The Center for Austrian Studies at the Hebrew University was established in May 2001 as a joint initiative of the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Austrian Ministry of Education, Science and Culture and the Friends of the Hebrew University in Austria. Its goal is to promote Austrian studies and Austrian culture in Israel at the academic level, to establish and maintain contacts between Israeli and Austrian scholars and students by organizing symposia, lectures, conferences and workshops on Austrian issues. “Austrian studies” is understood in the broad sense of the word, rather than being narrowly defined as a concentration on the geographic area covered by the present Republic of Austria. The focus envisioned consists in interdisciplinary, broad Central European area studies with an Austrian core. In May 2005, the Center for Austrian Studies was affiliated, together with the Helmut Kohl Institute for European Studies, the Marjorie Mayrock Center for Russian, Eurasian and East European Research, the Paul Desmarais Center for the Study of French Culture, and the Center for the Study of Italian Culture, into the European Forum at the Hebrew University, a framework that  serves as epicenter for all the centers, chairs, funds and foundations active within the university dealing with research and teaching on issues related to Europe and the European Union. The European Forum is a trans- and multidisciplinary institution operating under three Faculties: Social Sciences, Humanities and Law.
The Center for Austrian and Central European Studies   emphasizes  the role of the Republic of Austria in the EU enlargement and integration processes and the role of the City of Vienna as a cultural center in European history. Attention is given to the Jewish population of the Habsburg Empire and its multifaceted impact on European culture, especially thanks to the Aaron Menczer Fund and the municipality of Vienna. The Center sponsors graduate courses about Austria, organizes international conferences and series of lectures, promotes research projects and publications of books, “Conference and Lecture Series” and “Working Papers”.