The School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS)
Motto:	Knowledge is Power
Established:	1916
Type:	Public
Chancellor:	HRH The Princess Royal (Chancellor of the University of London)
President:	The Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws QC
Principal:	Professor Paul Webley
Pro-Director:	Professor Peter Robb
Students:	4,525 [1]
Undergraduates:	2,430 [1]
Postgraduates:	2,095 [1]
Location:	London, United Kingdom
UK University Ranking 2006:	6th (Guardian) 11th (Daily Telegraph) 10th (2006 )THES)
Affiliations:	University of London ACU 1994 Group
Website:	http://www.soas.ac.uk

The School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) is a specialist constituent of the University of London committed to the arts and humanities, languages and cultures and the law and social sciences concerning Asia, Africa, and the Near and Middle East. SOAS currently offers over 300 undergraduate Bachelors degree combinations and over 70 one-year intensively taught Master's degrees. MPhil/PhD research degree programmes are also available in every academic department. Located in the heart of London, SOAS describes itself as the 'world's leading centre for the study of a highly diverse range of subjects concerned with Asia, Africa and the Middle East.' ^[2] Logo of SOAS This is a copyrighted and/or trademarked logo. ... For other uses, see Motto (disambiguation). ... The date of establishment or date of founding of an institution is the date on which that institution chooses to claim as its starting point. ... A Chancellor is the head of a university. ... Princess Anne, the current Princess Royal Princess Royal is a style customarily (but not automatically) awarded by a British monarch to his or her eldest daughter. ... Website http://www. ... University President is the title of the highest ranking officer within a university, within university systems that prefer that appellation over other variations such as Chancellor or rector. ... Helena Ann Kennedy, Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws (born 12 May 1950) is a Labour member of the House of Lords. ... For information about The Times satire Queens Counsel, see Queens Counsel (comic strip). ... The Principal is the chief executive and the chief academic officer of a University in Scotland and at certains institutions in Canada and other parts of the Commonwealth. ... Professor Paul Webley is Director and Principal of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. ... For other uses, see Student (disambiguation). ... In some educational systems, undergraduate education is post-secondary education up to the level of a Bachelors degree. ... Degree ceremony at Cambridge. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... For other uses, see Guardian. ... This article concerns the British newspaper. ... The Times Higher Education Supplement, also known as The Times Higher or The THES for short, is a newspaper based in London that reports specifically on issues related to higher education. ... Website http://www. ... The Association of Commonwealth Universities represents over 480 universities from Commonwealth countries. ... The 1994 Group is a coalition of smaller research-intensive universities founded to defend their interests after the larger research-intensive universities founded the Russell Group. ... A website (alternatively, Web site or web site) is a collection of Web pages, images, videos or other digital assets that is hosted on one or several Web server(s), usually accessible via the Internet, cell phone or a LAN. A Web page is a document, typically written in HTML... Image File history File links SOAS_Crest. ... Website http://www. ... Inhabitants of the Near East, late nineteenth century. ... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ...

Background

Russell Square campus

SOAS was founded in 1916 as the School of Oriental Studies at 2, Finsbury Circus, London, England, the then premises of the London Institution. The School received its Royal Charter on June 5, 1916; admitted its first batch of students on January 18; and was formally inaugurated by the King Emperor George V in the presence of Lord Curzon among other cabinet officials just a month later on February 23, 1917. Africa was added to the school's name and remit in 1938 and the school permanently shifted to Thornhaugh Street, which runs between Malet Street and Russell Square. Image File history File links SOAS.jpg SOAS taken by C Ford, March 04. ... Image File history File links SOAS.jpg SOAS taken by C Ford, March 04. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... is the 156th day of the year (157th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1916 (MCMXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Friday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... King George V or KGV may refer to: George V the Great of Georgia George V of the United Kingdom (reigned 1910–1936). ... George Nathaniel Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston (January 11, 1859 - March 20, 1925), was a conservative British statesman and sometime Viceroy of India. ... is the 54th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar (see: 1917 Julian calendar). ... Russell Square Russell Square is a large garden square in Bloomsbury, London. ...

For sometime in the mid-1930s, the School was located at Vandon House, Vandon Street, London SW1. However, its move was held up by delays in construction and the half-completed building took a hit during The Blitz in September 1940. The School had, on Government's advice, evacuated to Cambridge and returned to London to resume work in July 1940. Most colleges of the University of London were evacuated from London in 1939 and billeted on universities all over the provinces. SOAS was transferred, but without its library, to Christ's College, Cambridge. When it became apparent that a return to London was possible, the School returned to the city and was temporarily housed for some months in 1940-41 in eleven rooms at Broadway Court, 8 Broadway, London SW1. ‹ The template below (Citations missing) is being considered for deletion. ... This article is about the city in England. ... Website http://www. ... Christs College is a name shared by several educational establishments. ... Broadway (or sometimes The Broadway) is a street in Westminster in central London. ...

