An Introduction

Organization and Aims

As we entered the 21st century, the attacks of September 11, 2001 marked the first in a series of grave events which shook the world. This was soon followed by the US and UK raids which brought about the fall of the Taliban regime in December the same year, and later the Hussein regime in April 2003. At the root of these crises and disputes lie the globalization and intensification of Islam. In order to correctly understand the direction of global affairs in the 21st century as well as concerns such as oil supply and regional conflicts, it is crucial that we first accept this new reality, then, by means of interdisciplinary research, shed light on the relationship between Islam and societies worldwide. In this program, we will continue to develop the groundwork laid by the previous Islamic Area Studies Project (1997-2002) in order to create centers for Islamic research and education in Japan. The aims shared by each of the five research centers are as follows:

1. To implement international joint research projects with scholars from regions around the world. Through examining the relationship between Islam and a given region through the eyes of both the native and the "Other", we will construct a demonstrative system of knowledge on the contemporary Islamic world, and delve deeper into this insight. Moreover, over time, we will develop research methods meeting the unique needs of Islamic area studies.
2. To collect and prepare for use documents which will serve as the basis for research at each IAS Center; to manage the Arabic language database developed as part of the previous Islamic Area Studies Project (1997-2002); to incorporate accumulated source materials into a database; to disseminate information and to promote the availability of historic information both nationally and internationally. At the same time, we will pursue the research of source materials in order to develop bibliographical studies on Islamic history and culture.
3. To help enrich Islamic area studies at the graduate level, as well as provide active support for young scholars from Japan and abroad to participate in Islamic Area Studies. We will also foster the next generation of Islamic studies scholars through encouraging their participation in international projects.

Research Topics

Contemporary Islam is presently faced with numerous issues-some shared by various cultures across geographic boundaries, and others closely linked with local identity, culture, and history. At Isalmic Area Studies, we will take a holistic approach to researching these two aspects, collecting source materials while also looking at topics such as Islamic knowledge and civilization; religion, thought and political movements; society and culture; Islamic international organizations, and the research of Islamic documents and bibliography. We will focus on areas including not only the Middle East, North Africa, Central Asia, South and Southeast Asia, but also Africa, Europe, China, the Americas, as well as Japan, as needed.

Research Methods

The scope of our research will not be limited to traditionally studied areas such as the Middle East and Central Asia, but will also include regional districts of medium to small size. While looking at issues common across areas, we will also examine the relationship between Islam and regional identities. The object of Islamic Area Studies is to merge the fruits of the individual disciplines including religion, politics, economics, history, sociology, and cultural anthropology, which comprise the basis of our research. In order to bring about this integration, we will 1) undertake comparative cross-regional research for select regions 2) employ a historical approach to elucidate current issues.

Through these research methods, we will carry out international joint research projects with the aim of creating an illustrative framework of knowledge on the contemporary Islamic world.

Organization

With the Institute of Islamic Area Studies at Waseda University serving as the General Office for IAS, the project consists of a network of four  centers consisting of the Graduate School of Humanities and Sociology of the University of Tokyo, the Institute of Asian Cultures at Sophia University, The Toyo Bunko (Oriental Library), and the Graduate School of Asian and African Area Studies at Kyoto University, in conjunction with the National Institutes for the Humanities.

The research topics covered by each IAS Center are as follows:

IAS Center General Office at Waseda University (WIAS)

(Center for Contemporary Islamic Area Studies, Institute of Islamic Area Studies, Waseda University)

Research Theme: Knowledge and Civilization of Islam

Director: SATO Tsugitaka

IAS Center at the University of Tokyo (TIAS)

(Department of Islamic Area Studies, Center for Evolving Humanities, Graduate School of Humanities and Sociology, The University of Tokyo)

Research Theme: Thought and Politics in Islamic Areas-Comparison and Relations

Director: KOMATSU Hisao

IAS Center at Sophia University (SIAS)

(Section for Islamic Area Studies, Institute of Asian Cultures, Sophia University)

Research Theme: Societies and Cultures in the Islamic World

Director: KISAICHI Masatoshi

IAS Center at the Toyo Bunko (Oriental Library) (TBIAS)

(Documentation Center for Islamic Area Studies, The Toyo Bunko)

Research Theme: Constructing a System of Collecting and Studying Source Materials for Islamic Area Studies

Director: MIURA Toru

IAS Center at Kyoto University (KIAS)

(Center for Islamic Area Studies, Graduate School of Asian and African Area Studies, Kyoto University)

Research Theme: International Organizations/Institutions in the Islamic World

Director: KOSUGI Yasushi

Publication of Research Results

The IAS project plans to consolidate the results of five years of research in the following ways:

1. The publication of New Islamic Area Studies Series (in Japanese).

Based on the previously published series Islamic Area Studies (University of Tokyo Press), we plan to publish the combined work of the five IAS Centers in a new collection. Also included will be translated papers by foreign researchers based abroad. We aim to produce a set of five volumes, one for each IAS Center.

2. The publication of New Horizons in Islamic Studies and New Islamic Studies (in English).

We will publish an English version of the New Islamic Area Studies Series written in Japanese, whose contents will be almost identical to the original. Also, each IAS Center will publish at least one volume each to comprise a total of five or more volumes, including in the process discussions with foreign researchers based abroad.

3. Publication of research results via Japanese and English websites.

The research results of each IAS Center and other information will be made available for viewing from both abroad and within Japan via our Japanese and English websites. This will serve in lieu of an annual newsletter.

4. Expanding our domestic and international network of researchers.

We will expand and deepen the network already created by the previous Islamic Area Studies project.

5. Publication of the series Islam-Chi-no Tankyu (in Japanese).

Each IAS Center will publish the results of their research as a series entitled Islam-Chi-no Tankyu. The content will be written in easily understood language aimed at university students and the general public.