In the present climate of globalization and transnationalism, the importance of international relations continues to intensify. Northeast Asia is no exception, experiencing a complicated mixture of conflicting factors, including the coexistence of legacies from the cold war era and postcold war phenomena, and the parallels between modernization and postmodernization. A variety of agentsstates, local governments, various NGOs, corporations, and individualshave been participating in this transitional trend in almost all areas, ranging from capitalism, the economy, and labor to theoretical, ideological, cultural, and environmental and human rights-related issues, which leads to the phenomenon of "porous borders." Currently, Northeast Asia is experiencing the formation, transformation, and reformation of multilayered networks and multiple identities among various agents. In order to provide a comprehensive account of complicated transnational phenomena in Northeast Asia, it is essential to explore the intellectual foundations underlying them, to examine transnational social and cultural trends, and to investigate the changes in institutional orders. ARI has set up three research divisions dealing with intellectual, sociocultural, and institutional topics.

1) Objective 1: Leading Northeast Asian studies by setting and carrying out a research agenda

ARI will present a new paradigm in Northeast Asian studies by treating the Northeast Asian region as a single object of study and undertaking comprehensive studies instead of segmenting by nation and discipline, as is the current practice. In this regard, ARI has set as its research agenda: "The Transnational Space of Northeast Asia: Intellectual and Socio-cultural Exchanges, Institutional Interactions, and Their Restructuring."

2) Objective 2: Establishment of the world-class Northeast Asia Data Research Center and a data sharing system
ARI plans to systematically collect and organize basic and technical data on Northeast Asia for the continuous advancement of regional studies. To this end, ARI will expand and reorganize the existing ARI Library—the East Asia Digital Archive System into the Northeast Asia Data Research Center. ARI also plans to build a data sharing system to share information with research institutes for Northeast Asian studies both at home and abroad, thereby establishing an efficient and reliable infrastructure for regional studies.

3) Objective 3: Nurturing internationally competitive regional studies experts and next-generation scholars
ARI plans to nurture internationally competitive regional studies experts by providing financial support for ARI researchers to carry out overseas data surveys and by conducting joint studies with partner institutes and researchers abroad. In addition, ARI will foster next-generation scholars by creating an interdisciplinary major program for Northeast Asian studies, running a research course and supporting internship programs.

4) Objective 4: Establishment of a research community through academic exchanges at home and abroad
By hosting symposiums and operating exchange programs for professors and researchers in conjunction with regional studies institutes at home and abroad, ARI will further promote the existing research network that it has built, thereby developing a community for Northeast Asian studies researchers.

5) Objective 5: Public service programs to share the results of regional studies
ARI will actively utilize the results of the Northeast Asian studies for the benefit of the public, thereby extending the scope of regional studies. To this end, ARI plans to release its research results online and provide both public education programs and open lectures.

The Division of Thought - The Intellectual Foundations of Northeast Asian Transnational Space 

The division focuses on exploring Northeast Asia's intellectual foundations to explain the transnational trend in Northeast Asia, a dynamic space in which, owing to increasing transnational exchanges, a variety of identities are being expressed.
Faculty: Hyun-Seung Shin, Jun-Hyeok Kwak, Junghwan Lee
Associates in Research: Hui Wang(Tsinghua Univ.), Naoyuki Umemori(Waseda Univ.), Wookyon Lee(Sogang Univ.)

The Division of Societies and Cultures - Transnational Migrations, Networks, and Multi-Cultures in Northeast Asia
The division investigates transnational social and cultural phenomena, explores their current state, and examines the prospects for their future development. On this basis, the division will ultimately propose multicultural policies and programs for promoting the symbiotic flourishing of the Northeast Asian community.
Faculty: In-Jin Yoon, In-Seong Kim, Ji Hwan Kim, , Jung-Mi Hwang, Sang-soo Park, Won-Oh Choi
Associates in Research : Yenfen Tseng(National Taiwan Univ.), Eungi Kim(Korea Univ.), Kyonghwan Park(Chonnam National Univ.)

The Division of Institutions - Historical Reflections on Transnational Order in Northeast Asia and Its Institutional Reconstructions
The division analyzes the transnational modality of the Northeast Asian order through the lens of history and current regional dynamics. On this basis, the division will search for a practical scheme to institutionally secure the regional orderof peace and prosperityfor Northeast Asia in the future.
Faculty: Chul Ho Cho, Hyun Sung Kim, Jung Hyun Park, Kue-jin Song, Nae-young Lee, Shin-wha Lee
Associates in Research: Gilbert Rozman(Princeton Univ.), T.J. Pempel(Univ. of California, Berkeley), Inkyo Cheong(Inha Univ.), Yeon-Chul Kim(Hankyoreh Foundation for Reunification and Culture)