Harvard Yenching Institute

Name

Harvard Yenching Institute

Legal name

Harvard-Yenching Institute

Website

https://harvard-yenching.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1928

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Harvard-Yenching Institute is an independent nonprofit foundation founded in 1928 on Harvard's campus that supports humanities and social sciences research across Asia through fellowships, training programs, library grants, and partnerships with 60+ Asian institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Fellowship and Research Support

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Research Grants, Fellowships & Stipends (International) (EDAIAOAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Research Administration & Grants Management Support (Pre/Post-Award, Compliance) (EDAEALAO), Merit-Based Scholarships (Academic Excellence) (EDAIAOAA), Faculty-Led & Custom Group Study Abroad Programs (EDAIAAAA)

Keywords

• Academic fellowship programs
• Asian studies research
• Humanities social sciences
• Higher education grants
• Scholarly publications support

Headquarters

HQ city

Cambridge

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Fellowship and Grant Programs: The institute provides financial support to scholars through fellowship grants including monthly stipends, health insurance coverage (up to $5,500 for Visiting Scholars), and round-trip airfare. Visiting Fellows receive tuition and fees coverage. The institute is funded as an independent foundation supporting higher education in Asia.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Harvard-Yenching Institute provides fellowship stipends, training programs, library research grants, conference travel grants, coordinate research programs, and publication grants to support scholars and graduate students conducting humanities and social science research focused on Asia. Programs target Asia-based faculty, Harvard faculty, Asia-based graduate students, and HYI alumni, and operate in collaboration with 60+ partner institutions across Asia and the Harvard-Yenching Library collections.

Product overview

The Harvard-Yenching Institute (HYI) is an academic fellowship and research institute, not a technology product company. It is an independent foundation located on the Harvard University campus dedicated to advancing higher education in Asia. The institute provides support for research, training, libraries, and publications in the humanities and social sciences with special attention to Asian Studies. Its offerings include fellowship programs for visiting scholars and fellows, training programs (such as comparative literature, South Asian studies, and various regional studies programs), library research grants, conference travel grants, coordinate research programs, and publication grants. The institute serves Harvard and its 60+ partner institutions in Asia by offering these academic support programs rather than technology products or services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Visiting Scholars Program A fellowship program for faculty members from Asian universities providing a research residence at Harvard with monthly stipend, health insurance up to $5,500, and round-trip economy airfare reimbursement. Supports humanities and social sciences with a focus on Asian Studies.
• Visiting Fellows Program Fellowship program for graduate students from Asian universities providing tuition and fees coverage (including health insurance) and a monthly stipend, enabling advanced research at Harvard in humanities and social sciences with focus on Asian Studies.
• Harvard-Yenching Library Research Grant Grant program supporting scholars' use of Harvard-Yenching Library collections and other Harvard library resources for Asian Studies research.
• Conference Travel Grants Grants for Harvard faculty and scholars to support travel and conference participation related to Asian Studies research.
• Coordinate Research Program Program supporting collaborative Asian Studies research projects led by Harvard faculty.
• UoH-HYI Post-doctoral Fellowship in China Studies Two-year fully funded post-doctoral fellowship jointly with the University of Hyderabad for Indian scholars who have completed PhDs in China Studies. Provides US$1,750/month stipend equivalent in Indian rupees plus a US$6,500 annual research award for equipment, consumables, travel, and conferences.
• Publication Grant Subsidy program for HYI alumni and scholars to publish monographs based on research conducted at HYI, with funding paid directly to the academic press. Up to six grants per academic year with geographic distribution limits across Asian countries.
• Ricci-HYI Joint Visiting Researcher Fellowship Program Joint fellowship program with the Boston College Ricci Institute that brings full-time faculty from Asia-based universities to Boston for six-month research periods.
• Advanced Training Programs Faculty-led training programs in specialized fields of humanities and social sciences, including comparative literature, South Asian studies in China, Indian Ocean World studies, and other regional fields. First program launched in 2008.
• NUS-HYI Joint Doctoral Scholarship Program Joint PhD scholarship program with the National University of Singapore supporting doctoral studies in Asian humanities and social sciences.
• RSEA Fellowship Program Regional Studies East Asia (RSEA) Fellowship Program supporting graduate students conducting East Asian studies research.
• Chinese Studies in India Program Program supporting Indian PhD scholars conducting research on China, hosted in collaboration with Indian universities such as O.P. Jindal Global University.
• HYI Associate Program Alumni engagement program that maintains ongoing relationships with former HYI fellows and scholars after they return to their home countries and institutions.
• South Asian Studies in China Workshop Joint workshop with NYU Shanghai's Center for Global Asia held November 26-28, 2026 for up to 20 doctoral students and junior faculty, providing an entry pipeline to HYI's South Asian Studies in China fellowship program.
• South Asian Studies in China Program Fellowship and training program supporting scholars engaged in South Asian Studies from positions in Chinese academic institutions, with entry via the NYU Shanghai workshop.
• Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies Peer-reviewed academic journal published by Harvard-Yenching Institute covering humanities and social sciences research on Asia.

