The disintegration of the Soviet Union and formation of Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) entailed an urgent need for establishment of study centers in research institutes worldwide to concentrate on the developments in Russia, Central Asia and the Caucasus and other republics of the former Soviet Union.

In the same vein, the Center for Central Asia and the Caucasus Studies was formed in the Institute for Political and International Studies (IPIS) in 1993. Hundreds of years of cultural, historical, artistic, literary, religious commonalities with deep ties between the people of Iran and the newly independent republics of Central Asia and the Caucasus provided an extensive ground for activities of this center.

Primary goals of this center include promotion of knowledge, encouragement of scientific research on these republics and helping the further flourish of ties among people of the region in intellectual, cultural and artistic fields.

The Quarterly of Central Asia and the Caucasus Studies was publish in 1993 in order to provide appropriate ground for dissemination of scientific - scholarly papers on political, economic, security, strategic, social, cultural and historical fields related to this region.