The institution's founding mission was primarily to train British administrators for overseas postings across the empire. Since then the school has grown into the world's foremost centre for the exclusive study of Asia and Africa.^{[citation needed]} A college of the University of London, SOAS fields include Law, Social Sciences, Humanities and Languages with special reference to Asia and Africa. SOAS consistently ranks among the top twenty universities in the UK league tables and in 2004 was ranked 44th in the world, 7th in the UK and 11th overall in Europe according to The Times Higher Education Supplement.^{[citation needed]} The SOAS Library, housed in Philips Building (designed at the beginning of the 1970s by Sir Denys Lasdun, and named after the then SOAS Director), is the UK's national resource for materials relating to Asia and Africa and is the largest of its kind in Europe.^{[citation needed]} Website http://www. ... For other uses, see Law (disambiguation). ... The Times Higher Education Supplement, also known as The Times Higher or The THES for short, is a newspaper based in London that reports specifically on issues related to higher education. ... Sir Denys Lasdun (8 September 1914-11 January 2001) was an eminent English architect of the 20th century, particularly associated with the Modernist design of the Royal National Theatre on Londons South Bank of the River Thames. ...

The School has grown considerably over the past thirty years, from under 1,000 students in the 1970s to over 4,500 students today, nearly half of them postgraduates. SOAS is partnered with the Institut national des langues et civilisations orientales (INALCO) which is located in Paris. INALCO is often considered the French equivalent of SOAS.^{[citation needed]} The Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales (INALCO) is located in Paris, France. ... This article is about the capital of France. ...

Campuses

The entrance to the Brunei Gallery.

SOAS is currently split into two campuses within 20 minutes walk of each other. The Russell Square campus is located in Bloomsbury, an area at the corner of the West End known to many tourists for its shops, theaters and nightlife. The main campus was moved there in 1938, and has much expanded since then. The closest Underground station is Russell Square tube station. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2576 × 1932 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2576 × 1932 pixel, file size: 1. ... The School of Oriental and African Studies (commonly abbreviated to SOAS, pronounced [səuæs] or [səuæz]) is one of the leading universities of the United Kingdom and is also a college of the University of London. ... Bloomsbury may refer to: Bloomsbury, London, an area in the centre of the city the Bloomsbury group, an English literary group active around from around 1905 to the start of World War II. the Bloomsbury Gang, a political grouping centred on the local landowner, John Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford... The London Underground is a rapid transit system that serves a large part of Greater London and some neighbouring areas of Essex, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire. ... Russell Square is a London Underground station on Bernard Street, Bloomsbury, not far from the British Museum and Russell Square Gardens. ...

The Vernon Square campus in Islington was opened in 2001. It is closer to Kings Cross Station and is only a few hundred yards from Dinwiddy House and Paul Robeson House which are exclusive for SOAS students and are owned by Shaftesbury Student Housing. Paul Robeson House may refer to: Paul Robeson House (London) Paul Robeson House (Philadelphia) Paul Robeson Home Category: ...

The school also houses two galleries: the Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, one of the foremost collections of Chinese ceramics in Europe, and the Brunei Gallery, completed in 1995, which stages temporary exhibitions of both historical and contemporary materials which reflect subjects and regions studied at SOAS. The present library building (by Sir Denys Lasdun) was added in 1973, the Brunei Gallery in 1995, and an extension to the library building opened in 2004 (the second phase of this expansion is due to be completed in 2006). The Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art is a collection of Chinese ceramics and related items in London, England. ... Royal National Theatre Sir Denys Lasdun (8 September 1914–11 January 2001) was an eminent English architect of the 20th century, particularly associated with the Modernist design of the Royal National Theatre on Londons South Bank of the River Thames. ...

Reputation

In 2006, SOAS was placed in 6th place among United Kingdom universities in a Guardian poll.^[3] In the subject tables of this poll, SOAS was placed 3rd for Anthropology, 4th for Economics, 3rd for History and History of Art, 6th for Law, 5th for Music, 3rd for Politics, and 3rd for Theology and Religious Studies. The History Department obtained a rare 6 research rating in the last government assessment, placing it as only one of three departments in the country to achieve such a status.^{[citation needed]}

The Times Higher Education Supplement world rankings place SOAS 44th in the world, 7th in the United Kingdom, and 11th in Europe. SOAS is also regarded for its focus on small group teaching with a student-staff ratio of only 11:1 and some departments 6:1. SOAS currently features in the world's top 50 Universities for Arts & Humanities.[1] The Times Higher Education Supplement, also known as The Times Higher or The THES for short, is a newspaper based in London that reports specifically on issues related to higher education. ...

