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SOAS University of London

SOAS University of London (/ˈsæs/; the School of Oriental and African Studies)[4] is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the federal University of London. Founded in 1916, SOAS is located in the Bloomsbury area of central London.

SOAS University of London
Coat of arms of SOAS
MottoKnowledge is Power
TypePublic
Established1916; 107 years ago (1916)
Endowment£56.2 million (2021)[1]
Budget£89.2 million (2020–21)[1]
ChancellorThe Princess Royal
(as Chancellor of the University of London)
PresidentZeinab Badawi[2]
DirectorAdam Habib
Students5,795 (2019/20)[3]
Undergraduates2,740 (2019/20)[3]
Postgraduates3,050 (2019/20)[3]
Location,
United Kingdom
CampusUrban
AffiliationsUniversity of London
ACU
Universities UK
MascotArabian Camel and Asian Elephant
Websitewww.soas.ac.uk

SOAS is one of the world's leading institutions for the study of Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.[5][6] Its library is one of the five national research libraries in the UK. SOAS also houses the Brunei Gallery, which hosts a programme of changing contemporary and historical exhibitions from Asia, Africa, and the Middle East with the aim of presenting and promoting cultures from these regions.

SOAS is divided into three faculties: Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Faculty of Languages and Cultures, and Faculty of Law and Social Sciences. It is home to the SOAS School of Law, which is one of the leading law schools in the UK. The university offers around 350 bachelor's degree combinations, more than 100 one-year master's degrees, and PhD programmes in nearly every department. The university has a student-staff ratio of 11:1, one of the best in the UK. The university has produced several heads of states, government ministers, diplomats, central bankers, Supreme Court judges, a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, and many other notable leaders around the world. SOAS is a member of the Association of Commonwealth Universities.

History

Origins

The School of Oriental Studies was founded in 1916 at 2 Finsbury Circus, London, the then premises of the London Institution. The school received its royal charter on 5 June 1916 and admitted its first students on 18 January 1917. The school was formally inaugurated a month later on 23 February 1917 by George V. Among those in attendance were Earl Curzon of Kedleston, formerly Viceroy of India, and other cabinet officials.[7]

The School of Oriental Studies was founded by the British state as an instrument to strengthen Britain's political, commercial, and military presence in Asia and Africa.[8] It would do so by providing instruction to colonial administrators (Colonial Service and Imperial Civil Service),[8] commercial managers, and military officers, as well as to missionaries, doctors, and teachers, in the language of the part of Asia or Africa to which each was being posted, together with an authoritative introduction to the customs, religions, laws, and history of the people whom they were to govern or among whom they would be working.[8]

The school's founding mission was to advance British scholarship, science, and commerce in Africa and Asia, and to provide London University with a rival to the Oriental schools of Berlin, Petrograd, and Paris.[9] The school immediately became integral to training British administrators, colonial officials, and spies for overseas postings across the British Empire. Africa was added to the school's name in 1938.

Second World War

For a period in the mid-1930s, prior to moving to its current location at Thornhaugh Street, Bloomsbury, the school was located at Vandon House, Vandon Street, London SW1, with the library located at Clarence House. Its move to new premises in Bloomsbury was held up by delays in construction and the half-completed building took a hit during the Blitz in September 1940. With the onset of the Second World War, many University of London colleges were evacuated from London in 1939 and billeted on universities in the rest of the country.[10] The School was, on the Government's advice, transferred to Christ's College, Cambridge.[11]

In 1940, when it became apparent that a return to London was possible, the school returned to the city and was housed for some months in eleven rooms at Broadway Court, 8 Broadway, London SW1. In 1942, the War Office joined with the School to create a scheme for State Scholarships to be offered to select grammar and public school boys with linguistic ability to train as military translators and interpreters in Chinese, Japanese, Persian, and Turkish. Lodged at Dulwich College in south London, the students became affectionately known as the Dulwich boys.[12] One of these students was Charles Dunn, who became a prominent Japanologist on the faculty of the SOAS and a recipient of the Order of the Rising Sun.[13] Others included Sir Peter Parker and Professor Ronald Dore. Subsequently, the School ran a series of courses in Japanese, both for translators and for interpreters.[14]

1945–present

 
A student from Northern Rhodesia at SOAS in 1946

In recognition of SOAS's role during the war, the 1946 Scarborough Commission (officially the "Commission of Enquiry into the Facilities for Oriental, Slavonic, East European and African Studies")[15] report recommended a major expansion in provision for the study of Asia and the school benefited greatly from the subsequent largesse.[16] The SOAS School of Law was established in 1947 with Professor Seymour Gonne Vesey-FitzGerald as its first head. Growth however was curtailed by following years of economic austerity, and upon Sir Cyril Philips assuming the directorship in 1956, the school was in a vulnerable state. Over his 20-year stewardship, Phillips transformed the school, raising funds and broadening the school's remit.[16]

A college of the University of London, the School's fields include Law, Social Sciences, Humanities, and Languages with special reference to Asia and Africa. The SOAS Library, located in the Philips Building, is the UK's national resource for materials relating to Asia and Africa and is the largest of its kind in the world.[17] The school has grown considerably over the past 30 years, from fewer than 1,000 students in the 1970s to more than 6,000 students today, nearly half of them postgraduates. SOAS is partnered with the Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales (INALCO) in Paris which is often considered the French equivalent of SOAS.[18]

In 2011, the Privy Council approved changes to the school's charter allowing it to award degrees in its own name, following the trend set by fellow colleges the London School of Economics, University College London and King's College London. All new students registered from September 2013 will qualify for a SOAS, University of London, award.[19]

In 2012, a new visual identity for SOAS was launched to be used in print, digital media and around the campus. The SOAS tree symbol, first implemented in 1989, was redrawn and recoloured in gold, with the new symbol incorporating the leaves of ten trees, including the English Oak representing England; the Bodhi, Coral Bark Maple, Teak representing Asia; the Mountain Acacia, African Pear, Lasiodiscus representing Africa; and the Date Palm, Pomegranate and Ghaf representing the Middle East.[20]

Controversies on campus

Antisemitism

Dating back to at least 2005, SOAS has faced a number of accusations of systemic antisemitism and anti-Israel rhetoric by its Student Union and members of its faculty, and for failing to adequately address antisemitism on campus.[21] A report in the Jewish Tribune titled SOAS as "the School Of Anti-Semitism."[22] In 2015, the SOAS Student Union held a referendum in which its members voted to adopt the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions agenda and boycott Israel.[23] In a motion for a "Jewish Equality Act" passed in 2017, the Student Union voted to remove a line stating, "Jewish students should be given the right to self-determination and be able to define what constitutes hatred against their group like all other minority groups."[23] Jewish students at SOAS have reported feeling unable to express themselves in a Jewish way, and fear hate and retribution if they wear Jewish symbols or speak Hebrew on campus.[24] In their annual "University Extreme Speakers" report, the Henry Jackson Society claims that SOAS has been responsible for hosting 70 (16%) of the 435 events that featured extremist speakers over the past three years, putting up 43 speakers who have previously made pro-jihadi or antisemitic remarks over the past year.[25]

In December 2020 The Guardian reported that SOAS refunded a student £15,000 in fees after he chose to abandon his studies as a result of the "toxic antisemitic environment" he felt had been allowed to develop on campus.[26]

Campus

 
The Philips Building

The campus is located in the Bloomsbury area of central London, close to Russell Square. It includes College Buildings (the Philips Building and the Old Building), Brunei Gallery building, 53 Gordon Square (which houses the Doctoral School) and, since 2016, the Paul Webley Wing (the North Block of Senate House). The SOAS library designed by Sir Denys Lasdun in 1973 is located in the Philips Building. The nearest Underground station is Russell Square.

