The archive is devoted to collecting, editing and translating phenomenology classics and to promoting research on phenomenology and related issues.

The centre aims to promote research in new issues, methods, areas of study and materials within Chinese philosophy. Academic exchange on an international level is equally essential in this respect.

The Centre commits itself to attending the IT-related needs of the humanities community, both locally and internationally. It hosts a research-oriented web site called HUMANUM, which started with meta-indexing work (now decommissioned) but switched very quickly to the preparation of searchable electronic texts of philosophical classics and other thematic web pages, and finally focused on the implementation of online databases, with the “Multi-function Chinese Character Database” being currently its signature product. In the future, the Centre will look for further opportunities to carry out meaningful projects of similar nature.

Established in 2007 by the generous donation of Dr. Edwin S. L. Cheng, The Edwin Cheng Foundation Asian Centre for Phenomenology aims to promote research and development in phenomenology, with particular interest in fostering international exchange and cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region.