Left politics, activism, various alternative lifestyles, and utter tolerance are said to flourish at SOAS, and multiculturalism is a given. The institution was for many years legendary for discretely tolerating the liberal consumption of cannabis in its student union bar, until the government's institution of a nationwide smoking ban. For these reasons, some pejoratively label SOAS an institution full of hippies and Islamic fundamentalist, though neither are probably strongly represented. Activism, in a general sense, can be described as intentional action or inaction to bring about social or political change. ... The following is a partial list of lifestyles that can be found in the 21st century. ... The term multiculturalism generally refers to a state of both cultural and ethnic diversity within the demographics of a particular social space. ... This article is about the plant genus Cannabis. ... No Smoking sign. ... Hippies (singular hippie or sometimes hippy) were members of the 1960s counterculture movement who adopted a communal or nomadic lifestyle, renounced corporate nationalism and the Vietnam War, embraced aspects of Buddhism, Hinduism, and/or Native American religious culture, and were otherwise at odds with traditional middle class Western values. ... The phrase Islamic fundamentalism is primarily used in the West to describe Islamist groups. ...

Management

2006 - present Paul Webley is the current Director and Principal of SOAS. He was previously Senior Deputy Vice Chancellor and Professor of Economic Psychology in the University of Exeter. Professor Paul Webley is Director and Principal of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. ... ... The University of Exeter (usually abbreviated as Exon. ...

2001-2006 Colin Bundy spent five years as Director and Principal of SOAS (and three years as Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of London). In 2006, he accepted appointment as Warden of Green College, Oxford.^[4] Professor Colin Bundy is Warden of Green College, Oxford with effect from Michaelmas Term 2006. ... Website http://www. ... Green College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. ...

1996-2000 Professor Bundy's immediate predecessor was Sir Tim Lankester KCB, was Director and Principal 1996-2000 and left the School to become President of Corpus Christi College, Oxford.^[5] Sir Tim Lankester KCB is President of Corpus Christi College, Oxford. ... College name Corpus Christi College Named after Corpus Christi, Body of Christ Established 1517 Sister College Corpus Christi College President Sir Tim Lankester JCR President Binyamin Even Undergraduates 239 Graduates 126 Homepage Corpus Christi College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. ...

Department of Linguistics

The SOAS Department of Linguistics was the first ever linguistics department in United Kingdom, founded in 1932 as a centre for research and study in Oriental and African languages.^{[citation needed]} J. R. Firth, known internationally for his original work in phonology and semantics, was Senior Lecturer, Reader and Professor of General Linguistics at the school between 1938 and 1956. John Rupert Firth (1890, Keighley, Yorkshire – 1960), commonly known as J. R. Firth, was an English linguist. ...

Faculties at SOAS

Faculty of Law and Social Sciences

The Faculty of Law and Social Sciences consists of five academic departments, one faculty centre and eight departmental centres:

Departments

• Department of Development Studies
• Department of Economics
• Department of Financial & Management Studies (DeFiMS)
• School of Law
• Department of Politics and International Studies

Faculty Centres

• Centre of Taiwan Studies

Departmental Centres

• Centre for Development Policy and Research (CDPR)
• Centre for Ethnic Minority Studies
• Centre for International Studies and Diplomacy
• Centre for Law & Conflict
• Centre of East Asian Law
• Centre of International Law and Colonialism
• Centre of Islamic and Middle Eastern Law
• Law, Environment and Development Centre

The Faculty of Arts and Humanities

The Faculty of Arts and Humanities contains five Departments, one faculty centre and nine departmental centres:

Departments

• Department of Art and Archaeology
• Department of Music
• Department of History
• Department of the Study of Religions (also administers the Centre for Media and Film Studies and MA in Gender Studies)
• Department of Anthropology and Sociology

Faculty Centres

• Centre for Media and Film Studies

Departmental Centres

• Centre of Buddhist Studies
• Centre of Eastern and Orthodox Christianity
• SOAS Food Studies Centre
• Centre for Gender and Religions Research
• Centre of Jaina Studies
• Centre for Migration and Diaspora Studies
• Centre for Music and Dance Performance Research
• Centre for the Study of Japanese Religions
• Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures

Faculty of Languages and Cultures

The Faculty of Languages and Cultures consists of eight academic departments, one faculty centre and four departmental centres:

Departments

• Department of the Languages and Cultures of China and Inner Asia
• Department of the Languages and Cultures of South Asia
• Department of the Languages and Cultures of Japan and Korea
• Department of Linguistics
• Language Centre
• Department of the Languages and Cultures of Near and Middle East
• Department of the Languages and Cultures of Africa
• Department of the Languages and Cultures of South East Asia

Faculty Centres

• Centre for Gender Studies

Departmental Centres

• Centre of Excellence in the Teaching and Learning of Languages of the Wider World
• Centre of Islamic Studies (CIS)
• Centre for Jewish Studies
• London Confucius Institute

Note: At present, where The Language Centre employs its own staff and administers language only courses, the respective departments manage language acquisition in their courses. In the near future (the date is TBC), all language acquisition will be brought under the remit of the new School of Languages.

IFCELS

IFCELS (International Foundation Courses and English Language Studies), lies outside the university's faculty structure and runs a number of foundation courses for students wishing to enter higher education in the UK.

