The Institute was founded by the decision of the Ministry of Education in September of 1990. It was the first Institute in Taiwan to focus on the studies of the Soviet Union and the sixth Institute within Tamkang University specializing in regional studies. In the second term of 1992 academic year it was officially named the Institute of Russian Studies. The Institute is providing complex educational agenda. With Russian history being the basic course, it also provides specialized courses dealing with the politics, society, economics, diplomacy and the military issues of Russia and other independent states of the former Soviet Union. It also deals with foreign relations of modern Russia and other independent states of the former Soviet Union with the rest of the world, paying the special attention to the development of the Sino-Russian bilateral relations. The Institute is training high-class specialists in Russian affairs and offers necessary information concerning Russia and the ways of dealing with her to the government and the public of the R.O.C.