The Centre for East Asian Studies is a Research Centre of the Autonomous University of Madrid.

Established by the Autonomous University of Madrid in 1992, it is the first institution of its kind created in Spain. Its objective is to promote research and teaching on the various social, cultural, economic, and political facets that characterize the countries of East Asia, with special reference to China and Japan.

Until its creation, academic activities related to China and Japan, which had been carried out at the Autonomous University of Madrid since 1985, were confined to different areas of knowledge within the social sciences and humanities. The Centre for East Asian Studies has emerged as a pioneering institution capable of sponsoring and coordinating such efforts, while also serving as a benchmark for both the Spanish university community and the country's public and private institutions.

Since the establishment of the Centre for East Asian Studies, the goal was to secure the necessary resources to establish a basic infrastructure, coordinate all available human resources, and begin academic and research activities on the culture, society, and economy of China and Japan. Two degrees were subsequently launched: the Undergraduate Diploma in Chinese Language and Culture and the Undergraduate Diploma in Japanese Language and Culture, pioneers in Spanish universities. Later, the Bachelor's Degree in East Asian Studies, a second-cycle degree, was established. Due to various curriculum changes, these aforementioned degrees are no longer offered.

Currently, the Centre for East Asian Studies has research and teaching staff specializing in China and Japan who collaborate with various organizations such as the Ibero-American Research Network in East Asian Studies and the editorial staff of its academic journal, or others such as the Japan Foundation, with which it collaborates in the implementation of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (NOKEN).