Abstract Developing area studies represents a demand on Chinese higher education institutions as the country becomes a key global player. Area studies have traditionally followed two distinct models exemplified by the United States and Europe. The US model emphasizes cross-discipline collaborations and multi-disciplinary perspectives, while the European model tends to integrate disciplinary approaches to form area studies program. Clearly, there is a need to emphasize the multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, and regional characteristics, facilitating the integration of area studies with various disciplines in the humanities, social sciences, as well as language and cultural studies. Research in area studies should actively apply new methodologies that have emerged in the general social sciences in recent years, while also understanding the forefront debates within these disciplines. Moreover, area studies should place great importance to field-based research and small-N case studies and in-depth studies.
