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SOAS University of London
SOAS University of London
SOAS University of London
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The School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS University of London; /ˈsoʊæs/)[6][7] 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.

Key Information

SOAS is one of the world's leading institutions for the study of Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.[8] Its library is one of the five national research libraries in England.[9] SOAS also houses the SOAS 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. The annual income of the institution for 2023–24 was £113.8 million of which £9.6 million was from research grants and contracts, with an expenditure of £76.6 million.[1]

SOAS is divided into two colleges and one self-standing school: the College of Humanities; the College of Social Sciences; and the SOAS School of Law. 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 educated several heads of state, 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

[edit]

Origins

[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.[10]

The former premises of the London Institution in Finsbury Circus which originally housed SOAS and was demolished soon after being sold in 1936[11]

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.[12] It would do so by providing instruction to colonial administrators (Colonial Service and Imperial Civil Service),[12] 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.[12]

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.[13] 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.[14] The School was, on the Government's advice, transferred to Christ's College, Cambridge.[15]

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.[16] 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.[17] Others included Sir Peter Parker and Ronald Dore. Subsequently, the School ran a series of courses in Japanese, both for translators and for interpreters.[18]

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")[19] report recommended a major expansion in provision for the study of Asia and the school benefited greatly from the subsequent largesse.[20] The SOAS School of Law was established in 1947 with 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.[20]

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.[21] 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.[22]

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.[23]

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.[24]

Student politics

[edit]

Israel and Palestine

[edit]

SOAS has a student body of which many are committed anti-Zionists. The SOAS Students' Union was the first students' union to carry out a referendum, in 2005, to support the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions movement for goods stocked in the Students' Union,[25] and in 2015, the SOAS Students' Union held a referendum in which its members voted to adopt the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions directions more generally in the university. In 2022, students occupied the management section of the university for nine days, citing the university's investments in Israel amongst other reasons, which led to the university spending £200,000 in their eviction.[26] After Israel's war in Gaza. university management suspended seven students protesting the university's investments in Israel and partnership with Haifa university, a university in Israel with three military colleges and a military base on campus.[26] These students stated that the suspensions were arbitrary and a "targeted act of political repression", whereas the university replied that the students were a "threat to the SOAS community".[27] In the same period, a lecturer reported that security had removed a poster with the Palestinian flag from her door. SOAS responded that the display of the Palestinian flag violated "safeguarding".[28]

SOAS has an active Jewish Society which is explicitly anti-Zionist.[29] In 2024, and in the context of university protest camps established around the world relating to Israel's war in Gaza, SOAS director Adam Habib hosted a high-level meeting about antisemitism on campus, extending an invite to various Jewish academics on campus, but excluding any representation from the Jewish Society. On April 19, 2024, SOAS posted a job advert for a new Jewish Chaplain whose key responsibilities include supporting "the implementation of a Jewish Society within the Student [sic] Union," therefore implicating that the existing Jewish Society would be replaced by a society organised from the top down.[30]

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.[31] Examples of matters he considered anti-Semitic are, according to the Guardian report previously cited, that being pro-Israel was described as "Zionist", the student body's public support of the BDS movement, and that his proposal to write a thesis on perceived anti-Israel bias at the UN led to a response that, in his words, "he was covering up Israeli war crimes and was a white supremacist Nazi". He additionally stated that he had seen "anti-Semitic graffiti" on campus, but did not specify what this was, leaving it unclear as to whether or not he considered statements for example in support of the BDS movement as anti-Semitic. Leading Jewish figures at the university have disagreed with his assessment, with stating that they felt "much more comfortable being outwardly Jewish, visibly Jewish, or having people know that I'm Jewish around SOAS students than I am in pretty much any other context in this country."[30]

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,[32] 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.[33]

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.[34]

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.[35]

Governance and administration

[edit]

Presidents

[edit]
Appointed President
2001 Helena Kennedy[36]
23 April 2012 Graça Machel[37]
5 October 2021 Zeinab Badawi[3]