The school houses the Brunei Gallery, built from an endowment from the Sultan of Brunei Darussalam, the leader of a country whose human rights abuses are ongoing,[27] and inaugurated by the Princess Royal, as Chancellor of the University of London, on 22 November 1995. Its facilities include exhibition space on three floors, a book shop, a lecture theatre, and conference and teaching facilities. The Brunei Gallery hosts a programme of changing contemporary and historical exhibitions from Asia, Africa and the Middle East with the aim to present and promote cultures from these regions.[28]

The Japanese-style roof garden on top of the Brunei Gallery was built during the Japan 2001 celebrations and was opened by the sponsor, Haruhisa Handa, an Honorary Fellow of the School, on 13 November 2001.[29]

The school hosted the Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, one of the foremost collections of Chinese ceramics in Europe. The collection has been loaned to the British Museum, where it is now on permanent display in Room 95.

The SOAS Centenary Masterplan conceived the development of two new buildings and a substantial remodelling of existing space to realign and develop the entrance and two areas within the Old Building. The cost estimates for the Centenary Masterplan settle at around £73m for the total project. The full implementation of the School's Centenary Masterplan would deliver approximately 30% additional space, approximately 1,000 sq metres.[30]

Organisation and administration

Governance

Presidents

Appointed President
23 April 2012 Graça Machel[31]
5 October 2021 Zeinab Badawi[2]

Directors

 
Edward Denison Ross by John Lavery

Since its foundation, the school has had nine directors. The inaugural director was the celebrated linguist Sir Edward Denison Ross. Under the stewardship of Sir Cyril Philips, the school saw considerable growth and modernisation.[16] Under Colin Bundy in the 2000s, the school became one of the top ranked universities both domestically and internationally.[32] In January 2021 Professor Adam Habib became director of SOAS in place of Baroness Valerie Amos, who had taken up the position of Master at University College, Oxford.[33][34]

Appointed Director
1916 Sir Edward Denison Ross
1937 Sir Ralph Lilley Turner
1956 Sir Cyril Philips
1976 Sir Jeremy Cowan
1989 Sir Michael McWilliam
1996 Sir Tim Lankester
2001 Colin Bundy[35]
2006 Paul Webley[36]
2015 Baroness Valerie Amos
2021 Professor Adam Habib

Faculties and departments

SOAS, University of London is divided into three faculties.[37] These are further divided into academic departments. SOAS has many Centres and Institutes, each of which is affiliated to a particular faculty.

Faculty of Arts and Humanities

The Faculty of Arts and Humanities houses the departments of Anthropology & Sociology, History of Art & Archaeology, History, Music, Philosophy and Religious Studies and the Centre for Media Studies. It offers courses at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels, with an emphasis on Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. A gift from the Alphawood Foundation in 2013 created the Hiram W. Woodward Chair in Southeast Asian art, the David Snellgrove Senior Lectureship in Tibetan and Buddhist art, and a Senior Lectureship in Curating and Museology of Asian Art, as well as a number of scholarships for students, making the Department of Art & Archaeology a key institution at a global level in the study of Southeast Asia.[38] The university is also a member of the Screen Studies Group, London.

Faculty of Languages and Cultures

  • Department of Linguistics

The SOAS Department of Linguistics was the first ever linguistics department in the United Kingdom, founded in 1932 as a centre for research and study in Oriental and African languages.[39] J. R. Firth, known internationally for his work in phonology and semantics, was a Senior Lecturer, Reader and Professor of General Linguistics at the school between 1938 and 1956.

Faculty of Law and Social Sciences

The Faculty of Law and Social Sciences houses the departments of Development Studies, Economics, Financial and Management Studies, Politics and International Studies and the School of Law, as well as the London Asia-Pacific Centre for Social Science, the Centre for Gender Studies, the Centre for International Studies and Diplomacy, the Centre of Taiwan Studies and a number of department-specific centres. It offers courses at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels, many with an emphasis on Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.[40]

  • SOAS School of Law

One of the largest individual departments, the SOAS School of Law is one of Britain's leading law schools and the sole law school in the world focusing on the study of Asian, African and Middle Eastern legal systems.[41] The School of Law has more than 400 students. It offers programmes at the LL.B., LL.M. and MPhil/PhD levels. International students have been a majority at all levels for many years.

The SOAS School of Law has an unrivaled concentration of expertise in the laws of Asian and African countries, human rights, transnational commercial law, environmental law, and comparative law. The SOAS School of Law was ranked 15th out of all 98 British law schools by The Guardian League Table in 2016.[42]

Although many modules at SOAS embody a substantial element of English common law, all modules are taught (as much as possible) in a comparative or international manner with an emphasis on the way in which law functions in society. Thus, law studies at SOAS are broad and comparative in their orientation. All students study a significant amount of non-English law, starting in the first year of the LL.B. course, where "Legal Systems of Asia and Africa" is compulsory. Specialised modules in the laws and legal systems of particular countries and regions are also encouraged, and faculty experts conduct modules in these subjects every year.

Academic profile

 
The entrance to the Brunei Gallery

SOAS is a centre for the study of subjects concerned with Asia, Africa and the Middle East.[43] It trains government officials on secondment from around the world in Asian, African and Middle Eastern languages and area studies, particularly in Arabic & Islamic Studies – which combined with Hebrew formed the major bulk of classical Oriental Studies in Europe – and Mandarin Chinese. It also acts as a consultant to government departments and to companies such as Accenture and Deloitte – when they seek to gain specialist knowledge of the matters concerning Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

The school is made up of nineteen departments across three faculties: Arts and Humanities, Languages and Cultures, and Law and Social Sciences. The school focuses on small group teaching with a student-staff ratio of 11:1, one of the lowest in the UK.[43]

Library

 
The interior of the SOAS library

The SOAS library is a library for Asian, African and Middle Eastern studies.[44] It houses more than 1.2 million volumes and electronic resources for the study of Africa, Asia and the Middle East,[44] and attracts scholars from all over the world. The library was designated by HEFCE in 2011 as one of the UK's five National Research Libraries.[45]

The library is housed in the Philips Building on the Russell Square campus and was built in 1973.[46] It was designed by architect Sir Denys Lasdun, who also designed some of Britain's most famous brutalist buildings such as the National Theatre and the Institute of Education.

