Acta Via Serica focuses on past and present human exchange (mutatio) within the Silk Road region, examining the history of relations conducted along the Silk Road and functioning as a modern information Silk Road, promoting cooperation by disseminating knowledge of contemporary Central Asia throughout the world.

Acta Via Serica therefore examines historical relations and flows of goods, people (explorers, merchants, monks and migrants), and knowledge (science, technology, art, culture, religion and language) within the Silk Road region. To promote greater cooperation and understanding between East and West Acta Via Serica seeks to deepen insight into the religions, cultures, politics, economies and international relations of present-day Central Asian societies and states.

As an international, open-access, journal bi-annually published in English, Acta Via Serica thus serves as a 'Silk Road Report,' providing original, insightful, interesting and important peer-reviewed research to academics, policymakers and the public on Central Asia and the Silk Road from a wide range of disciplines within the Humanities and Social Sciences, including Anthropology, Archeology, Art History, Communications, Development, Economics, Geography, History, International Relations, Linguistics, Politics, Religion, and Sociology.