Directors/Vice-Chancellors

[edit]
Edward Denison Ross by John Lavery

Since its foundation, the school has had ten directors. The inaugural director was the linguist Edward Denison Ross. Under the stewardship of Cyril Philips, the school saw growth and modernisation.[20] Under Colin Bundy in the 2000s, the school became one of the top ranked universities both domestically and internationally.[38] In January 2021 Adam Habib became director of SOAS in place of Valerie Amos, who had taken up the position of Master at University College, Oxford.[39][40] In 2024, the position of director was renamed vice-chancellor.[41]

Appointed Director/Vice-Chancellor
1916 Edward Denison Ross
1937 Ralph Lilley Turner
1956 Cyril Philips
1976 Jeremy Cowan
1989 Michael McWilliam
1996 Tim Lankester
2001 Colin Bundy[42]
2006 Paul Webley[43]
2015 Valerie Amos
2021 Adam Habib

Board of Trustees

[edit]

The SOAS Board of Trustees sets policy, mission, and purpose for the university. The Trustees are also responsible for overseeing the management of resources and upholding SOAS's role. The board consists of a chair, two vice-chairs, an honorary treasurer, 10 lay members, the Vice-Chancellor, Provost, and Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Knowledge Exchange, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Finance and Operations and Clerk to the Board, a Professional Services Member, college deans, and student representatives.[44]

Academic organisation

[edit]

Colleges and departments

[edit]

As of 1 August 2025, SOAS is divided into two colleges and one self-standing School.[45] These are further divided into academic departments. SOAS has many Centres and Institutes, each of which is affiliated to a particular faculty.

College of Humanities

[edit]

The College of Humanities houses the School of Art, the School of History, Religions and Philosophies, the School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics, and the School of Anthropology, Media and Gender. The first ever university linguistics department in the United Kingdom was created in 1932 at SOAS, serving as a centre for research and study in Oriental and African languages.[46] 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.

The College of Humanities 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.[47] The university is also a member of the Screen Studies Group, London.

College of Social Sciences

[edit]

The College of Social Sciences houses the departments of Development, Politics and International Studies, Economics, and Finance and Management.

SOAS School of Law

[edit]
Main 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.[48] 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.[49]

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.

Institutes and regional centres

[edit]

SOAS has a number of region-specific institutions, drawing on expertise across the various colleges:[50]

  • SOAS China Institute
  • SOAS Middle East Institute
  • SOAS South Asia Institute
  • SOAS Centre for Taiwan Studies

It also has a number of regional centres and other, non-regional institutes:

  • SOAS Shapoorji Pallonji Institute of Zoroastrian Studies
  • Centre of African Studies
  • Centre of Contemporary Central Asia and the Caucasus
  • Centre for Iranian Studies
  • Centre of Korean Studies
  • Centre for the Study of Pakistan
  • Centre for Palestine Studies
  • Centre of South East Asian Studies
  • Japan Research Centre

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.[51] 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 has a student-staff ratio of 15:1, which in the Complete University Guide 2025 ranked 44th in the UK.[51]

Library

[edit]
The interior of the SOAS library

The SOAS library is a library for Asian, African and Middle Eastern studies.[52] It houses more than 1.2 million volumes and electronic resources for the study of Africa, Asia and the Middle East,[52] 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.[53]

The library is housed in the Philips Building on the Russell Square campus and was built in 1973.[54] It was designed by architect Sir Denys Lasdun, who also designed some of Britain's 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".[55] 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.[56]

Since SOAS is 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 close to the Russell Square campus.