Located in the Faber building, this department is one of the largest departments in the school with currently over 250 foundation students as well as a large number of pre-sessional and in-sessional students.

Regional & Interdisciplinary Centres

SOAS also includes six regional and 28 interdisiplinary centres apart from its faculties and academic departments. These are responsible for many vigorous programmes of activities such as conferences, colloquia, seminars and publications.

Regional Centres

• Centre of African Studies (CAS)
• Centre of Chinese Studies (CCS)
• Centre of Contemporary Central Asia & the Caucasus (CCCAC)
• Centre of Korean Studies (CKS)
• Centre of South Asian Studies (CSAS)
• Centre of South East Asian Studies (CSEAS)
• Japan Research Centre (JRC)
• London Middle East Institute (LMEI)

Departmental & Other Centres

• Centre for Development, Environment and Policy (CeDEP)
• Centre for Development Policy and Research (CDPR)
• Centre for Ethnic Minority Studies (CEMS)
• Centre for Financial and Management Studies (CeFiMS)
• Centre for Gender and Religions Research (GRR)
• Centre for Gender Studies
• Centre for International Studies and Diplomacy (CISD)
• Centre for Jewish Studies (CJS)
• Centre for Law and Conflict
• Centre for Media and Film Studies
• Centre for Migration and Diaspora Studies
• Centre for Music and Dance Performance Research
• Centre for the Study of Japanese Religions (CSJR)
• Centre of Buddhist Studies
• Centre of East Asian Law (CEAL)
• Centre of Eastern and Orthodox Christianity
• Centre of International Law and Colonialism (CILC)
• Centre of Islamic and Middle Eastern Law (CIMEL)
• Centre of Islamic Studies (CIS)
• Centre of Jaina Studies (CoJS)
• Centre of Taiwan Studies
• Contemporary China Institute
• International Foundation Courses and English Language Studies (IFCELS)
• Languages of the Wider World CETL (LWW-CETL)
• Law, Environment and Development Centre (LEDC)
• London Confucius Institute
• Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Art
• SOAS Food Studies Centre

Students' accommodation

Many SOAS students are accommodated in the college's own halls of residence: Dinwiddy House (located on Pentonville Road in Kings Cross and Paul Robeson House, a block away from Dinwiddy House, on Penton Rise; SOAS students are also eligible to apply for places in the University of London intercollegiate halls of residence, such as Connaught Hall. Halls of residence in British English (commonly referred to as halls, and to a lesser extent hall) are a type of residential accommodation for large numbers of students, similar to dormitories in the United States. ... Pentonville Road is road in central London that runs west to east from Kings Cross to City Road. ... Kings Cross refers to a district in two places: Kings Cross, London, England Kings Cross railway station is a major London railway terminus and Kings Cross, New South Wales is a district in Sydney, Australia Kings Cross railway station, Sydney is an underground railway station in Sydney. ... Paul LeRoy Bustill Robeson (April 9, 1898 – January 23, 1976) was a multi-lingual American actor, athlete, bass-baritone concert singer, writer, civil rights activist, fellow traveler, Spingarn Medal winner, and Stalin Peace Prize laureate. ... Website http://www. ... Connaught Hall is a fully catered hall of residence owned by the University of London and situated on Tavistock Square, Bloomsbury, London, UK. It is an intercollegiate hall, and as such provides accommodation for full-time students at institutions such as Kings College London, University College London, Queen Mary...

Most students in college or university accommodation are first-year undergraduates. The majority of second and third-year students and postgraduates find their own accommodation in the private sector. In some educational systems, undergraduate education is post-secondary education up to the level of a Bachelors degree. ... Degree ceremony at Cambridge. ...

Students' Union

Main article: SOAS Students' Union

SOAS has an active Students' Union, which is seen among the students' movement to be radically left-wing.^{[citation needed]} In recent years the Students' Union has been incredibly vocal in anti-war protests, and been active in reducing its carbon footprint. Recent campaigns by the union have involved campaigning for extended library opening hours, against closure of the Hindi and Tibetan courses, and for fairer pay for the SOAS cleaners and staff, to prevent further walk out strike action like the walk out in 2005. It has also gone through an environmental audit and has started to actively tackle environmental issues within its student union and in the university. Adopted motions are decided upon by vote at a UGM, usually held at least twice a term. SOAS Students Union is the students union for the School of Oriental and African Studies. ... A students union, student government, student leadership, student council, or students association is a student organization present in many elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, colleges and universities. ... Hindi (DevanāgarÄ«: or , IAST: , IPA:  ), an Indo-European language spoken all over India in varying degrees and extensively in northern and central India, is one of the 22 official languages of India and is used, along with English, for central government administrative purposes. ... The Tibetan language is spoken primarily by the Tibetan people who live across a wide area of eastern Central Asia bordering South Asia, as well as by large number of Tibetan refugees all over the world. ... A Union General Meeting is a variety of legislative body controlling the affairs of a student union. ...

