The Consortium for Country and Area Studies (CCAS) is an international academic network initiated by the Global Alliance of Foreign Studies Universities (GAFSU), to be established in Beijing on April 29, 2022.
GAFSU is an open, non-profit, unincorporated organization launched by Beijing Foreign Studies University in May 2017 in conjunction with 30 universities around the world featuring foreign language teaching and research, as well as country and area studies. There are currently 37 members from 19 countries.
The CCAS will bring together nearly 200 reputed scholars in related fields from 181 countries that have diplomatic ties with China. Researchers are invited to join the CCAS voluntarily and on an individual basis to jointly promote Country and Area Studies.
The CCAS is committed to crossing disciplinary boundaries and exploring a common identity of Country and Area Studies, responding to new realities and challenges at national, regional, and global levels, and integrating Country and Area Studies with traditional disciplines such as foreign language and literature, history, political science, economics, management, law, media and communication, and education in terms of talent development and knowledge innovation. It also works to enhance equality and mutual understanding among countries to build a community with a shared future for mankind.
The motto of CCAS is “Better Understanding, Better World”. Pooling knowledge and wisdom of scholars from around the world, the Consortium endeavors to explore the systematic knowledge with its core concepts, theories and approaches in Country and Area Studies. It also works to promote research on global issues and the reform of global governance.
The CCAS will organize academic visits to BFSU and other GAFSU members, promote joint research, organize international conferences, and publish research outcomes. It will also provide public goods, strategic thinking, and recommendations for the development and innovation of this emerging discipline and promote dialogue and mutual learning between Chinese and international scholars.
The CCAS will establish a coordination mechanism, build a platform for exchange and sharing, provide public services, and set up think tanks. It will pool global talent to jointly build a high-caliber academic platform for synergetic cooperation. After its inauguration, the CCAS will gradually establish the Secretariat and other bodies based in BFSU to advance the work mentioned above.