In 2010/11 the library underwent a £12 million modernisation programme, known as "the Library Transformation Project".[47] The work refurbished the ground floor of the library and created new reception and entrance areas, new music practice rooms, group study rooms and a gallery exhibition space.[48]

SOAS being a constituent college of the University of London, its students also have access to Senate House Library, shared by other colleges such as London School of Economics and University College London, which is located just a short walk from the Russell Square campus.

The library was used as a filming location for some scenes in the 2016 film Criminal.[49]

Rankings

Rankings
National rankings
Complete (2023)[50]53
Guardian (2023)[51]86
Times / Sunday Times (2022)[52]50
Global rankings
THE (2023)[53]501-600
QS (2023)[54]346

The 2022 QS World University Rankings placed SOAS 10th in the world for Anthropology and 15th for Politics. The 2022 rankings placed it 2nd globally for Development Studies and 67th for Arts & Humanities.[55] SOAS ranked 21 globally for International Students and 48 for International Faculty in the 2021 QS World University Rankings.[56] It is ranked 391 in QS Global World Rankings 2022.[57]

SOAS's Department of Financial and Management Studies (DeFiMS) is ranked in the top-ten for Business Studies in the 2013 Complete University Guide's League Table. The research strength of the department has been previously recognised by the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) where 90 per cent was rated as internationally recognised, internationally excellent or world leading quality.[58]

The results of the 2008 United Kingdom RAE took the form of profiles spread across four grade levels. Hence, there are different ways to present them and to rank the departments. In their published tables, the Times Higher and The Guardian Education chose to use an average of the profile or GPA (Grade Point Average); both rankings placed the SOAS Department of Anthropology equal second, ranking just behind Cambridge with LSE. According to the 2008 United Kingdom Research Assessment Exercise, SOAS is the national leader in the study of Asia.[59]

Scholarships, bursaries, and awards

A range of scholarships and awards support SOAS degree programmes, with an application process based either on academic merit or with a focus on supporting students from specific countries or connected with particular areas of study, as well as some bursaries addressing students' financial needs.[60]

Publications

SOAS publishes academic journals such as The China Quarterly,[61]Bulletin of the School of Oriental & African Studies, Journal of African Law,[62] South East Asia Research[63] and SOAS Bulletin of Burma Research.

Student life

In 2019/20, there were 2,740 undergraduate students[3] In 2012, 41% of students were over 21 and 60% were female.[64] According to the QS World University Rankings, SOAS hosts international students from 140 countries.[65]

SOAS is renowned for its political scene and radical socialist politics, and was voted the most politically active university in the UK in the Which?University 2012. Recent campaigns include students for social change, women's liberty and justice for cleaners.[66] The SOAS Marxist Society holds frequent events and encourages student voter registration.

Located in the heart of Bloomsbury, many University of London schools and institutes are close by, including Birkbeck, the Institute of Education, London Business School, the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, the Royal Veterinary College, the School of Advanced Study, Senate House Library and University College London.

Sports

 
SOAS Men's Rugby Union Team following a victory against the London School of Economics at Regent's Park

SOAS has multiple smaller sports teams competing in a variety of local and national leagues, as well as occasional international tournaments. SOAS clubs compete in inter-university fixtures in the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) competition in a range of sports, including basketball, football, hockey, netball, rugby union and tennis.[67] SOAS also participates in an annual North London Varsity tournament against London Metropolitan University.[68]

Student housing

 
The courtyard of Dinwiddy House

SOAS operates two halls of residence in central London, both owned by Sanctuary Student Housing.[69] The primary accommodation for undergraduates is Dinwiddy House, which is located on Pentonville Road. This contains 510 single en-suite rooms arranged in small cluster flats of around six rooms each. The halls are located within minutes of King's Cross St Pancras tube station and the Vernon Square campus.[70]

A few minutes walk from Dinwiddy House and also on the Pentonville Road is Paul Robeson House, the second hall of residence. This was opened in 1998, and is named after the African-American musician Paul Robeson who studied at SOAS in the 1930s.[71] This accommodation is occupied by postgraduate students, and those attending the international SOAS Summer schools.[72]

SOAS students are eligible to apply for places in the University of London intercollegiate halls of residence.[73] The majority of these are based in Bloomsbury such as Canterbury Hall, Commonwealth Hall, College Hall, Connaught Hall, Hughes Parry Hall, International Hall and International Students House, while further afield are Nutford House in Marble Arch and Lillian Penson Hall in Paddington. A number of SOAS postgraduate students also apply for student accommodation at Goodenough College.

Notable people

Notable alumni

SOAS alumni have made significant contributions in the fields of government and politics. These include Sultan Salahuddin, King of Malaysia (1999–2001), Mette-Marit, Crown Princess of Norway, Princess Ayşe Gülnev Sultan, descendant of Mehmed V Reşâd, 35th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, John Atta Mills, former President of Ghana, Luisa Diogo, former Prime Minister of Mozambique, Bülent Ecevit, former Prime Minister of Turkey.

Around the world, several national leaders and political figures are alumni: Aung San Suu Kyi, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and First and incumbent State Counsellor of Myanmar, Zairil Khir Johari, Member of the Malaysian Parliament,[75] Amal Pepple, Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development in Nigeria, Aaron Mike Oquaye, Speaker of Parliament and former Minister of Communication in Ghana, Hüseyin Çelik, Turkish Minister of Education, Femi Fani-Kayode, former Nigerian Minister of Culture and Tourism and former Minister of Aviation, Kraisak Choonhavan, Former Senator in Thailand, Samia Nkrumah, Hammad Azhar, Former Pakistan Minister for Economic Affairs and Minister for Industries and Production, Ghanaian Member of Parliament and Mohamed Jameel Ahmed, 4th Vice President of the Maldives. In British politics, several current and former Members of Parliament are alumni: David Lammy, Catherine West, Tim Yeo, Ivor Stanbrook, Sir Ray Whitney, Enoch Powell.

Notable faculty and staff

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  77. ^ "Hugh Carless" 29 September 2018 at the Wayback Machine (obituary). The Telegraph, 21 December 2011. Retrieved 17 July 2013.
  78. ^ Jane Perrone (18 December 2003). "Weblog heaven | Media | guardian.co.uk". The Guardian. London. from the original on 19 October 2013. Retrieved 29 April 2010.
  79. ^ "SOAS given £20m donation from Alphawood foundation". BBC News. 2 November 2013. from the original on 2 October 2018. Retrieved 21 June 2018.

Further reading

  • Arnold, David; Shackle, Christopher, eds. (2003). SOAS since the sixties. London: SOAS, University of London. ISBN 0728603535.
  • Brown, Ian, ed. (2016). The School of Oriental and African Studies: Imperial Training and the Expansion of Learning. London: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9781107164420.

