Saint Louis University Receives Funding to Establish Institute for Multidisciplinary Asian Studies
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).
Saint Louis University team members supporting the Institute for Multidisciplinary Asian Studies (IMAS) include, from left, Luchen Li PhD., Yun A. Lee, PhD., Joe Lyons, Ph.D., and Kamryn Moore. Submitted photo.
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.
Latest Newslink
- St. Louis Literary Award Events to Kick Off with Screening of “The Namesake,” Talk with Director Mira NairSaint Louis University will welcome Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jhumpa Lahiri to campus in 2026 to receive the St. Louis Literary Award. Literary Award programming kicks off the week of Oct. 27 with a showing of the film "The Namesake" and a discussion with director Mira Nair.
- SLU Hispanic Studies Professor Named Distinguished Visiting Professor in the Humanities at East Carolina UniversityAmy E. Wright, Ph.D., professor of Hispanic Studies at Saint Louis University, has been named the David Julian and Virginia Suther Whichard Distinguished Professor in the Humanities at East Carolina University. She will hold the visiting Whichard professorship in ECU’s Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences for two years before returning to SLU.
- SLU, Maryville Team Up with Women in Cybersecurity to Close the Cyber Talent GapStudents from the Saint Louis University and Maryville University Women in Cybersecurity chapters are teaming up to address one of the nation's most critical challenges: the shortage of skilled professionals trained to combat escalating cybersecurity threats.
- SLU's Emerson Leadership Institute to Kick Off Speaker Series with Barry-Wehmiller's Bob ChapmanSaint Louis University’s Emerson Leadership Institute will host Bob Chapman, chairman of Barry-Wehmiller, as part of its Leadership Speaker Series on Monday, Nov. 3. The free event will include a fireside chat on dignity-based leadership with Jackson Nickerson, Ph.D., Edward Jones Dean of the Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business at SLU.
- SLU's Flying Billikens to Host Regional Event for National Intercollegiate Flying CompetitionThe Flying Billikens from the Oliver L. Parks Department of Aviation Science will host the 2025 National Intercollegiate Flying Association Competition's Region VI and VIII SAFECON event Oct. 13-18 at the St. Louis Downtown Airport.
- SLU Program in Physical Therapy Class of 2028 Celebrates White Coat CeremonyThe Saint Louis University Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) Class of 2028 recently celebrated its initiation into the professional phase of the program by hosting a white coat ceremony. The ceremony took place at Saint Francis Xavier College Church and celebrated more than 80 students advancing to the professional phase of the program.
