1. Comparative Study of States

• To compare forms, organizations, and administrative systems of states from ancient times to the present day.

2. Comparative Study of Governmental Systems in Medieval Europe

• To compare governmental systems of monarchies in medieval Western Europe (Italy, France, Britain, Germany, Spain, etc.)

3. Comparative Study of the Three Cultural Zones around the Mediterranean in the Middle Ages

• To study how the three cultures which developed around the Mediterranean (Latin-Christian, Greek-Byzantine, Arab-Islamic) interacted with and responded to one another, and how they shaped the histories of Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Middle East, and North Africa.

• To analyze cultural activities and interactions, competitions for hegemony, and changes in the international order in the Medieval Mediterranean, and to compare power structures and governmental systems of the states around the Mediterranean.

• To examine how various groups with different cultural and religious backgrounds interacted in the Mediterranean area, and to synthesize the studies of the three civilizations.

4. Study of the Norman Kingdom of Sicily

• To investigate the Norman Kingdom of Sicily in the 12th century, which served as a crossroads of Latin-Christian, Greek-Byzantine, and Arab-Islamic cultures.

5. Study of Cultural Interactions

• To analyze various phenomena arising from cultural contacts and consider both common features and diversities of human groups

6. Study of Globalization

• To analyze impact of globalization on societies and states