External links

  • Official website  
  • Game, John
  • SOAS Student Union website

Coordinates: 51°31′19″N 0°07′44″W / 51.52205°N 0.12900°W / 51.52205; -0.12900

soas, university, london, soas, redirects, here, other, uses, soas, disambiguation, confused, with, school, advanced, study, school, oriental, african, studies, public, research, university, london, england, member, institution, federal, university, london, fo. SOAS redirects here For other uses see SOAS disambiguation Not to be confused with School of Advanced Study SOAS University of London ˈ s oʊ ae s the School of Oriental and African Studies 4 is a public research university in London England and a member institution of the federal University of London Founded in 1916 SOAS is located in the Bloomsbury area of central London SOAS University of LondonCoat of arms of SOASMottoKnowledge is PowerTypePublicEstablished1916 107 years ago 1916 Endowment 56 2 million 2021 1 Budget 89 2 million 2020 21 1 ChancellorThe Princess Royal as Chancellor of the University of London PresidentZeinab Badawi 2 DirectorAdam HabibStudents5 795 2019 20 3 Undergraduates2 740 2019 20 3 Postgraduates3 050 2019 20 3 LocationLondon United KingdomCampusUrbanAffiliationsUniversity of LondonACUUniversities UKMascotArabian Camel and Asian ElephantWebsitewww wbr soas wbr ac wbr ukSOAS is one of the world s leading institutions for the study of Asia Africa and the Middle East 5 6 Its library is one of the five national research libraries in the UK SOAS also houses the Brunei Gallery which hosts a programme of changing contemporary and historical exhibitions from Asia Africa and the Middle East with the aim of presenting and promoting cultures from these regions SOAS is divided into three faculties Faculty of Arts and Humanities Faculty of Languages and Cultures and Faculty of Law and Social Sciences It is home to the SOAS School of Law which is one of the leading law schools in the UK The university offers around 350 bachelor s degree combinations more than 100 one year master s degrees and PhD programmes in nearly every department The university has a student staff ratio of 11 1 one of the best in the UK The university has produced several heads of states government ministers diplomats central bankers Supreme Court judges a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and many other notable leaders around the world SOAS is a member of the Association of Commonwealth Universities Contents 1 History 1 1 Origins 1 2 Second World War 1 3 1945 present 1 4 Controversies on campus 1 4 1 Antisemitism 2 Campus 3 Organisation and administration 3 1 Governance 3 1 1 Presidents 3 1 2 Directors 3 2 Faculties and departments 3 2 1 Faculty of Arts and Humanities 3 2 2 Faculty of Languages and Cultures 3 2 3 Faculty of Law and Social Sciences 4 Academic profile 4 1 Library 4 2 Rankings 4 3 Scholarships bursaries and awards 4 4 Publications 5 Student life 5 1 Sports 5 2 Student housing 6 Notable people 6 1 Notable alumni 6 2 Notable faculty and staff 7 References 8 Further reading 9 External linksHistory EditOrigins Edit The School of Oriental Studies was founded in 1916 at 2 Finsbury Circus London the then premises of the London Institution The school received its royal charter on 5 June 1916 and admitted its first students on 18 January 1917 The school was formally inaugurated a month later on 23 February 1917 by George V Among those in attendance were Earl Curzon of Kedleston formerly Viceroy of India and other cabinet officials 7 The School of Oriental Studies was founded by the British state as an instrument to strengthen Britain s political commercial and military presence in Asia and Africa 8 It would do so by providing instruction to colonial administrators Colonial Service and Imperial Civil Service 8 commercial managers and military officers as well as to missionaries doctors and teachers in the language of the part of Asia or Africa to which each was being posted together with an authoritative introduction to the customs religions laws and history of the people whom they were to govern or among whom they would be working 8 The school s founding mission was to advance British scholarship science and commerce in Africa and Asia and to provide London University with a rival to the Oriental schools of Berlin Petrograd and Paris 9 The school immediately became integral to training British administrators colonial officials and spies for overseas postings across the British Empire Africa was added to the school s name in 1938 Second World War Edit For a period in the mid 1930s prior to moving to its current location at Thornhaugh Street Bloomsbury the school was located at Vandon House Vandon Street London SW1 with the library located at Clarence House Its move to new premises in Bloomsbury was held up by delays in construction and the half completed building took a hit during the Blitz in September 1940 With the onset of the Second World War many University of London colleges were evacuated from London in 1939 and billeted on universities in the rest of the country 10 The School was on the Government s advice transferred to Christ s College Cambridge 11 In 1940 when it became apparent that a return to London was possible the school returned to the city and was housed for some months in eleven rooms at Broadway Court 8 Broadway London SW1 In 1942 the War Office joined with the School to create a scheme for State Scholarships to be offered to select grammar and public school boys with linguistic ability to train as military translators and interpreters in Chinese Japanese Persian and Turkish Lodged at Dulwich College in south London the students became affectionately known as the Dulwich boys 12 One of these students was Charles Dunn who became a prominent Japanologist on the faculty of the SOAS and a recipient of the Order of the Rising Sun 13 Others included Sir Peter Parker and Professor Ronald Dore Subsequently the School ran a series of courses in Japanese both for translators and for interpreters 14 1945 present Edit A student from Northern Rhodesia at SOAS in 1946 In recognition of SOAS s role during the war the 1946 Scarborough Commission officially the Commission of Enquiry into the Facilities for Oriental Slavonic East European and African Studies 15 report recommended a major expansion in provision for the study of Asia and the school benefited greatly from the subsequent largesse 16 The SOAS School of Law was established in 1947 with Professor Seymour Gonne Vesey FitzGerald as its first head Growth however was curtailed by following years of economic austerity and upon Sir Cyril Philips assuming the directorship in 1956 the school was in a vulnerable state Over his 20 year stewardship Phillips transformed the school raising funds and broadening the school s remit 16 A college of the University of London the School s fields include Law Social Sciences Humanities and Languages with special reference to Asia and Africa The SOAS Library located in the Philips Building is the UK s national resource for materials relating to Asia and Africa and is the largest of its kind in the world 17 The school has grown considerably over the past 30 years from fewer than 1 000 students in the 1970s to more than 6 000 students today nearly half of them postgraduates SOAS is partnered with the Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales INALCO in Paris which is often considered the French equivalent of SOAS 18 In 2011 the Privy Council approved changes to the school s charter allowing it to award degrees in its own name following the trend set by fellow colleges the London School of Economics University College London and King s College London All new students registered from September 2013 will qualify for a SOAS University of London award 19 In 2012 a new visual identity for SOAS was launched to be used in print digital media and around