The Center for Strategic Studies (CSS) was established in 1984 as an academic unit of the University of Jordan concerned mainly with research in the fields of regional conflicts, international relations and security. With the initiation of the country''s democratization process in 1989, the center expanded its scope of activities to include planning and research in such new fields as democracy, political pluralism,  the economy and the environment. Over the past few years, the CSS has organized numerous conferences, seminars and workshops, and has conducted several opinion polls aimed at providing researchers and decision-makers with valuable material and data.