The library was used as a filming location for some scenes in the 2016 film Criminal.[57]

Rankings

[edit]
Rankings
National rankings
Complete (2026)[58]62=
Guardian (2026)[59]116
Times / Sunday Times (2026)[60]75
Global rankings
QS (2026)[61]511=
THE (2026)[62]401–500
SOAS' national league table performance over the past 10 years

The 2022 QS World University Rankings placed SOAS 2nd in the world for Development Studies,[63] 10th for Anthropology[64] and 15th for Politics.[65] For Arts & Humanities overall, it was placed 67th in the world by the same rankings.[66] As an institution, it placed 508th overall in the QS World University Rankings 2025, having fallen from a high of 252nd in 2017.[67] SOAS ranked 33rd globally for International Students and 49th for International Faculty in the 2023 QS World University Rankings.[68]

SOAS's Department of Financial and Management Studies (DeFiMS) is ranked within the top 60 in the UK for Business Studies in the 2023 Complete University Guide's League Table.[69] The research strength of the department has been previously recognised by the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF) where 81 per cent was rated as world-leading and internationally excellent, placing it 41st in the country by GPA.[70]

The results of the 2021 REF took the form of profiles spread across four grade levels. Hence, there are different ways to present them and to rank the departments. According to published tables by Times Higher Education, SOAS is ranked 4th by GPA in the UK for Anthropology (an improvement from 16th in the previous exercise in 2014) and 25th in the UK for Development Studies.[71]

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.[72]

Publications

[edit]

SOAS publishes academic journals such as The China Quarterly,[73]Bulletin of the School of Oriental & African Studies, Journal of African Law,[74] South East Asia Research[75] and SOAS Bulletin of Burma Research.

Student life

[edit]
UCAS Admission Statistics
2024 2023 2022 2021 2020
Applications[α][76] 6,410 5,950 5,715 5,300 5,790
Accepted[α][76] 1,675 1,650 1,465 1,395 1,370
Applications/Accepted Ratio[α] 3.8 3.6 3.9 3.8 4.2
Offer Rate (%)[β][77] 92.6 91.2 90.0 89.1 78.0
Average Entry Tariff[78] — — — 140 140
  1. ^ a b c Main scheme applications, International and UK
  2. ^ UK domiciled applicants
HESA Student Body Composition (2023/24)
Domicile[79] and Ethnicity[80] Total
British White[a] 20%
 
British Ethnic Minorities[b] 52%
 
International EU 5%
 
International Non-EU 24%
 
Undergraduate Widening Participation Indicators[79][81]
Female 62%
 
Independent School 9%
 
Low Participation Areas[c] 4%
 

In 2023/24, there were 4,085 undergraduate students.[5] In 2012, 41% of students were over 21 and 60% were female.[82] According to the QS World University Rankings, SOAS hosts international students from 140 countries.[83]

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.[84] The SOAS Student Union was established in 1927, and has a long history of activism: campaigning against the introduction of both student loans and later student fees; raising funds for the Algerian victims of the Algerian War of Independence against France in 1959; and successfully campaigning for the school to divest from fossil fuels. The SU bar became an established live music venue by the 1970s and was where Nirvana played their first UK gig in 1989.[85] 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

[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.[86] SOAS also participates in an annual North London Varsity tournament against London Metropolitan University.[87]

On-campus jobs

[edit]

Some programs help students to work part-time on campus alongside their full-time study.

  • Education Co-Creator Internship: This is a 64-hour scheme for SOAS undergraduates interested in the education sector. Students work on an innovative project in collaboration with SOAS staff to improve services at their own university.
  • Santander Micro-internship: This is a remote 60-hour Santander Universities initiative, targeted towards SOAS students looking to develop an entrepreneurial career. As part of this program, students are typically assigned to a start-up or NGO.
  • Student Ambassador: In this job, SOAS students promote their university to high school students.
  • Campus Brand Ambassador roles: Depending on availability, students may also take up a job to represent employers such as CMS, Clyde & Co, BDO, Vantage, Dentons, PwC, Barbri, Linklaters, Freshfields, and BCLP on campus. SOAS is not responsible for recruiting for this role – it is the respective external employer or a recruitment agency.

The School of Finance and Management has also partnered with learning platform Practera to offer a Virtual Industry Project, a two-week remote work-based learning experience to give students a taste of consulting roles.

