today is the MacMillan Center for International and Area Studies.[2] Some scholars felt that scholars at the institute conducted too much research as individuals rather than in groups. Eight of these scholars moved to Princeton University where they founded the Center of International Studies in 1951.[3] Institutes similar to those at Yale and Princeton soon emerged in the 1950s at Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Some of these institutions are think tanks and focus on both military strategy and international diplomacy (the two being interlinked). Examples include the International Institute for Strategic Studies and the Center for Strategic and International Studies. This article focuses mainly on the academic institutes.