ST. LOUIS - Saint Louis University has been awarded $250,000 from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) to establish a new institute and increase understanding of East Asian geopolitics.

The project, “Deciphering Geopolitical Dynamics through Language and Cultural Studies,” is funded through ODNI as part of the Intelligence Community Center for Academic Excellence program. The principal investigator on the project is Joe Lyons, Ph.D., associate professor of security and intelligence at Saint Louis University and director of the Intelligence Community Center for Academic Excellence (IC-CAE).  

Members of the research team include Luchen Li, Ph.D., associate vice president for global engagement and international enrollment; Yun A. Lee, Ph.D., assistant professor of Chinese; and Kamryn Moore, education abroad coordinator in the Office of International Services.

The funding will establish an Institute for Multidisciplinary Asian Studies (IMAS) within the SLU IC-CAE. The new virtual institute will be focused on synthesizing expertise from faculty and students from across academic disciplines to design programs and seminars on Asian cultures, politics, diplomacy, and technological advancement, to be offered to SLU students, faculty, and staff, as well as the academic communities of Harris Stowe State University and Lincoln University. The Institute will focus on developing curricula and increasing understanding of East Asia.  

Project initiatives, including a Taiwan Study Abroad, will be managed through the Office of International Services. 

“This grant provides an exciting opportunity for faculty and international education staff to collaborate in expanding our global reach by responding to national interest and SLU’s commitment to Higher Purpose and Greater Good,” said Li. “The increasing global attention to the geopolitics and the diplomatic tensions in East and Southeast Asia bespeaks the need and advantage of deep understanding of the intricate relationship between cultures and the languages of the world’s most densely populated region.”

Through the IC CAE program, the new institute will host its inaugural study abroad during the summer of 2025.  The institute will fund up to eight scholarships for students attending the Taiwan study abroad, guiding students from across multiple disciplines (social sciences, humanities, and STEM) to engage in seminars, cultural immersion, and discussions about how dialects change and/or correlate with viewpoints when geopolitical differences and confrontations are concerned. The instructor-led study abroad will be led by Lee.

“The new institute and the East Asia study abroad will give students a global perspective, experiencing new cultures and languages, as well as developing intercultural communication, adaptability, and problem solving. These are the types of skills that are in high demand from the U.S. Intelligence Community,” Lyons said. “This is a tremendous partnership for us, the region, and the Intelligence Community Centers for Academic Excellence program.”

Beyond the new East Asia initiative, the IC-CAE at SLU offers an existing summer study abroad in Madrid, Spain. The IC CAE at SLU supports scholarships, travel funding, training, and special events for students and faculty.

About the IC-CAE

The SLU IC-CAE was formed in 2022 with a $2.5 million grant from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. It is dedicated to preparing students for professional positions in the 18 U.S. intelligence agencies. The Center supports the design and development of intelligence-related curricula and programmatic training opportunities to prepare students for careers in the field of intelligence. SLU partners with Harris Stowe State University and Lincoln University on the IC-CAE program.

About Saint Louis University

Founded in 1818, Saint Louis University is one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious Catholic institutions. Rooted in Jesuit values and its pioneering history as the first university west of the Mississippi River, SLU offers more than 15,200 students a rigorous, transformative education of the whole person. At the core of the University’s diverse community of scholars is SLU’s service-focused mission, which challenges and prepares students to make the world a better, more just place.