The study of the United States has traveled far beyond the United States itself. From Berlin and Brussels to Beijing, Seoul, and Bahrain, American studies has become a global academic network.
Programs Across Continents
European institutions include the John F. Kennedy-Institute in Berlin, the Center for American Studies in Brussels, and programs at universities in the Netherlands, Britain, Sweden, Slovakia, and Germany. Research centers and degree programs also operate in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
In Asia, Chinese institutions established major American studies centers beginning in the late twentieth century. These centers generally focus on graduate education and research. South Korean universities offer American studies or American culture programs, while the University of Tehran and the University of Bahrain provide examples from the Middle East.
Studying America From Elsewhere
This international presence changes the field’s perspective. Scholars outside the United States examine American culture and foreign policy through their own national and regional experiences. The result is not simply more research about the United States, but more debate over how the United States appears from different locations.
The field’s internationalization also challenges the assumption that vital scholarship must originate in America. Programs, journals, and scholarly associations distribute authority across borders.
A Worldwide Discipline
The International American Studies Association, founded in Italy in 2000, connects researchers from more than forty countries. Its world congresses have taken place across Europe, North America, Asia, and South America.
American studies began as an effort to interpret a nation’s literature and ideals. Its global expansion has transformed that mission: understanding the United States now requires listening to scholars and communities far beyond its borders.