the campus The SOAS tree symbol first implemented in 1989 was redrawn and recoloured in gold with the new symbol incorporating the leaves of ten trees including the English Oak representing England the Bodhi Coral Bark Maple Teak representing Asia the Mountain Acacia African Pear Lasiodiscus representing Africa and the Date Palm Pomegranate and Ghaf representing the Middle East 20 Controversies on campus Edit Antisemitism Edit Dating back to at least 2005 SOAS has faced a number of accusations of systemic antisemitism and anti Israel rhetoric by its Student Union and members of its faculty and for failing to adequately address antisemitism on campus 21 A report in the Jewish Tribune titled SOAS as the School Of Anti Semitism 22 In 2015 the SOAS Student Union held a referendum in which its members voted to adopt the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions agenda and boycott Israel 23 In a motion for a Jewish Equality Act passed in 2017 the Student Union voted to remove a line stating Jewish students should be given the right to self determination and be able to define what constitutes hatred against their group like all other minority groups 23 Jewish students at SOAS have reported feeling unable to express themselves in a Jewish way and fear hate and retribution if they wear Jewish symbols or speak Hebrew on campus 24 In their annual University Extreme Speakers report the Henry Jackson Society claims that SOAS has been responsible for hosting 70 16 of the 435 events that featured extremist speakers over the past three years putting up 43 speakers who have previously made pro jihadi or antisemitic remarks over the past year 25 In December 2020 The Guardian reported that SOAS refunded a student 15 000 in fees after he chose to abandon his studies as a result of the toxic antisemitic environment he felt had been allowed to develop on campus 26 Campus Edit The Philips Building The campus is located in the Bloomsbury area of central London close to Russell Square It includes College Buildings the Philips Building and the Old Building Brunei Gallery building 53 Gordon Square which houses the Doctoral School and since 2016 the Paul Webley Wing the North Block of Senate House The SOAS library designed by Sir Denys Lasdun in 1973 is located in the Philips Building The nearest Underground station is Russell Square The school houses the Brunei Gallery built from an endowment from the Sultan of Brunei Darussalam the leader of a country whose human rights abuses are ongoing 27 and inaugurated by the Princess Royal as Chancellor of the University of London on 22 November 1995 Its facilities include exhibition space on three floors a book shop a lecture theatre and conference and teaching facilities The Brunei Gallery hosts a programme of changing contemporary and historical exhibitions from Asia Africa and the Middle East with the aim to present and promote cultures from these regions 28 The Japanese style roof garden on top of the Brunei Gallery was built during the Japan 2001 celebrations and was opened by the sponsor Haruhisa Handa an Honorary Fellow of the School on 13 November 2001 29 The school hosted the Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art one of the foremost collections of Chinese ceramics in Europe The collection has been loaned to the British Museum where it is now on permanent display in Room 95 The SOAS Centenary Masterplan conceived the development of two new buildings and a substantial remodelling of existing space to realign and develop the entrance and two areas within the Old Building The cost estimates for the Centenary Masterplan settle at around 73m for the total project The full implementation of the School s Centenary Masterplan would deliver approximately 30 additional space approximately 1 000 sq metres 30 Organisation and administration EditGovernance Edit Presidents Edit Appointed President23 April 2012 Graca Machel 31 5 October 2021 Zeinab Badawi 2 Directors Edit Edward Denison Ross by John Lavery Since its foundation the school has had nine directors The inaugural director was the celebrated linguist Sir Edward Denison Ross Under the stewardship of Sir Cyril Philips the school saw considerable growth and modernisation 16 Under Colin Bundy in the 2000s the school became one of the top ranked universities both domestically and internationally 32 In January 2021 Professor Adam Habib became director of SOAS in place of Baroness Valerie Amos who had taken up the position of Master at University College Oxford 33 34 Appointed Director1916 Sir Edward Denison Ross1937 Sir Ralph Lilley Turner1956 Sir Cyril Philips1976 Sir Jeremy Cowan1989 Sir Michael McWilliam1996 Sir Tim Lankester2001 Colin Bundy 35 2006 Paul Webley 36 2015 Baroness Valerie Amos2021 Professor Adam HabibFaculties and departments Edit SOAS University of London is divided into three faculties 37 These are further divided into academic departments SOAS has many Centres and Institutes each of which is affiliated to a particular faculty Faculty of Arts and Humanities Edit The Faculty of Arts and Humanities houses the departments of Anthropology amp Sociology History of Art amp Archaeology History Music Philosophy and Religious Studies and the Centre for Media Studies It offers courses at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels with an emphasis on Asia Africa and the Middle East A gift from the Alphawood Foundation in 2013 created the Hiram W Woodward Chair in Southeast Asian art the David Snellgrove Senior Lectureship in Tibetan and Buddhist art and a Senior Lectureship in Curating and Museology of Asian Art as well as a number of scholarships for students making the Department of Art amp Archaeology a key institution at a global level in the study of Southeast Asia 38 The university is also a member of the Screen Studies Group London Faculty of Languages and Cultures Edit Department of LinguisticsThe SOAS Department of Linguistics was the first ever linguistics department in the United Kingdom founded in 1932 as a centre for research and study in Oriental and African languages 39 J R Firth known internationally for his work in phonology and semantics was a Senior Lecturer Reader and Professor of General Linguistics at the school between 1938 and 1956 Faculty of Law and Social Sciences Edit The Faculty of Law and Social Sciences houses the departments of Development Studies Economics Financial and Management Studies Politics and International Studies and the School of Law as well as the London Asia Pacific Centre for Social Science the Centre for Gender Studies the Centre for International Studies and Diplomacy the Centre of Taiwan Studies and a number of department specific centres It offers courses at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels many with an emphasis on Asia Africa and the Middle East 40 SOAS School of LawMain article SOAS School of Law One of the largest individual departments the SOAS School of Law is one of Britain s leading law schools and the sole law school in the world focusing on the study of Asian African and Middle Eastern legal systems 41 The School of Law has more than 400 students It offers programmes at the LL B LL M and MPhil PhD levels International students have been a majority at all levels for many years The SOAS School of Law has an unrivaled concentration of expertise in the laws of Asian and African countries human rights transnational commercial law environmental law and comparative law The SOAS School of Law was ranked 15th out of all 98 British law schools by The Guardian League Table in 2016 42 Although many modules at SOAS embody a substantial element of English common law all modules are taught as much as possible in a comparative or international manner with an emphasis on the way in which law functions in society Thus law studies at SOAS are broad and comparative in their orientation All