Student housing

[edit]
The courtyard of Dinwiddy House

SOAS operates two halls of residence in central London, both owned by Sanctuary Student Housing.[88] 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.[89]

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.[90] This accommodation is occupied by postgraduate students, and those attending the international SOAS Summer schools.[91]

SOAS students are eligible to apply for places in the University of London intercollegiate halls of residence.[92] 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. Wood Green Hall is another accommodation in North London that reserves places for SOAS students annually.

Notable people

[edit]
Main article: List of School of Oriental and African Studies people

Notable alumni

[edit]
See also: Category:Alumni of SOAS University of London

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[94]

Notable faculty and staff

[edit]
See also: Category:Academics of SOAS University of London

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]

References

[edit]

Further reading

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

SOAS University of London

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
SOAS University of London is a public research university and constituent college of the federal , specializing in the study of languages, cultures, economies, and societies of , , and the . Founded in as the School of Oriental Studies by the British government to train civil servants, diplomats, and commercial agents for colonial administration and imperial interests, it initially emphasized language instruction for practical governance in non-Western regions. The institution expanded its scope in the interwar period to incorporate African languages and studies, formally adopting the name School of Oriental and African Studies around 1937 amid growing British engagement in African territories, though African content had been introduced earlier. Relocated to its current Bloomsbury campus in central London during the 1930s, SOAS developed into a center for area studies, offering degrees in humanities, social sciences, law, development economics, and business administration with a focus on non-European perspectives that challenge Western-centric frameworks. Its research and alumni have influenced international policy, diplomacy, and leadership in postcolonial states, producing figures such as heads of state and UN officials from regions of expertise. While renowned for linguistic proficiency—teaching over 40 languages—and contributions to fields like and , SOAS has encountered controversies over its institutional culture, including that promotes efforts sometimes at odds with balanced , and a perceived dominance of progressive ideologies that may reflect broader left-leaning biases in academia. Rebranded as SOAS University of London in the to emphasize its standalone identity, it maintains a structure led by a board of trustees under oversight, with ongoing emphasis on fieldwork-driven research amid financial and enrollment challenges.

History

Founding and Early Development (1916–1939)

The School of Oriental Studies was founded by on 5 June 1916 as a constituent of the , primarily to train British colonial administrators, diplomats, missionaries, and others in the languages, laws, and customs of . The establishment was advocated by orientalists including Lord Curzon, who emphasized the need for specialized education to enhance imperial governance amid Britain's extensive Asian territories. A committee of management had been formed in 1913 to oversee preparations, reflecting pre-World War I recognition of deficiencies in oriental knowledge among officials. Sir Edward Denison Ross, an expert in Persian and multiple Asian languages, was appointed the first Director in 1916, holding the position until 1937. The school admitted its first students on 18 January 1917 and was officially opened on 23 February 1917 by King George V at premises in the London Institution, . Initial instruction focused on practical language training in subjects such as , Chinese, Japanese, Persian, , , Turkish, and , with early enrollees including K.A. Subrahmania in Sanskrit and Pali. By the late 1920s, the curriculum had expanded to offer degree courses in over twenty Asian languages, and the total number of subjects taught reached 74 by the 1930s, incorporating literature, history, and jurisprudence alongside linguistics. The Students' Union formed in 1927 to organize activities and represent enrollees, who remained few in number during this period. In 1938, to accommodate emerging programs in African languages and studies, the name was changed to the School of Oriental and African Studies, marking a broadening beyond its original Asian-centric mandate.

