The Center for Multidisciplinary Area Studies (CenMAS) is a newly established unit at the Faculty of Arts, Charles University. It focuses on the study of non-European regions (Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and Africa) as well as Eastern Europein broader global contexts. CenMAS builds on the Faculty’s strong tradition of area studies and develops it further through interdisciplinary and international collaboration, combining research with teaching and training in area studies.
Why was CenMAS established
CenMAS is part of broader strategic changes at the Faculty of Arts, Charles University, responding to shifts in both the contemporary world and the research environment. Its aim is to better connect existing expertise, strengthen social science approaches, and create a stable foundation for the long-term development of area studies.
The center is being established through the transformation of the former Center for Ibero-American Studies and integrates the activities of the Center for Strategic Regions. This new organizational structure enables closer connections between research, teaching, and project-based activities, while providing a more coherent framework for the development of area studies in a broader interdisciplinary context.
CenMAS is also closely linked to the ERA-AREAS project, funded by the Horizon Europe programme, which provides key tools and support for its development.
“We aim to build CenMAS as an open platform that connects researchers across the faculty and beyond. A key priority is the ability to combine in-depth knowledge of individual regions with broader comparative perspectives. This approach will allow us to better understand the dynamics of current conflicts, crises, and transformations worldwide. At the same time, we want to develop an environment that will provide long-term support for high-quality research projects and international collaboration,” says Radek Buben, the Head of CenMAS.
What CenMAS does
CenMAS focuses on key contemporary challenges shaping global regions, including interstate and intrastate conflicts, political instability, polarization, identity-based disputes, institutional tensions, and shifts in global power dynamics.
CenMAS:
connects research across area studies and other disciplines at the Faculty
integrates research with teaching and advanced training in area studies
fosters collaboration between humanities-based and social science approaches
develops comparative and multidisciplinary research on global regions
creates a platform for sharing research, developing projects, and international cooperation
Mission
The mission of CenMAS is to contribute to a deeper understanding of conflicts, crises, and societal transformations in the contemporary world, while strengthening the international profile and research capacity of the Faculty of Arts, Charles University.
