Since its foundation in 1983, the Institute for Political and International Studies (IPIS) of Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has carried out a broad and diverse range of tasks under different names, such as the Education and Research Department or the Center for International Research and Education. Regardless of a series of provisional and necessary developments in its organizational structure, the pivotal mission of the institute from the outset has been contribution to the collection, organization and promotion of research in various fields of foreign policy and helping the process of introducing and explaining Iran’s foreign policy in academic as well as think-tank communities. As the host of a collection of around 50 million first-hand documents about the history of Iran’s foreign relations, the IPIS is dedicated to preserving such national treasure, and provides an invaluable source for research on the history of Iran’s foreign relations.

The Institute has defined its missions within three convergent programs: think-tank and research activities, education, and archive. As related to think tank and research activities, the IPIS conducts projects on the issues relating to the Islamic Republic of Iran’s foreign policy, carries out applied research on the foreign policy and international relations, and works in close cooperation with think-tanks and research centers, at home and abroad, through holding regular meetings, roundtables and conferences. One of the main objectives pursued by the IPIS is the promotion of literature in the field of IR studies, regional studies and foreign policy. Accordingly, the Institute for Political and International Studies tries to promote understanding about Iran’s foreign policy by establishing regular contacts with Iranian as well as foreign intellectuals and researchers. The IPIS also seeks to assist the national memory of foreign policy in Iran, thanks to the unique archive it hosts and by doing research into this area of study.

The IPIS is also involved in educational programs. The Institute offers graduate studies at the School of International Relations (SIR), which is also engaged in the programs to train and broaden knowledge of foreign policy practitioners through developing and conducting retraining courses and workshops. The School holds close international cooperation with similar academic and educational institutions abroad.

The Institute for Political and International Studies makes the results of its researches and studies available to the public through its publications, books and journals, including the monthly Events and Analyses, and three periodicals of Foreign Policy, Central Asia and the Caucasus, and History of Foreign Relations.