Institute for Religious Studies, Vietnamese Academy of Social Sciences

Established in 1953 and based in Hanoi, the Vietnamese Academy of Social Sciences (VASS) is a government body with the functions of studying fundamental issues on Vietnamese social sciences; providing academic foundation for planning lines, strategies, schemes and policies for socialist-oriented rapid and sustainable development; organizing consultation and postgraduate training on social sciences; taking part in developing the potential of nationwide social sciences. Within VASS, the Institute for Religious Studies (IRS-VASS) is responsible for research on religious movements and policies within Vietnam. IGE has partnered with IRS-VASS since 2004, resulting in a conference series on "Religion and Rule of Law in Southeast Asia." The first conference in the series took place in September 2006, convening experts in law and religion from 10 countries to discuss comparative approaches to regulating religion in a Southeast Asian cultural context.