The Sophia University Islamic Area Studies center, based at the Sophia University Institute of Asian Cultures, is engaged in research on the theme of "Societies and Cultures of the Islamic World", and works with the other IAS centers to fortify our shared network of internal and external researchers and research institutions. We maintain a work-related web site and publish the SOIAS Research Paper Series to promote our research work and results.

We have undertaken the applied research project "Secularism and the Secularization of Islamic Society" to help strengthen our centers and encourage participation by a wide variety of talented individuals. This research, in accordance with our underlying research theme of "Societies and Cultures of the Islamic World", aims to contribute to three topics: categorization of the societies and cultures of Southeast Asian peoples, analysis of the role of the populace in Islamic movements, and comparison of the cultures of Islamic peoples.