JISEAS is unique in that it is only the third institution among Korean universities to include the term “Southeast Asia” in its name. As is apparent from the institution’s value of “openness and solidarity,” JISEAS is profoundly interested in forming and developing close and effective exchange relationships with Southeast Asian academic communities in Korea and overseas.

JISEAS has been awarded the 2025 NRF Institute Program in Humanities & Social Sciences and will conduct a 6-year research project titled "Critical Area Studies of Development Models in Transitional Southeast Asia." Currently, Southeast Asia faces a "polycrisis," including increasingly unstable international relations and the climate crisis. In response to these challenging circumstances, JISEAS seeks to explore transformative directions for the future development models of Southeast Asia.