Focus on the social and human dimension of foreign policymaking
There is increasing recognition of the potential for socioeconomic sciences and humanities (SSH) to make a greater contribution to public policymaking. A cultural perspective is essential in foreign policymaking, particularly in the case of Asia. In this regard, EU decision-makers have acknowledged a greater need for cultural and social science tools to facilitate better geopolitical analysis and generate in-depth understanding. Against this background, the 'Integrating and Developing European Asian Studies' (IDEAS) project addressed this gap by promoting increased collaboration between Asian Studies researchers and institutions in Europe. The project team also enabled the development of links between policymakers and the academic community in this field. Guided by the primary objective of coordinating and bringing together academic researchers and policymakers, IDEAS partners conducted an assessment of the network of 23 European-owned field research centres operated by the European Consortium for Asian Field Study (ECAF) in Asia. ECAF centres agreed to commit to a plan for convergence, as outlined in the IDEAS vision statement. Project work covered the integration, development and improvement of access to the resources of the network's Asian field centres for scholars from across Europe. Team members also focused on the establishment of new structures, networks and partnerships that will facilitate exchanges between Asian and European ECAF members. This effort has contributed to the development of the European Research Area (ERA) in the field of Asian Studies. IDEAS also endeavoured to define strategies enabling resources generated by SSH research on Asia to be made available to the broader community. As such, international policy-relevant exchanges between researchers, policymakers and other stakeholders will be facilitated. Project activities included setting up a fundraising platform, establishing workgroups, facilitating policy dialogue, promoting communication tools and organising international conferences. These all contributed to IDEAS successfully combining the strengths of the ECAF network and opening up access to the network of 23 field centres located in Asia. The project also reported results that contributed to the promotion of European research infrastructures in digital humanities, and the creation of an East Asia Knowledge Research Infrastructure for Europe. Overall, IDEAS strengthened the ERA in Asian Studies, and helped bridge the gap between the academic community and policymakers and other stakeholders.