• To promote understanding among the UTAR campus community and  society-at-large of critical contemporary international issues affecting the nation, the region and the world; and to promote constructive response to the problems and challenges.

• To provide opportunities for greater information exchange and discussion  about contemporary regional and global issues, and on Malaysian foreign policy and relations with the international community.

• To undertake research on selected critical socio-economic issues and contemporary regional problems and challenges that impact on the peace, stability and security of the nation, the region and the world.

• To participate in national and international conferences and fora.
• To conduct research on critical regional and international problems and collaborate with other research organizations at home and abroad.
  
• To publish quality and factual research findings.
  
• To provide advice and consultancy work on policy formulation, research surveys, short courses and, community services. 

Areas of Interest

• Malaysian foreign policy and Malaysia’s relations with its neighbors in ASEAN and East Asia, nations of the Asia-Pacific and the wider global community.
• The power shift in the Asia Pacific region (the transforming role of major powers, especially a rising China and an emerging India and the continual presence of the United States in the region and the prospects for a role by middle powers such as Australia, Canada, Republic of Korea and ASEAN collectively).
• Global security governance (the holistic imperative for reform in the global security architecture as well as in the international financial system).
• Community-building in ASEAN, Plus Three, East Asia Summit (ASEAN Plus Six) and the wider Asia Pacific.