The union elects 3 full-time co-presidents a year, who have separate responsibilities; and there are many part-time officers working with them who have specific briefs. Since a revision of the Union's constitution it has been possible for a Union General Meeting to elect an honorary president to serve a one-year term. The post has previously been held by Mayor of London Ken Livingstone whilst the current Hon. President is Burmese political activist and SOAS alumna Aung San Suu Kyi. Ken Livingstone, the current Mayor of London The Mayor of London is an elected politician in London, United Kingdom. ... Kenneth Robert Livingstone (born 17 June 1945) is a British politican and the current Mayor of London, a post he has held since its creation in 2000. ... Aung San Suu Kyi (Burmese: ; MLCTS: ; IPA: ); born 19 June 1945 in Rangoon, is a pro-democracy activist and leader of the National League for Democracy in Burma, and a noted prisoner of conscience and advocate of nonviolent resistance. ...

SOAS student union does not support sport of any kind partly because it has no facilities. Despite this it has one of the most feared rugby teams in the London area; the SOAS warriors rugby football club.

OpenAir Radio

SOAS runs its own radio station, OpenAir Radio, based on the 5th floor of the Russell Square Building. The initial Restricted Service Licence ran from November until 16 December 2005, and broadcast on 101.4FM over a three mile radius in the Camden/Central London area. The remit of the station is world music, culture and current affairs, with programmes focusing on Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America. OpenAir programmes include everything from local news to international media analysis, and cookery programmes to DJ sets. A UK Restricted Service Licence (often called an RSL), is typically granted to radio stations and television stations broadcasting within the UK to serve a local community or a special event. ... is the 350th day of the year (351st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

OpenAir Radio is currently webcasting service and is applying for a Restricted Service Licence to broadcast on FM in the near future.[2]

Notable students and alumni

See also: Category:Alumni of the School of Oriental and African Studies

Royalty

• Sultan Salahuddin, King of Malaysia 1999-2001
• Mette-Marit, Crown Princess of Norway
• Anthony Brooke, Rajah Muda of Sarawak
• Princess Maria Laura of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este

Almarhum Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Al-Haj ibni Almarhum Sultan Sir Hisamuddin Alam Shah Al-Haj (March 8, 1926 - November 21, 2001) was the eleventh Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia and seventh Sultan of Selangor. ... Mette-Marit, Crown Princess of Norway (born Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby in Kristiansand, Norway, on 19 August 1973), is the wife of Crown Prince Haakon of Norway. ... Anthony Walter Dayrell Brooke, (b. ... Princess Maria Laura of Belgium, (Maria Laura Zita Beatrix Gerhard, born August 26, 1988), Archduchess of Austria-Este, Princess Imperial of Austria, Princess Royal of Hungary and Bohemia, Princess of Modena, is the second child and oldest daughter of Prince Lorenz, Archduke of Austria-Este and Princess Astrid of Belgium. ...

Government and Politics

• Luisa Diogo, Current Prime Minister of Mozambique
• Bülent Ecevit, Former Prime Minister of Turkey
• Lord Wilson of Tillyorn, 27th Governor of Hong Kong
• Aung San Suu Kyi, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and elected Honorary President of the SOAS Students' Union
• David Lammy, British politician, Labour Member of Parliament and minister
• Aaron Mike Oquaye, politician, Minister of Communication in Ghana
• 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
• Enoch Powell, British politician
• Varun Gandhi, politician, Bharatiya Janata Party youth leader
• Walter Rodney, historian and Guyanese political activist
• Alan Senitt, political activist for homosexual rights
• Lord Jay of Ewelme, civil servant
• Emma McCune, British foreign aid worker

Luísa Dias Diogo (born April 11, 1958) has been prime minister of Mozambique since February 2004. ... Mustafa Bülent Ecevit (May 28, 1925–November 5, 2006; pronounced ), was a Turkish politician, poet, writer and journalist. ... David Clive Wilson, Baron Wilson of Tillyorn, KT, GCMG (born 14 February 1935) was a British administrator, diplomat and Sinologist. ... Aung San Suu Kyi (Burmese: ; MLCTS: ; IPA: ); born 19 June 1945 in Rangoon, is a pro-democracy activist and leader of the National League for Democracy in Burma, and a noted prisoner of conscience and advocate of nonviolent resistance. ... David Lindon Lammy (born July 19, 1972) is a British politician who has been tipped as Britains first Black Prime Minister Lammy was born in Tottenham, a working-class area of North London, and brought up by his mother after his father left the family. ... Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye is the present Minister of Communication in Ghana. ... Idris Legbo Kutigi (born December 31, 1939) is a Nigerian lawyer and judge. ... Sylvester Umaru Onu (born June 15, 1938) is a Nigerian judge. ... Herbert Witshire Chitepo (15th June, 1923 – 18th March, 1975) was a prominent Barrister in Southern Africa who was leader of ZANUs war to liberate Rhodesia from the white-minority government, led by Ian Smith. ... Sir John Evelyn Vincent Vinelott (15 October 1923 – 22 May 2006) was a leading barrister at the Chancery bar and a English High Court judge in the Chancery Division from 1978 to 1994. ... John Enoch Powell, MBE (June 16, 1912 – February 8, 1998) was a British politician, linguist, writer, academic, soldier and poet. ... Varun Gandhi (born March 13, 1980) is the only son of the late Sanjay Gandhi and Indian Politician Maneka Gandhi. ... Walter Rodney (March 23, 1942 - June 13, 1980) was a prominent Guyanese historian and political figure. ... Alan Senitt (December 26, 1978 – July 9, 2006) was a British political activist whose murder in Washington, DC garnered media attention. ... Michael Hastings Jay, Baron Jay of Ewelme, GCMG (born June 1946) is a former senior civil servant in the United Kingdom. ... Emma McCune (1964 in India - 1993 in Nairobi) was a British foreign aid worker to ex-colonial parents who could not adjust to life in England after their return from India. ...

