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The ANU College of Asia and the Pacific (CAP) is a distinctive community of multi-disciplinary, area and public policy-based academics, professionals and technical experts dedicated to research, education and engagement in the world’s most dynamic region.

Through its work, the College has played a critical role in advancing Australia’s engagement and understanding of the Asia-Pacific region, establishing the Australian National University as a global centre of excellence for research, teaching and impact in the region. Our specialists play a vital role in informing public policy and shaping Australia’s intellectual engagement with the societies, cultures and economies of Asia and the Pacific.

Former Reserve Bank of Australia Governor Herbert Cole Coombs and former Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitlam
Former Reserve Bank of Australia Governor Herbert Cole Coombs and former Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitlam

Our Story

The College has its roots in the University’s Research School of Pacific Studies and the School of Oriental Languages, established in 1946 and 1952 respectively. The Research School of Pacific Studies was a founding institution of ANU, formed to guide Australia’s leaders in constituting the nation’s position within its geography. The School of Oriental Languages was established to train diplomats and public servants in Chinese, and later Japanese, Bahasa Indonesia and Malay. Ten years later, the School became the groundbreaking Faculty of Asian Studies, the first and only faculty at an Australian university dedicated to regional specialisation. In 2010, the Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies and the Faculty of Asian Studies merged to form the ANU College of Asia and the Pacific.

Our Structure

The College consists of two research schools and is home to a range of regional and thematic institutes and centres that support research, education, and outreach activities.