World War II and Immediate Post-War Period

With the outbreak of in , the School of Oriental Studies redirected significant resources toward military language training to support Britain's . The institution became the primary center for teaching languages such as Japanese, which was critical for and interrogation purposes, as it was the only facility offering such instruction prior to the war. Intensive courses were established, including those for Japanese interrogators led by figures like Frank Daniels, training military personnel alongside civilian students. SOAS staff and alumni contributed directly to code-breaking efforts; for instance, seven female Wireless Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) members trained in Japanese at SOAS in 1943 before deploying to for Japanese naval code decryption. The school's premises in Senate House were requisitioned by the government for wartime use, disrupting regular operations until the occupation ended on 3 September 1945. This period marked a temporary pivot from academic pursuits to applied linguistic support for Allied intelligence, with the school's expertise in Oriental languages proving indispensable against in . In the immediate post-war years, SOAS refocused on academic expansion amid Britain's planning and the need for expertise. The government vacated Senate House in 1945, allowing the school to reclaim its facilities and implement pre-war expansion proposals outlined in 1944. Between 1947 and 1952, the institution created 117 new full-time academic posts, including 14 professorships, facilitating a nearly four-fold staff increase and a seven-fold rise in funding to bolster research and teaching in Asian and African studies. This growth supported the training of colonial administrators and scholars, aligning with post-war imperial transitions and the emerging context.

Expansion Amid Decolonization (1945–1980s)

Following World War II, the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) pursued ambitious expansion plans outlined in a 1944 statement, emphasizing a substantial increase in student capacity amid Britain's shifting imperial landscape. The 1947 Scarborough Commission report, formally titled the Report of the Interdepartmental Commission of Enquiry into Oriental, Slavonic, East European, and African Studies, recommended enhanced funding and resources for institutions like SOAS to bolster expertise in non-European regions, recognizing the school's wartime contributions to intelligence and language training. This led to a nearly four-fold rise in academic staff, a seven-fold increase in annual funding from the University of London Court, and the planning of 167 new posts to support broader teaching and research. Decolonization accelerated from 1947 with India's independence, followed by waves of African and Asian nations gaining sovereignty in the 1950s and 1960s, prompting SOAS to adapt its vocational focus on colonial administration toward comprehensive degree programs. Vocational enrollment for colonial officers declined in the 1950s as empires dissolved, but degree-seeking students surged from the late 1950s, necessitating new undergraduate and postgraduate offerings, including the introduction of one-year taught MA courses in the 1960s. Key appointments, such as Roland Oliver as lecturer in East African tribal history in 1948, strengthened African studies, while international conferences in 1953, 1957, and 1961 elevated SOAS's global profile in the field. Infrastructure expanded with the completion of Bloomsbury campus buildings, though public spending constraints in the late 1950s limited full realization, shifting emphasis to accommodation extensions. The 1961 Hayter Report further propelled growth by advocating interdisciplinary social science integration into , resulting in structural innovations like the 1964 formation of the Department of Economic and Political Studies and the establishment of five regional Area Centres in the to foster cross-disciplinary collaboration. These developments aligned SOAS with Britain's post-imperial needs, including diplomatic training, , and scholarly engagement with independent states, sustaining relevance despite the end of formal colonial instruction. By the , the school's academic establishment had recovered from mid-decade contractions, reflecting sustained investment in non-Western expertise amid global realignments.

Neoliberal Reforms and Contemporary Challenges (1990s–Present)

In the 1990s, SOAS University of London encountered the broader neoliberal restructuring of UK higher education, characterized by reduced public funding and the promotion of market-oriented mechanisms such as performance-based research assessments and institutional competition. The 1997 Dearing Report recommended shifting costs toward students, leading to the introduction of means-tested tuition fees of up to £1,000 per year for domestic undergraduates starting in 1998, which compelled SOAS to diversify revenue streams amid stagnant or declining block grants from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). As a specialist institution, SOAS intensified efforts to attract international students, whose uncapped fees provided a critical buffer, with overseas enrollment rising significantly by the early 2000s to offset domestic funding shortfalls. The 2004 Higher Education Act further embedded marketization by raising domestic fees to £3,000 and establishing the Office for Fair Access, while SOAS navigated internal adaptations like departmental mergers and efficiency drives to align with national accountability frameworks such as the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE). These reforms prioritized quantifiable outputs over traditional area-studies emphases, prompting criticisms from staff that neoliberal metrics undermined interdisciplinary scholarship on , , and the . By the late 2000s, reliance on volatile international markets exposed SOAS to global economic fluctuations, including the , which temporarily depressed enrollment from key regions. Contemporary challenges have intensified under policies post-2010, with the government's 2012 policy trebling domestic fees to £9,000 and slashing teaching grants by 80%, forcing SOAS into heightened competition via the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) and Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF). curtailed EU student numbers and research collaborations, while the exacerbated pre-existing deficits, leading to a 2020 debt crisis that prompted budget slashes, voluntary redundancies, and auditor warnings of potential non-viability. SOAS's heavy dependence on international fees—particularly from markets like —rendered it vulnerable to geopolitical tensions, visa restrictions, and recruitment drops, resulting in ongoing staff tensions and pay erosion linked to neoliberal cost-control imperatives. As of 2024, SOAS reported persistent financial strain, with leadership advocating for systemic reform to address the unsustainability of fee-driven models amid 72% of English universities projecting deficits. These pressures have fueled internal debates over mission drift, with some attributing challenges to over-reliance on short-term market signals rather than long-term in specialized , though institutional responses emphasize diversification into and partnerships. Despite these hurdles, SOAS has maintained niche strengths in critical and , positioning itself against mainstream neoliberal paradigms through heterodox curricula.

