The American Institute of Afghanistan Studies (AIAS) is a private, non-profit organization run by scholars with the aim of promoting and encouraging the systematic study of the culture, society, land, languages, health, peoples and history of Afghanistan. AIAS aims to improve the quality and quantity of research on Afghanistan, particularly through increasing the numbers of scholars in the United States who have expertise in, and understanding of Afghanistan, and to assist in the rebuilding of academic institutions and the advanced study of Afghanistan by Afghan scholars.

To achieve its mission, AIAS provides a wide range of both domestic and international programs and services to promote research and scholarly networks. AIAS operates a fully functional academic center in Kabul, Afghanistan that provides incoming scholars with accommodations in the city, connections to other research institutions, and support in attaining research approvals. The center provides a digital library, a locale for public fora, and a place where American and Afghan scholars can interact in a safe environment. AIAS also sponsors fellowships for American scholars promoting the projects related to the study of Afghanistan, and hosts the Afghan Alumni Association, a local academic organization for Afghans who studied in the United States.