students study a significant amount of non English law starting in the first year of the LL B course where Legal Systems of Asia and Africa is compulsory Specialised modules in the laws and legal systems of particular countries and regions are also encouraged and faculty experts conduct modules in these subjects every year Academic profile Edit The entrance to the Brunei Gallery SOAS is a centre for the study of subjects concerned with Asia Africa and the Middle East 43 It trains government officials on secondment from around the world in Asian African and Middle Eastern languages and area studies particularly in Arabic amp Islamic Studies which combined with Hebrew formed the major bulk of classical Oriental Studies in Europe and Mandarin Chinese It also acts as a consultant to government departments and to companies such as Accenture and Deloitte when they seek to gain specialist knowledge of the matters concerning Asia Africa and the Middle East The school is made up of nineteen departments across three faculties Arts and Humanities Languages and Cultures and Law and Social Sciences The school focuses on small group teaching with a student staff ratio of 11 1 one of the lowest in the UK 43 Library Edit The interior of the SOAS library The SOAS library is a library for Asian African and Middle Eastern studies 44 It houses more than 1 2 million volumes and electronic resources for the study of Africa Asia and the Middle East 44 and attracts scholars from all over the world The library was designated by HEFCE in 2011 as one of the UK s five National Research Libraries 45 The library is housed in the Philips Building on the Russell Square campus and was built in 1973 46 It was designed by architect Sir Denys Lasdun who also designed some of Britain s most famous brutalist buildings such as the National Theatre and the Institute of Education In 2010 11 the library underwent a 12 million modernisation programme known as the Library Transformation Project 47 The work refurbished the ground floor of the library and created new reception and entrance areas new music practice rooms group study rooms and a gallery exhibition space 48 SOAS being a constituent college of the University of London its students also have access to Senate House Library shared by other colleges such as London School of Economics and University College London which is located just a short walk from the Russell Square campus The library was used as a filming location for some scenes in the 2016 film Criminal 49 Rankings Edit RankingsNational rankingsComplete 2023 50 53Guardian 2023 51 86Times Sunday Times 2022 52 50Global rankingsTHE 2023 53 501 600QS 2023 54 346The 2022 QS World University Rankings placed SOAS 10th in the world for Anthropology and 15th for Politics The 2022 rankings placed it 2nd globally for Development Studies and 67th for Arts amp Humanities 55 SOAS ranked 21 globally for International Students and 48 for International Faculty in the 2021 QS World University Rankings 56 It is ranked 391 in QS Global World Rankings 2022 57 SOAS s Department of Financial and Management Studies DeFiMS is ranked in the top ten for Business Studies in the 2013 Complete University Guide s League Table The research strength of the department has been previously recognised by the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise RAE where 90 per cent was rated as internationally recognised internationally excellent or world leading quality 58 The results of the 2008 United Kingdom RAE took the form of profiles spread across four grade levels Hence there are different ways to present them and to rank the departments In their published tables the Times Higher and The Guardian Education chose to use an average of the profile or GPA Grade Point Average both rankings placed the SOAS Department of Anthropology equal second ranking just behind Cambridge with LSE According to the 2008 United Kingdom Research Assessment Exercise SOAS is the national leader in the study of Asia 59 Scholarships bursaries and awards Edit A range of scholarships and awards support SOAS degree programmes with an application process based either on academic merit or with a focus on supporting students from specific countries or connected with particular areas of study as well as some bursaries addressing students financial needs 60 Publications Edit SOAS publishes academic journals such as The China Quarterly 61 Bulletin of the School of Oriental amp African Studies Journal of African Law 62 South East Asia Research 63 and SOAS Bulletin of Burma Research Student life EditIn 2019 20 there were 2 740 undergraduate students 3 In 2012 41 of students were over 21 and 60 were female 64 According to the QS World University Rankings SOAS hosts international students from 140 countries 65 SOAS is renowned for its political scene and radical socialist politics and was voted the most politically active university in the UK in the Which University 2012 Recent campaigns include students for social change women s liberty and justice for cleaners 66 The SOAS Marxist Society holds frequent events and encourages student voter registration Located in the heart of Bloomsbury many University of London schools and institutes are close by including Birkbeck the Institute of Education London Business School the London School of Hygiene amp Tropical Medicine the Royal Veterinary College the School of Advanced Study Senate House Library and University College London Sports Edit SOAS Men s Rugby Union Team following a victory against the London School of Economics at Regent s Park SOAS has multiple smaller sports teams competing in a variety of local and national leagues as well as occasional international tournaments SOAS clubs compete in inter university fixtures in the British Universities and Colleges Sport BUCS competition in a range of sports including basketball football hockey netball rugby union and tennis 67 SOAS also participates in an annual North London Varsity tournament against London Metropolitan University 68 Student housing Edit The courtyard of Dinwiddy House SOAS operates two halls of residence in central London both owned by Sanctuary Student Housing 69 The primary accommodation for undergraduates is Dinwiddy House which is located on Pentonville Road This contains 510 single en suite rooms arranged in small cluster flats of around six rooms each The halls are located within minutes of King s Cross St Pancras tube station and the Vernon Square campus 70 A few minutes walk from Dinwiddy House and also on the Pentonville Road is Paul Robeson House the second hall of residence This was opened in 1998 and is named after the African American musician Paul Robeson who studied at SOAS in the 1930s 71 This accommodation is occupied by postgraduate students and those attending the international SOAS Summer schools 72 SOAS students are eligible to apply for places in the University of London intercollegiate halls of residence 73 The majority of these are based in Bloomsbury such as Canterbury Hall Commonwealth Hall College Hall Connaught Hall Hughes Parry Hall International Hall and International Students House while further afield are Nutford House in Marble Arch and Lillian Penson Hall in Paddington A number of SOAS postgraduate students also apply for student accommodation at Goodenough College Notable people EditMain article List of School of Oriental and African Studies people Notable alumni Edit See also Category Alumni of SOAS University of London Achim Steiner Administrator of the UNDP Inger Andersen Executive Director of the UNEP Martin Griffiths Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs 74 Mette Marit Crown Princess of Norway Aung San Suu Kyi 1st State Counsellor of Myanmar Paul Robeson American singer David Lammy UK politician Zeinab Badawi TV presenter John Atta Mills former President of Ghana Bulent Ecevit former Prime