Area Studies are faced with new methodological and theoretical challenges after the end of the Cold War. Current debates on the global economic crisis, on international politics and also on the importance of religions demonstrate that the modern world being characterized by processes of exchange and dependencies between different regions is difficult to understand without the knowledge of its interlacement.

By founding the Center for Area Studies (CAS) in 2006, Freie Universität (FU) reacted to these challenges, thus profiling the potential of Area Studies in the Berlin Region and offering an institutional framework for the latest research developments in transregional and trancultural studies.

Since November 2006, the Center for Area Studies unites the competence within the fields of area studies existing in the humanities and social sciences at Freie Universitaet. It fosters co-operation between different institutions and systematically cultivates transregional approaches.

The Center coordinates study programs within the different Area Studies, initiates joint research projects and promotes scientific exchange with national and international research institutions from sience, politics, economics, culture and civil society. In this regard, CAS regularly organizes relevant lectures and workshops.

CAS's scientific purpose is to analyze transcultural phenomena and processes with an interdisciplinary approach. Utilizing its programmatic approach as input, the Center aims to take effect on methodic-theoretical discussions dealing with the phenomenon of transculturality.