CenPRIS is a research centre, serving as the focus of the University's efforts in consultancy services, research and graduate supervision related to public policy and international studies. It was established in 2007 from the amalgamation of two existing research centres: the Centre for Policy Research (CPR), which was established in 1974, and the Centre for International Studies (CIS), which was established in 2004. With the amalgamation, in the context of globalization and Malaysia being a highly open economy, the public policy aspect will also now have an international dimension to it. With the amalgamation, nation building, which is the niche area of the Centre, will have both domestic and international perspectives.

Focus research areas at CenPRIS are: for the policy areas, they are public-private sector collaboration, socio-political development and rural modernisation; for the international areas, the themes include globalization and regionalism, global international reform, international political economy, and cultural, communication and ethnic studies. There are thus areas that overlap that give researchers avenues for research in international studies that has policy implications.

CenPRIS welcomes academics from all Schools in USM with research interests in public policy and international studies to attach themselves to the Centre as Fellows and avail themselves of the Centre’s facilities. To promote collaboration, other local and international scholars and researchers with similar interests are welcome as Fellows and find attachments at the Centre, thus contributing to enriching the Centre as a focus for discussion, debate and local and international networking.

The Centre's graduate studies programme prepares candidates for scholarly and leadership roles in government, universities, research organisations, and other settings where knowledge and research skills in public policy and international studies are needed. The programme is committed to accomplishing this mission by creating an intellectually vibrant atmosphere for scholarship involving an active faculty from a broad spectrum of academic disciplines and extensive interaction with government agencies and community groups. CenPRIS welcomes graduate students to pursue Masters and Ph. D. study programmes by research in the focus areas.

The Noordin Sopiee Chair in Global Studies, established in 2007, is also housed at CenPRIS. The current theme of the Chair is The Role of Religion in a Globalizing World, thus giving CenPRIS and additional focus research area.