Minister of Turkey Luisa Dias Diogo former Prime Minister of Mozambique Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche Bhutanese lama and filmmaker Guillaume Long former Foreign Minister of Ecuador Bisher Al Khasawneh Prime Minister of JordanSOAS alumni have made significant contributions in the fields of government and politics These include Sultan Salahuddin King of Malaysia 1999 2001 Mette Marit Crown Princess of Norway Princess Ayse Gulnev Sultan descendant of Mehmed V Resad 35th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire John Atta Mills former President of Ghana Luisa Diogo former Prime Minister of Mozambique Bulent Ecevit former Prime Minister of Turkey Around the world several national leaders and political figures are alumni Aung San Suu Kyi Nobel Peace Prize laureate and First and incumbent State Counsellor of Myanmar Zairil Khir Johari Member of the Malaysian Parliament 75 Amal Pepple Minister of Lands Housing and Urban Development in Nigeria Aaron Mike Oquaye Speaker of Parliament and former Minister of Communication in Ghana Huseyin Celik Turkish Minister of Education Femi Fani Kayode former Nigerian Minister of Culture and Tourism and former Minister of Aviation Kraisak Choonhavan Former Senator in Thailand Samia Nkrumah Hammad Azhar Former Pakistan Minister for Economic Affairs and Minister for Industries and Production Ghanaian Member of Parliament and Mohamed Jameel Ahmed 4th Vice President of the Maldives In British politics several current and former Members of Parliament are alumni David Lammy Catherine West Tim Yeo Ivor Stanbrook Sir Ray Whitney Enoch Powell In government alumni include Dharma Vira who served as 8th Cabinet Secretary of India Johnnie Carson former US Ambassador to Kenya Zimbabwe and Uganda Hassan Taqizadeh Iranian Ambassador to the UK Sir Shridath Ramphal Secretary General of the Commonwealth Sir Leslie Fielding British diplomat and former European Commission Ambassador to Tokyo Sir David Warren former UK Ambassador to Japan Quinton Quayle UK Ambassador to Thailand and Lao Sir Robin McLaren UK Ambassador to China and the Philippines 76 Sir Michael Weir UK Ambassador to Egypt Jemima Khan UK Ambassador to UNICEF Hugh Carless UK Ambassador to Venezuela 77 Francis K Butagira Ambassador and Permanent Representative Mission of the Republic of Uganda to the United Nations Gunapala Malalasekera Sri Lankan Ambassador to UK Canada and Soviet Union Michael C Williams UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Guillaume Long former Foreign Minister of Ecuador Haifa al Mogrin Saudi Arabia s delegate to UNESCO In justice Idris Kutigi Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria Sylvester Umaru Onu Judge of the Supreme Court of Nigeria Herbert Chitepo first Black Rhodesian Barrister John Vinelott lawyer and judge Prominent journalists and broadcasters such as Abdel Bari Atwan editor in chief of Al Quds Al Arabi newspaper in London Zeinab Badawi presenter of BBC World News Today Martin Bright political editor of the Jewish Chronicle Jung Chang who is best known for her family autobiography Wild Swans Hossein Derakhshan Iranian blogger credited with starting the blogging revolution in Iran 78 Jamal Elshayyal news producer at Al Jazeera English Ghida Fakhry news anchor at Al Jazeera English James Harding head of BBC News and former editor of The Times Lindsey Hilsum Channel 4 News correspondent and columnist for the New Statesman Swapan Dasgupta Indian journalist and public intellectual Dom Joly television comedian and journalist Elan Journo Fellow and Director of Policy Research at the Ayn Rand Institute Clive King author of Stig of the Dump Freya Stark travel writer James Longman former BBC journalist now ABC News foreign correspondent and Rupert Wingfield Hayes BBC s Tokyo correspondent In academia SOAS alumni include Edith Penrose economics scholar Simon Digby oriental scholar Kusuma Karunaratne Sri Lankan academic university administrator Professor and scholar of Sinhalese language and literature Wang Gungwu Australian historian of Asia Sir Martin Harris educationalist Gregory B Lee sinologist Bernard Lewis Orientalist Duncan McCargo political scientist Robert L McKenzie scholar cum public commentator on forced migration and refugees Than Tun historian of Burma Ivan van Sertima historian and anthropologist Abdur Rahman ibn Yusuf Mangera contemporary Muslim jurist and scholar William Montgomery Watt Islamic scholar Syed Muhammad Naquib al Attas a contemporary Muslim philosopher and A K Narain Professor and scholar of Indo Greeks studies Archeology Ancient Indian History Noted writers include M K Asante author of Buck filmmaker and professor Raman Mundair British poet and playwright Olu Oguibe a conceptual artist and academic Derwin Panda an electronic musician and producer Paul Robeson an American singer who was involved in the Civil Rights Movement Himanshu Suri aka Heems rapper and member of Das Racist and Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche a Bhutanese lama and filmmaker are all alumni of the school In business alumni include Fred Eychaner American businessman and philanthropist 79 Abdulsalam Haykal Syrian media entrepreneur Sir Peter Parker chairman of the British Railways Board Lesetja Kganyago Governor of the South African Reserve Bank Atiur Rahman Governor of Bangladesh Bank and Sir Dermot de Trafford British banker and baronet Notable faculty and staff Edit See also Category Academics of SOAS University of LondonReferences Edit a b Financial Statements for the Year to 31 July 2021 PDF School of Oriental and African Studies p 25 Retrieved 2 February 2022 a b Zeinab Badawi appointed as President of SOAS School of Oriental and African Studies Retrieved 6 October 2021 a b c d Where do HE students study Higher Education Statistics Agency Retrieved 1 March 2020 Standing Orders Charter and Articles SOAS Archived from the original on 4 March 2016 Retrieved 16 July 2015 Daily Telegraph Education Guide The Telegraph 3 August 2016 Archived from the original on 21 March 2017 Retrieved 21 March 2017 SOAS University of London Times Higher Education THE 13 November 2021 Retrieved 26 September 2022 Early years 1917 36 SOAS University of London Archived from the original on 11 July 2016 Retrieved 27 July 2016 a b c Brown Ian 21 July 2016 The School of Oriental and African Studies Imperial Training and the Expansion of Learning Cambridge University Press 2016 ISBN 9781107164420 Nature 1917 Vol 99 2470 pp 8 9 Peer Reviewed Journal University of London An Illustrated History 1836 1986 By N B p 255 Nature 1939 Vol 144 3659 pp 1006 1007 Sadao Ōba The Japanese War London University s WWII secret teaching programme p 11 O Neill P G 13 September 1995 Charles Dunn Master of the rising sun The Guardian p 16 Peter Kornicki Eavesdropping on the Emperor Interrogators and Codebreakers in Britain s War with Japan London Hurst amp Co 2021 chapter 3 Commission of Enquiry into the Facilities for Oriental Slavonic East European and African Studies aim25 ac uk 1945 Archived from the original on 4 March 2016 Retrieved 12 August 2015 a b c Yapp M E 19 January 2006 Professor Sir Cyril Philips The Independent London Archived from the original on 18 March 2014 Retrieved 17 July 2013 Phillips Matthew 17 December 2005 What s it like at SOAS The Guardian Archived from the original on 20 September 2014 Retrieved 17 December 2005 Archived copy PDF Archived from the original PDF on 20 May 2013 Retrieved 6 January 2013 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint archived copy as title link SOAS University of London an Institutional Review by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education PDF Qaa ac uk 23 May 2016 Archived PDF from the original on 21 December 2016 Retrieved 20 August 2017 SOAS Visual Identity FAQs SOAS University of London Archived 27 April 2013 at the Wayback Machine Soas ac uk 