Media/Writers

• Mirza Tahir Ahmad, fourth Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and founder of Muslim TV Ahmadiyya (world's first Muslim satellite television network)
• Zeinab Badawi, newsreader
• Fatima Bhutto, author and journalist
• James Brandon, newspaper journalist
• Martin Bright, journalist, Political Editor of the New Statesman
• Dom Joly, television comedian and journalist
• Khyentse Norbu, film-maker and Tibetan Buddhist lama
• Andrew Robinson, author and journalist
• Saira Shah, journalist and film-maker
• Freya Stark, travel writer
• Sufiah Yusof, mathematics prodigy^[6]
• Osman Junaid, writer [3]

Mirza Tahir Ahmad (* 18 December 1928 in Qadian, † 19 April 2003 in London) was Khalifatul Masih IV. Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. ... This article is about the Ahmadiyya branch of Islam founded by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad. ... Muslim TV Ahmadiyya (MTA) is the global satellite TV network run by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. ... Zeinab Badawi Zeinab Badawi (born November 24, 1959) is a television and radio reporter and news presenter in the United Kingdom. ... Fatima Bhutto (born 29 May 1982) is a young Pakistani poet who came to fame after the appearance of her first book, Whispers of the Desert. ... James Brandon (born 20 September 1980) is a British journalist, most recently working in Iraq freelance on assignment from the Sunday Telegraph and The Scotsman, covering the occupation and resistance. ... Dominic John Joly (born 15 November 1967)[1] is an award-winning British television comedian and journalist. ... Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche, also known as Khyentse Norbu, is a Tibetan lama and filmmaker. ... W. Andrew Robinson (born 1957) is a British author and newspaper editor. ... Saira is an author, reporter and documentary filmmaker. ... Freya Madeleine Stark (1893-1993) was famous for writing of her travels in the Middle East. ...

Academia

• Akbar Ahmad, academic, anthropologist, sociologist, Islamic scholar
• Antony Flew, philosopher
• Fred Halliday, academic, Professor of International Relations at the London School of Economics
• Robert Graham Irwin, historian and writer on Arabic literature
• James R. Russell, academic, Mashtots Professor of Armenian Studies at Harvard University
• Ivan van Sertima, historian and anthropologist, professor of African studies at Rutgers University
• Patrick Sookhdeo, theologian and Anglican canon
• Romila Thapar, historian, Professor Emerita of Ancient Indian History at the Jawaharlal Nehru University
• Thomas Trautmann, historian
• Konrad Tuchscherer, academic, Associate Professor of History and Director of Africana Studies at St. John's University (New York City)
• Ehsan Yarshater, academic, Hagop Kevorkian Professor Emeritus of Iranian Studies at Columbia University,USA
• William Montgomery Watt, historian and Islamic scholar
• Than Tun, historian of Burma
• Ed Husain, writer, author of The Islamist
• Bernard Lewis, Islamic scholar and Emeritus Professor at Princeton University,USA
• Rosemarie Said Zahlan, historian, writer on the Gulf states

Professor Antony Garrard Newton Flew (born February 11, 1923) is a British philosopher. ... Fred Halliday, academic and author, is a British academic specialist on the Middle East and international relations, with particular reference to Iran. ... Robert Graham Irwin (b. ... James Robert Russell (born in 1953, New York City) is a scholar and professor in Ancient Near Eastern, Iranian and Armenian Studies. ... Ivan van Sertima is an American historian, linguist and anthropologist at Rutgers University. ... Patrick Sookhdeo Patrick Sookhdeo, is a British Anglican canon. ... Romila Thapar speaking at the U.S. Library of Congress Romila Thapar (born 1931) is an Indian historian whose principal area of study is ancient India. ... Thomas R. Trautmann is an American Historian. ... Konrad Tuchscherer (born February 16, 1970, Neenah, Wisconsin) is an educator, scholar, writer, and public intellectual. ... Ehsan Yarshater, of Columbia University, is one of the worlds leading Iranologists. ... William Montgomery Watt is a English Islamic scholar. ... Than Tun known as Dr Than Tun - Historian ( April 6 1923 - Nov 30, 2005). ... Ed Husain (born 25th December 1975 in London) is the author of The Islamist. ... For the founder of the River Island retail chain, see Bernard Lewis (entrepreneur). ... Rosemarie Said Zahlan (Arabic: ‎), (August 20, 1937 - May 10, 2006) was a Palestinian-American historian and writer on the Gulf states. ...

