The Research School of Southeast Asian Studies (Nanyang Yanjiu Yuan) was established in the name of Research Institue of Nanyang, at Xiamen University in 1956 joint by the China’s Committee of Overseas Chinese Affairs and Xiamen University, making it China’s earliest research institution on Southeast Asian and Overseas Chinese studies. The institute devotes itself to the studies of polities, economy and history of Southeast Asian countries, and issues concerning overseas Chinese.

         During the initial decade, great achievements were made especially in the research on overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia. With painstaking efforts in field study and extensive interviews with returned overseas Chinese, substantial materials on overseas Chinese investment in the mainland and Chinese contract workers in Southeast Asia were collected. During the Cultural Revolution period, the Institute was closed until 1972 when it resumed running.

        In 1996 the institute was re-organized into research school as the staff increased and the research fields were expanded.

        Included in the 45 staff members are 31 researchers, 3 translators and 2 administrative personnel, There are 6 professors and 12 associate professors on the academic staff.

        In addition to the library, administrative office and translation department, the Research School has four institutes. The Institute for Studies of Politics and Economy in Southeast Asia 东南亚政治经济研究所 puts its stress on political, economic and social issues in Southeast Asia, as well as economies in the Asian-Pacific region and developing countries. The Institute of Overseas Chinese Studies 华侨华人研究所 concentrates on the history and perspectives of overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia. The main interest of the Center of History of China’s International Relations 中外关系史研究中心 lies in the history of relations between China and Southeast Asia and the history of Southeast Asia and South China Seas. The Center of Chinese Literatures in Southeast Asia 东南亚华文 文学研究中心 concentrates on the contemporary Chinese literatures in Southeast Asia.

       Since 1976 the School has published 58 monographic books and 16 translated works. The Institute has also undertaken a number of priority programs in social science studies at national and provincial levels.

       In terms of degree programs, the Institute offers, at present, two Ph.D programs (History of relations between China and Southeast Asia and overseas Chinese affair, and economy of Southeast Asia) and a total of 5 concentrations at the Master’s degree level: ASEAN Economies, Development Economics, History of Southeast Asia, History of relations between China and Southeast Asia and History of Overseas Chinese. It offers training programs for government officials and staff, and provides advisory services to various government departments.

        The library has accumulated an extensive collection of 45,000 volumes of books, 10,000 monographs on special subjects, 20,000 bound periodicals and 25,000 bound newspapers. The list of subscriptions to foreign periodicals and newspapers has a total of 120 titles. The library is generally considered to have the best collection on Southeast Asia and overseas Chinese affairs in China. The library has published A Combined Bibliography of the Books on Issues of Overseas and Ethnic Chinese in Fujian, four Title Indexes to the Papers on Southeast Asian Studies and overseas Chinese.

         The School publishes two quarterly journals: STUDIES OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN AFFAIRS and SOUTHEAST ASIAN STUDIES (A QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF TRANSLATIONS). The former published since 1972 carries articles written by the researchers in and beyond the School, while the latter published since 1957 carries translated foreign theses and systematic materials on Southeast Asia, Asian-Pacific economies, the economies of developing countries and the overseas Chinese affairs.