The Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences (IHSS) of Honam University, Gwangju, Korea, was established to contribute to the development of regional communities and the creation of a democratic welfare society in Korea. With a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary perspectives, it not only conducts academic research on topics in the humanities and social sciences, but also explores practical ways of applying the research outcomes to significant social issues.

The IHSS intends to publish high quality theoretical, analytical, and empirical works on topics in the humanities and social sciences. Its flagship publication is Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences: Cultivating Global Citizenship (SHSS), a quarterly peer-reviewed journal committed to breaking down intellectual, cultural, and political boundaries.

With editorial and review boards drawing on noted scholars around the world as well as across Korea, the journal has a mission to nudge discourse "toward cultivating global citizenship." Within the academy, the journal emphasizes analysis across the humanities and social sciences, especially as they converge to facilitate the theoretical development and practical implementation of global citizenship. Articles and reviews selected for publication typically cross disciplinary borders, and/or present original research within established fields such as political science, history, international relations, sociology, and cultural studies as they illuminate issues related to global citizenship, whether within Korea or anywhere around the world. The SHSS is published four times a year, on February 28, May 31, August 31, and November 30.