Music & the Arts

• Cheng Yu, musician
• Paul Robeson, musician, writer and civil rights activist
• Raman Mundair, writer, artist, poet and playwright
• Thurston Clarke, writer

The Chinese general Cheng Yu was one of the few people who stayed with Han Dynasty warlord Cao Cao during his escape from the Battle of Chi Bi. ... Paul LeRoy Bustill Robeson (April 9, 1898 – January 23, 1976) was a multi-lingual American actor, athlete, bass-baritone concert singer, writer, civil rights activist, fellow traveler, Spingarn Medal winner, and Stalin Peace Prize laureate. ... Raman Mundair is a British poet, writer, artist and playwright. ... Thurston Clarke (b. ...

Business & Finance

• Cecilia Ibru, Managing Director and CEO - Oceanic International Bank Plc

Religion

• Maurice Noël Léon Couve de Murville, Archbishop of Birmingham 1982-99
• Archbishop Michael Fitzgerald, President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue 2002-2006, Apostolic Nuncio to Egypt (from 2006)
• Andrew Bertie, Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, and distant relative of Queen Elizabeth II.

Maurice Léon Couve de Murville (27 June 1929—) was the Roman Catholic archbishop of Birmingham from 25 March 1982 until his retirement on 12 June 1999, having formerly been Priest of Arundel and Brighton. ... Michael Louis Fitzgerald (17 August 1937-) is a Roman Catholic archbishop. ... The Catholic Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, was from 1964 (when Pope Paul VI created it) to 1998 called the Secretariat for Non-Christians. ... Karl-Josef Rauber; Nuncio for Belgium Nuncio is an ecclesiastical diplomatic title, derived from the ancient Latin Nuntius, meaning any envoy. ... H.E.H. Fra Andrew Bertie, 78th Prince & Grand Master. ... This is a list of Grand Masters of the Knights Hospitaller. ... Motto Tuitio Fidei et Obsequium Pauperum(Latin) Defence of the faith and assistance to the poor Anthem (Latin) Hail, thou White Cross Capital Palazzo Malta, Rome Official languages Italian Government  -  Grand Master Fra Andrew Bertie Currency Scudo The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and... Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor; born 21 April 1926) is Queen of sixteen sovereign states, holding each crown and title equally. ...

Society

• Jemima Khan, English socialite

Jemima Khan, also known as Jemima Marcelle Goldsmith (born January 30, 1974, London), ex-wife of cricketer Imran Khan, is a British socialite and a UK ambassador for UNICEF.[1] // Goldsmith is the daughter of billionaire Sir James Goldsmith and aristocrat Lady Annabel Vane-Tempest-Stewart. ...

Notable academics

See also: Category:Academics of the School of Oriental and African Studies

Principals

• Sir Cyril Philips
• Colin Bundy
• Paul Webley

Faculty of Law and Social Sciences Professor Colin Bundy is Warden of Green College, Oxford with effect from Michaelmas Term 2006. ... Professor Paul Webley is Director and Principal of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. ...

• Gilbert Achcar, Globalisation
• Malcolm Caldwell, Southeast Asian economic history
• Ben Fine, Economics
• Laleh Khalili, Middle East Politics
• Werner Menski, Law
• Philip Stott, Biogeography
• Jan Toporowski, Economics
• Charles R. H. Tripp, Middle East Politics

Faculty of Arts and Humanities Gilbert Achcar (born 1951 in Lebanon) is a Lebanese-French academic, writer, and socialist activist. ... Malcolm Caldwell was a prolific Marxist writer. ... Ben Fine is Professor of Economics at the University of Londons School of Oriental and African Studies. ... Philip Stott is a professor emeritus of biogeography at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London and a former editor (1987-2004) of the Journal of Biogeography. ... Charles R. H. Tripp, Ph. ...