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NYU Shanghai (Center for Global Asia)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 May 2026Joint collaboration on 'South Asian Studies in China' workshop held November 26-28, 2026 at NYU Shanghai. Up to 20 doctoral students and junior faculty selected to participate. Participants become eligible to apply for HYI fellowship in South Asian Studies in China for 2027-28 academic year.
• University of Hyderabad (UoH, India)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 March 2026Joint UoH-HYI Post-doctoral Fellowship in China Studies. Two-year fully funded fellowship for Indian scholars who completed PhDs in China Studies. Awards 2-4 fellowships annually with monthly stipend of US$1,750 plus US$6,500 annual research award.
• East China Normal UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 January 2026Co-sponsor of 'Technological Innovation and Cultural Integration in the Indian Ocean World' training program scheduled for June 1-7, 2026 in Shanghai. Combines lectures, seminars, and collaborative discussions led by leading scholars.
• Boston College Ricci InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 October 2025Joint Visiting Researcher Fellowship Program bringing full-time faculty from Asia-based universities to Boston for six-month research periods. Applications open for 2026-27 academic year with December 5, 2025 deadline.
• Nagoya University (Research Center for Cultural Heritage and Texts)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 March 2017Co-sponsored workshop 'The Time-Capsule Prince: The Sedgwick Shōtoku Taishi At Age Two' on medieval Japanese religious art. Also co-sponsored with National Institute of Japanese Literature.
• National Institute of Japanese LiteratureminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 March 2017Co-sponsored workshop on medieval Japanese religious art along with Harvard Yenching Institute and Research Center for Cultural Heritage and Texts at Nagoya University.
• 60+ Asian Partner InstitutionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of universities and research institutions across Asia that collaborate with HYI for fellowship and training programs. Includes institutions from China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, India, and other Asian countries.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Korea Foundation: Funds international scholarship and academic exchange on Korea through fellowships, grants, and partnership programs. Comparable to HYI's Korea-oriented fellowship offerings and Asian-area-studies mission.
• Japan Foundation: Provides fellowships, research support, and institutional grants for international scholars of Japan across humanities and social sciences. Overlaps directly with HYI's Japan-facing fellowship programs and exchange activities.
• Social Science Research Council (SSRC): SSRC administers fellowships, working groups, and research grants for social scientists globally, including Asia-focused programs. Its fellowship administration model and scholar-development orientation are closely aligned with HYI.
• DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service): DAAD funds international academic exchange and research fellowships across disciplines. Comparable in fellowship delivery model and international scholar support, though broader in geographic scope than HYI.
• American Institute of Indian Studies (AIIS): AIIS supports scholarly research on India through fellowships, language training, and research centers. Directly comparable to HYI in mission, fellowship delivery model, and Asia-focused humanities/social sciences emphasis.
• American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS): ACLS is a private nonprofit that provides fellowships and research support to humanities and social science scholars, with international programs that parallel HYI's fellowship and grant administration model. Comparability is strong on funding mechanism, mission, and target audience.
• Fulbright Program (U.S. Department of State / IIE): Provides fellowships for U.S. and international scholars across disciplines, with substantial Asia-focused activity. Comparable in exchange-based fellowship model and academic prestige mechanism.
• Henry Luce Foundation (Asia Program): The Luce Foundation's Asia Program funds scholarly exchange, language training, and research on Asia. Directly comparable mission and grantmaking approach to HYI's humanities and social sciences programming.
• Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation for International Scholarly Exchange: A U.S.-based nonprofit foundation that funds international scholarship on Chinese Studies through grants, fellowships, and publication subsidies. Directly comparable to HYI's mission and grantmaking structure in Asian humanities and social sciences.

Regional players

• Social Science Foundation of Korea (SSK): Funds social science research and international scholar exchange with a Korea-only focus. Comparable mechanism (research grants, fellowships) but geographically limited, so it overlaps with HYI on Korea strategy without competing globally.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/harvard-yenching-institute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Harvard Yenching Institute