Academic Organization

Departments and Faculties

SOAS University of London organizes its academic activities into three colleges: the College of , the College of Social Sciences, and the College of , each encompassing specialized departments and schools focused on the languages, cultures, histories, economies, , and legal systems of , , the , and their global connections. This structure supports interdisciplinary approaches, with approximately 350 teaching and research staff distributed across around 10 disciplinary departments as of recent organizational descriptions. The College of Humanities integrates over 300 researchers examining arts, cultures, languages, and related fields through non-Western, decolonial, and intercultural lenses, emphasizing regions including , , , and their diasporas. It includes the School of Arts, which covers , , and ; the School of History, Religions and Philosophies, addressing historical, philosophical, and religious studies; the School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics, offering programs in languages such as , Chinese, Japanese, and African languages alongside cultural analysis; and elements of , media, , , and . The College of Social Sciences concentrates on interdisciplinary social sciences pertinent to global interdependencies, with research in governance, migration, economics, sustainability, and policy impacts in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Its key units comprise the Department of Development Studies, focusing on inequality, structural transformation, and development policy; the Department of Economics, emphasizing macroeconomic resilience and heterodox approaches; the School of Finance and Management, addressing fintech, business in emerging markets, and management practices; and the Department of Politics and International Studies, exploring political systems, international relations, and conflict dynamics. The College of Law, functioning as a self-standing school within the structure, specializes in , , and legal challenges in developing regions, with particular expertise in the laws of Asian and African countries alongside commercial, international, and . It delivers programs like the LLB and LLM, producing graduates oriented toward civic and critical legal practice, and integrates clinics and placements in areas such as asylum and .

Research Institutes and Regional Centers

SOAS University of London hosts a network of regional centres and research institutes that emphasize interdisciplinary scholarship on , , the , and interconnected global themes, facilitating seminars, publications, and collaborations among over 50 affiliated academics across departments. These entities, many established in the mid-20th century, draw on SOAS's historical mandate to study non-Western regions, supporting over 200 research projects annually in areas such as languages, , , and . The Centre of (CAS), founded in , operates as the largest hub for African expertise outside the continent, coordinating interdisciplinary research, public , and doctoral training programs involving approximately 40 scholars focused on topics from to . It hosts events like the annual Lecture series, which has featured speakers including heads of state, and maintains partnerships with African institutions for fieldwork and . In , the SOAS South Asia Institute (SSAI) unites the most diverse scholarly community on the region in , encompassing on , , and neighboring states through working papers, conferences, and archival resources accessed by over 1,000 researchers yearly. The Centre of (CSEAS), established in , leads global scholarship on Southeast Asia, organizing seminars on contemporary issues like regional security and cultural dynamics, with contributions from linguists and anthropologists analyzing languages such as Indonesian and Vietnamese. For East Asia, the SOAS China Institute (SCI) serves as a premier venue for China-related inquiry, engaging more than 54 academics in analyses of policy, , and society, including podcasts and events that reached over 10,000 participants in recent years. The Japan Research Centre, active since , similarly coordinates studies on Japanese history, , and via annual workshops and publications. The SOAS Middle East Institute (SMEI) promotes and outreach on the , producing outputs on heritage, conflict, and governance through interdisciplinary panels and collaborations that emphasize empirical data over ideological framing. These centres collectively underpin SOAS's output of peer-reviewed articles and , with regional expertise informing consultations for governments and NGOs.

