Who We Are
The Weatherhead East Asian Institute is a hub for the study of modern and contemporary East, Inner, and Southeast Asia at Columbia University.
An integrated center for research and teaching, the Institute brings together faculty, research scholars, and students from across the university, and advances knowledge and understanding of the region through academics, research programs, renowned publications series, and a robust calendar of public events.
Our Mission
- To advance knowledge of East, Inner, and Southeast Asia, both across the University and among the public;
- To bring together faculty, research scholars, and students in an integrated program of teaching and research on East, Inner, and Southeast Asia;
- To train students to understand the countries, peoples, and cultures of East, Inner, and Southeast Asia, preparing them for a wide range of careers.
Discover
The Annual Report
Effectively a yearbook for the Weatherhead East Asian Institute, the Annual Report features a roster of all Institute members and reports from affiliate programs in addition to lists of events that took place during the academic year; members' publications; and all funding sources.
Download the 2024–2025 Annual Report (PDF)
View previous years' Annual Reports
The Year in Review
In a tumultuous year, the Weatherhead East Asian Institute continued to look both forward and back under the stewardship of Director Lien-Hang T. Nguyen. In the spring, we marked twin anniversaries in America's relationship with Vietnam through a three-day conference; in the fall, one new lecture series fostered opportunities for scholarship on Taiwan, while another surveyed responses to the COVID-19 pandemic across the Chinese-speaking world. Throughout the year we hosted our usual broad spectrum of visiting scholars committed to the study of Northeast, Southeast, and Inner Asia.
Click here for a timeline with a selection of WEAI's 2025 news and events.
Explore previous years:
East Asian National Resource Center
Columbia University has been designated as an East Asian National Resource Center (NRC) by the US Department of Education since 1960. The Weatherhead East Asian Institute serves as the home of Columbia’s NRC and develops new initiatives and educational materials to expand the study of East Asia at Columbia and beyond.
Report of the 2013 Title VI NRC Conference: “Demonstrating the Impact of National Resource Centers”
For more information about conferences and resources at East Asia National Resource Centers, please view the NRCCONNECT Blog