• Timothy Barrett, East Asian History
• Arthur Llewellyn Basham, Indian History
• Patricia Crone, Islamic History
• Lucy Duran, African Music
• Richard Fardon, Anthropology of West Africa
• Paul Gifford, African Christianity
• Gerald Hawting, History of the Near Middle East
• Monica Janowski, Anthropology of South East Asia
• Nasser David Khalili, Islamic Art
• Roland Oliver, African History
• Alexander Piatigorsky, History of South Asia
• Timon Screech, Japanese art, architecture and history
• Charles R. H. Tripp, Middle East History
• John Wansbrough, Islamic History

Faculty of Languages and Cultures Professor Arthur Llewellyn Basham was a historian with the Australian National University in Canberra. ... Patricia Crone, Ph. ... Dr. Lucy Duran BMus MMus(London) PhD(London) is a record producer and radio presenter. ... Paul Gifford, B.A. (Wellington), M.Litt. ... Gerald R. Hawting (b. ... Nasser David Khalili (born 1945) in Iran is an British Iranian Jewish property developer, art collector, and philanthropist, and is based in London. ... Roland Oliver (born 1923) is Emeritus Professor of African history at the University of London. ... Alexander Piatigorsky (Russian: , born 1929) is a Russian philosopher and scholar of Buddhism and Indian philosophy. ... Charles R. H. Tripp, Ph. ... John Edward Wansbrough (19 February 1928, Peoria Illinois - 10 June 2002, Montaigu-de-Quercy France) was a historian of Islam who taught at SOAS in London. ...

• Muhammad Abdel-Haleem, Islamic Studies
• Shirin Akiner, Central Asian Studies
• Mary Boyce, Iranian Studies
• John Rupert Firth, Linguistics
• Hamilton Gibb, Islamic Studies
• Angus Charles Graham, classical Chinese
• Alfred Guillaume, Islamic Studies
• Walter Bruno Henning, Iranian Studies
• George Hewitt, Caucasian Languages
• Michel Hockx, China and Inner Asia Studies
• Reginald Johnston, Chinese language and literature
• Ann Lambton, Iranian Studies
• Wendy Doniger O'Flaherty, Indian religion
• Vladimir Minorsky, Iranian Studies
• David Marshall Lang, Caucasian Studies
• Bernard Lewis, Middle East Studies
• Xiao Qian, China and Inner Asia Studies
• William Radice, Bengali language and literature
• Ralph Russell, Urdu language and literature
• Nicholas Sims-Williams, Iranian and Central Asian Studies
• Arthur Stanley Tritton, Arabic language and literature
• Edward Ullendorff, Ethiopian Studies and Semetic Languages
• Arthur Waley, Japan & China Studies
• Richard Olaf Winstedt, Malay language and literature

Dr. Shirin Akiner is an internationally recognised specialist on the Central Asia region at London Universitys School of Oriental and African Studies. ... Professor Nora Elizabeth Mary Boyce (2 August 1920 - 4 April 2006) was the worlds leading doyenne of Zoroastrian studies. ... Sir Hamilton Alexander Rosskeen Gibb, (2 January 1895 - 22 October 1971), also commonly referred to as H. A. R. Gibb, was a Scottish scholar of Islam and the Middle East. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Michel Hockx is a Professor of Chinese at the University of Londons School of Oriental and African Studies. ... Sir Reginald Fleming Johnston (1874–1938) was a Scottish academic, diplomat and pedagogue and the teacher of Pu Yi, the last emperor of China, and later appointed as commissioner of British-held Weihaiwei. ... For the British actress, see Anne Lambton. ... Wendy Doniger (born November 20, 1940) is an American Divinity Professor, active in international religious studies since 1973. ... Vladimir Minorsky (1877-1966) was a famous Russian Iranologist. ... David Marshall Lang (May 6, 1924 – March 20, 1991), was a Professor Emeritus of Caucasian Studies, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. ... For the founder of the River Island retail chain, see Bernard Lewis (entrepreneur). ... Xiao Qian Xiao Qian (萧乾[è•­ä¹¾], pinyin Xiāo Qián, Wade-Giles Hsiao Chien), alias Nuoping (若萍) (27 January 1910 – 11 February 1999) was a famous essayist, editor, journalist and translator from China. ... William Radice is the author of the book Teach yourself Bengali. ... Ralph Russell (born 1918) is a British scholar of Urdu literature. ... Nicholas Sims-Williams is a professor of the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, where he is Research Professor of Iranian and Central Asian Studies at the Department of the Languages and Cultures of Near and Middle East. ... Arthur Stanley Tritton, D. Litt. ... Edward Ullendorff (b. ... Arthur David Waley (August 19, 1889 – June 27, 1966) was a noted English Orientalist and Sinologist. ... Sir Richard Olaf Winstedt (August 2, 1878 - June 2, 1966) was an English Orientalist and colonial administrator with expertise in British Malaya. ...

References

The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) was established in 1993 by the UK higher education institutions as the central source for the collection and publication of higher education statistics in the United Kingdom. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 90th day of the year (91st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 276th day of the year (277th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Guardian. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 222nd day of the year (223rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The University of Oxford (informally Oxford University), located in the city of Oxford, England, is the oldest university in the English-speaking world. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 222nd day of the year (223rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 225th day of the year (226th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Guardian. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 91st day of the year (92nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... April 8 is the 98th day of the year (99th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• School of Oriental and African Studies website
• Game, John 'The origins of SOAS as a colonial institution, training district'
• SOAS Student Union website