The missions of the EFEO

missions

Fieldwork in Asia

The mission of the EFEO, a public institution under the aegis of the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research, is to study the classical civilizations of Asia through the humanities and social sciences. From India, to China and Japan, and covering all of Southeast Asia, the EFEO's research areas include almost all the societies have been under Indian or Chinese influence in the course of history. Leading scholars working at the EFEO's 18 centres and branch offices in Asia have been essential in the development of the School's research programme. Interdisciplinary projects bring together leading scholars in the fields of anthropology, archaeology, history, philology, and religious studies. Since the vast majority of EFEO members carry out field studies in Asia, the emergence of contemporary issues is obviously of relevance for the School.

A Network of International Excellence in Scholarship

For decades the EFEO and its Asian centres have worked in many Asian and European partnerships. Today centres in Pondicherry, Chiang Mai, Siem Reap, Hanoi, Vientiane and Jakarta have their own premises, whereas several EFEO branch offices are hosted by prestigious universities, research institutes and museums. This is the case of Pune, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Yangon, Phnom Penh, Beijing, Hong Kong, Taipei, Seoul and Tokyo.

The EFEO regularly welcomes scholars for extended periods of field study in its Asian centres, particularly for EFEO led research projects. Visiting scholars benefit from the School's local academic partnerships and its rich documentary collections that represent over a century of research. In view of improving scholarly exchanges, the EFEO and 20 leading European institutions for higher education created the European Consortium for Asian Field Study (ECAF) in 2007. As such the EFEO is now in the centre of an international network of leading scholars in Asian studies.

EFEO News
Library closure
Paris, France, 18 March 2024

♦ Following major water damage, the library is exceptionally closed until further notice.

The entire library team is aware of the difficulties this long closure is causing for your research, and you can be certain that we are working tirelessly to reopen the library as soon as possible. ♦


Consult the catalogs and digital tools:
Books and periodicals catalog
- Archives and manuscripts catalog
- Digital heritage library

Please check the EFEO's Facebook page and Twitter account regularly for any updates to the conditions of public access.
New Publication

The Holy Island in the Kāverī: a Hagiotopography  
Critical Edition and Translation of the Śrīraṅgamāhātmya

R. Sathyanarayanan, Marzenna Czerniak-Drożdżowicz

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Master Asian Studies 2024-2025
Paris, France, 26 February 2024
The next and only application session opens from 26 February to 24 March 2024 for the 2024-2025 academic year!

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New publication
Kyoto,

Cahiers d'Extrême-Asie, vol. 32 (2023)
Aspect of Lived Religion in Late Medieval and Early Modern Japan
Aspects de la religion vécue dans le Japon de la fin du Moyen Âge et de l'époque prémoderne


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New Publication
Paris, France,

Armand Desbat, Les Grès angkoriens (9e-14e siècle). Caractéristiques, typologie et originesMémoires Archéologiques n° 29, EFEO, 2023, 372 pages.


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The 22nd Classical Tamil Winter Seminar (CTWS)
Pondicherry, India, 15 January 2024

We are happy to announce the upcoming 22nd Classical Tamil Winter Seminar (CTWS), scheduled for two weeks, from 12th to 23rd February 2024. The event will be hosted at the Pondicherry Centre of the École française d'Extrême-Orient (EFEO).

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Happy New Year 2023
Paris, France,

The École française d'Extrême-Orient (EFEO - French School of Asian Studies) wishes you a Happy New year 2024

Follow this link to watch the EFEO New Year card.