The Institute for Ancient Near Eastern Studies belongs to the association of institutes for Ancient Studies at the Freie Universität. It also cooperates closely with other research institutions in Berlin, including the German Archeological Institute, the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences, and the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin. These offer students and scholars the opportunity for collaborations with a wide range of events and projects.

The cultural and historical diversity in the Ancient Near East is also reflected in the two professorships of the Institute, each with a complementary research focus. The Assyriological chair focuses on the history and cultures of Mesopotamia, including Sumer, Akkade, Assyria, and Babylonia. The Hittitological chair focuses on the cultures of Anatolia. Research at the institute broadly covers the second millennium BC, the history of ideas and sciences, and reception history.