12 October 2012 Retrieved 17 July 2013 Curtis Polly correspondent education 12 May 2005 Soas faces action over alleged anti semitism The Guardian ISSN 0261 3077 Archived from the original on 27 April 2019 Retrieved 27 April 2019 Rosell Dina 27 March 2019 Jewish Tribune edition pagesuite professional co uk Retrieved 27 April 2019 a b Student union tells Jewish students they can t define what anti Semitism is The Independent 27 January 2017 Archived from the original on 20 April 2019 Retrieved 27 April 2019 SOAS students scared to wear the star of David and speak Hebrew Evening Standard 19 January 2017 Archived from the original on 24 January 2017 Retrieved 27 April 2019 Soas hosts more hate preachers than any other university campus says report thejc com 21 January 2019 Archived from the original on 27 April 2019 Retrieved 27 April 2019 Soas repay student s 15 000 fees over toxic antisemitic environment The Guardian 29 December 2020 Retrieved 24 January 2021 Perry Louise 29 January 2020 The strange world of the radically left wing Soas university www spectator co uk Retrieved 5 November 2020 The Brunei Gallery SOAS Archived 24 June 2016 at the Wayback Machine Culture24 Retrieved 23 May 2016 SOAS Japanese Inspired Roof Garden Archived 24 June 2016 at the Wayback Machine Opensqaures org Retrieved 23 May 2016 Archived copy PDF Archived from the original PDF on 4 June 2011 Retrieved 24 September 2009 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint archived copy as title link Graca Machel Appointed as President of SOAS University of London Taylor Matthew 19 April 2005 Oxford topples Cambridge from top spot The Guardian Archived from the original on 26 August 2016 Retrieved 23 May 2016 Professor Adam Habib to be next Director of SOAS University of London SOAS University of London 18 February 2020 Adam Habib SOAS will be voice for developing world in the West Times Higher Education 26 January 2021 MacLeod Donald 21 April 2005 Soas head resigns after five years The Guardian London Archived from the original on 6 March 2016 Retrieved 14 July 2012 MacLeod Donald 7 February 2006 Soas appoints new director The Guardian London Archived from the original on 6 March 2016 Retrieved 14 July 2012 Academic Departments Institutes Centres and Faculties at SOAS University of London Soas ac uk Archived from the original on 22 July 2015 Retrieved 16 July 2015 Alphawood Foundation announced a 32 million gift to SOAS Alphawood Foundation Chicago Archived from the original on 4 March 2016 Retrieved 26 February 2016 Collaboration for language preservation and revitalisation in Asia Asian Correspondent 14 May 2014 Archived from the original on 24 June 2016 Retrieved 23 May 2016 Faculty of Law and Social Sciences L amp SS Archived from the original on 2 February 2017 Retrieved 25 January 2017 QS World University Rankings by Subject 2016 Law 17 March 2016 Archived from the original on 27 August 2016 Retrieved 18 May 2016 University guide 2016 league table for law TheGuardian com Archived from the original on 20 December 2016 Retrieved 13 December 2016 a b SOAS University of London The School of Oriental and African Studies The Complete University Guide Archived from the original on 27 November 2012 Retrieved 23 May 2016 a b SOAS Library University of London COPAC Archived from the original on 3 May 2016 Retrieved 23 May 2016 Brief Overview of the Collection SOAS Library Archived from the original on 27 July 2019 Retrieved 27 July 2019 New Library 1973 1985 SOAS University of London Archived from the original on 22 August 2016 Retrieved 27 July 2016 SOAS Library Transformation Project John McAslan Partners Archived from the original on 11 May 2016 Retrieved 23 May 2016 Library Transformation Enters New Phase SOAS University of London 4 August 2010 Archived from the original on 22 August 2016 Retrieved 27 July 2016 Halligan Fionnuala 8 April 2016 Criminal Review screendaily com Archived from the original on 14 April 2016 Retrieved 10 April 2016 Complete University Guide 2023 The Complete University Guide 5 July 2022 Guardian University Guide 2023 The Guardian 24 September 2022 Good University Guide 2023 The Times 17 September 2022 THE World University Rankings 203 Times Higher Education 12 October 2023 QS World University Rankings 2023 Quacquarelli Symonds Ltd 8 June 2022 QS World University Rankings SOAS University of London QS Top Universities 7 May 2017 Archived from the original on 31 March 2017 Retrieved 14 May 2017 SOAS continues to rank in top 50 universities in the world for internationalism QS Global World Rankings 2022 RAE Profiles SOAS Archived from the original on 30 April 2016 Retrieved 23 May 2016 RAE 2008 quality profiles Asian Studies Archived from the original on 29 April 2016 Retrieved 23 May 2016 Registry scholarships SOAS University of London London s stronghold of Taiwan studies Taipei Times 6 July 2021 Retrieved 12 July 2022 Journal of African Law SOAS Retrieved 11 January 2023 South East Asia Research SOAS Retrieved 11 January 2023 School of Oriental and African Studies University of London S09 Which University University which co uk Archived from the original on 23 September 2012 Retrieved 8 December 2012 QS World University Rankings topuniversities co uk Archived from the original on 10 May 2016 Retrieved 23 May 2016 Top political unis as voted by students Which University University which co uk 10 September 2012 Archived from the original on 22 December 2012 Retrieved 8 December 2012 Sports Clubs soasunion org Retrieved 5 March 2020 Varsity 2018 soasunion org Retrieved 5 March 2020 Sanctuary Students London Information for SOAS Students sanctuary students com 10 May 2016 Archived from the original on 25 March 2017 Retrieved 10 May 2016 Sanctuary Management Services London Dinwiddy House Smsstudent co uk 1 July 2007 Archived from the original on 19 April 2012 Retrieved 16 April 2012 About SOAS Alumni profiles 930s SOAS University of London Sanctuary Management Services London Paul Robeson House for SOAS Students Smsstudent co uk 1 July 2007 Archived from the original on 16 April 2012 Retrieved 16 April 2012 University of London Intercollegiate Halls Lon ac uk 26 March 2010 Archived from the original on 3 May 2010 Retrieved 26 April 2010 Mr Martin Griffiths of the United Kingdom Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator United Nations 12 May 2021 Retrieved 13 April 2022 Official Portal of The Parliament of Malaysia Representatives Members Parlimen gov my Archived from the original on 21 July 2015 Retrieved 16 July 2015 Sir Robin McLaren Archived 22 November 2017 at the Wayback Machine obituary The Telegraph 29 July 2010 Retrieved 17 July 2013 Hugh Carless Archived 29 September 2018 at the Wayback Machine obituary The Telegraph 21 December 2011 Retrieved 17 July 2013 Jane Perrone 18 December 2003 Weblog heaven Media guardian co uk The Guardian London Archived from the original on 19 October 2013 Retrieved 29 April 2010 SOAS given 20m donation from Alphawood foundation BBC News 2 November 2013 Archived from the original on 2 October 2018 Retrieved 21 June 2018 Further reading EditArnold David Shackle Christopher eds 2003 SOAS since the sixties London SOAS University of London ISBN 0728603535 Brown Ian ed 2016 The School of Oriental and African Studies Imperial Training and the Expansion of Learning London Cambridge University Press ISBN 9781107164420 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to School of Oriental and African Studies Official website Game John The origins of SOAS as a colonial institution training district SOAS Student Union website SOAS graduates list Coordinates 51 31 19 N 0 07 44 W 51 52205 N 0 12900 W 51 52205 0 12900 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title SOAS University of London amp oldid 1132936094, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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