The Harvard University Asia Center was officially established on July 1, 1997, to reflect Harvard's deep commitment to Asia and the growing connections between Asian nations. The center is an active organization with varied programs focusing on international relations in Asia and comparative studies of Asian countries and regions. Harvard's study of Asia is spread across the University's departments and schools, and a wide array of disciplines come together under the auspices of the Asia Center. Through such a convergence, the Center brings a layered, multi-faceted approach to the scholarly description of events to probe questions of history and culture, of economics, politics, diplomacy, and security, and the relationships among them.

The Asia Center supplements other Asia-related programs and institutes and the University and provides a focal point for interaction and exchange on topics of common interest for the Harvard community and Asian intellectual, political, and business circles.

The Asia Center fosters links between programs concerned with Asia at the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and other faculties at Harvard, and facilitates cross-regional research and cooperative efforts between the University's libraries, museums, and regional centers and institutes.