About MARAAS

The Mid-Atlantic Region Association for Asian Studies (MAR/AAS) is a nonpolitical, nonprofit scholarly organization dedicated to improving understanding between Asia and America. Since 1971, the MAR/AAS has offered conferences, publications and outreach activities to an increasingly large public in the mid-Atlantic region. Membership is open to all individuals and institutions interested in Asia and relations between Asia and the United States. Membership in the MAR/AAS entitles individuals and institutions to participate in the MAR/AAS activities, to receive news about Asia-related educational opportunities, and to gain access to a network of scholars and experts on Asia in the region. The MAR/AAS encourages the exchange of views and information on Asia and on ties between Asia and the United States. It facilitates contact among educators and professionals in such fields as business, law, government, and mass media. The MAR/AAS, one of the eight regional organizations affiliated with the national Association for Asian Studies (AAS), is represented on the AAS Council of Conferences. The objectives of the MAR/AAS parallel those of the national organization, with a special focus on the needs of the mid-Atlantic region, including its colleges, universities, high schools, and elementary schools. It provides outreach support to teachers of Asian Studies through an annual workshop, a newsletter, an annual high school essay contest, and presentations at state and regional social studies meetings. The geographic scope of the MAR/AAS includes the states of Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and the metropolitan areas of New York City and Washington, D.C. The MAR/AAS conference programs and other activities focus primarily on the social sciences and humanities as they deal with the nations of Asia, but also aim increasingly to serve the needs of other professions.

We are an independent 501(3)(c) non-profit association that is a partner with:

The Association for Asian Studies (AAS)

The Association for Asian Studies (AAS)—the largest society of its kind, with more than 7,000 members worldwide—is a scholarly, non-political, non-profit professional association open to all persons interested in Asia.

It seeks through publications, meetings, and seminars to facilitate contact and an exchange of information among scholars to increase their understanding of East, South, and Southeast Asia. It counts among its members scholars, business people, diplomats, journalists, and interested lay persons.

Find out more about AAS.