Campus and Infrastructure

Physical Location and Facilities

SOAS University of London occupies a compact urban campus at the northwest corner of in the district of , with its primary address at Thornhaugh Street, WC1H 0XG. This location places the institution in a historic intellectual hub, proximate to landmarks such as the and within a 15-minute walk of major rail stations including Euston, St Pancras, and King's Cross. The site's central positioning facilitates access via , though parking is limited, emphasizing pedestrian and transit use. The campus centers on the Philips Building, a Brutalist structure designed by architect and opened in 1973 by Queen Elizabeth II to house the university library and academic functions. This iconic edifice, comprising layered concrete forms, integrates lecture halls, offices, and study spaces, reflecting mid-20th-century modernist design principles adapted to the dense urban environment. Adjacent structures include the Old Building for additional administrative and teaching areas, with shared access to nearby facilities like Senate House. Key facilities encompass the SOAS Library, renowned for its specialized collections on , , and the , spanning multiple levels with reading rooms and archival holdings. The Brunei Gallery serves as a venue for temporary exhibitions of contemporary and historical art from non-Western regions, fostering cultural engagement. Additional amenities include modern student commons, such as the Junior Common Room for social activities, and outdoor features like the Japanese Rooftop Garden, though extensive recreational infrastructure remains constrained by the urban footprint. Student housing, including options like Dinwiddy House, is situated off-campus within commuting distance of 5 to 45 minutes.

Library and Archival Resources

The SOAS Library maintains a collection exceeding 1.3 million printed volumes, supplemented by extensive electronic resources including e-books and e-journals, positioning it as a primary resource for research on , , and the . Housed in a Brutalist structure at the university's campus, the library supports SOAS's focus on non-Western studies through holdings in numerous languages and disciplines. Access is available during extended hours, typically from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. on weekdays and 9:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. on weekends, with provisions for registered users including external researchers. Special Collections and Archives form a cornerstone of the library's offerings, encompassing over 3 kilometers of archival materials, approximately 60,000 rare books, and manuscripts in more than 140 languages. These holdings include significant on regional histories, cultures, and , such as the largest collection of Christian archives in the , alongside personal papers, photographs, and institutional records relevant to SOAS's academic mission. Digital initiatives provide online access to select items, including the SOAS Picture Archive featuring historical images of university events and figures, enhancing global research capabilities. The library's archival resources support interdisciplinary scholarship, with catalogues enabling targeted searches across rare materials and theses. Notable for its depth in non-European languages and subjects underrepresented in general collections, these resources have sustained SOAS's reputation since the library's establishment, originally opening in 1973 before expanding to over 1.5 million items. Preservation efforts and subject-specific guides further aid users in navigating the collections' specialized scope.

Governance and Leadership

Administrative Structure

SOAS University of London maintains a self-governing administrative structure as defined by its , Articles of Government, and Standing Orders, which delineate responsibilities and powers while ensuring accountability to the Board of Trustees as the primary body. The Board holds ultimate oversight for strategic direction, financial sustainability, legal compliance, policy formulation, mission-setting, resource allocation, and executive appointments, including support for the Vice-Chancellor's office. The Board of Trustees comprises a Chair (Lord Dr Michael Hastings), Vice-Chairs (Nizam Uddin for Governance and Nominations, Jo Beall as lay member), Honorary Treasurer (Richard Millward for Resources and Planning), and other external and internal trustees such as Jenny Greenshields ( Chair), Yaa Ofori-Ansah, Kersti Börjars, Vice-Chancellor , and Senate representative Shirin Rai. It delegates operational leadership to the Vice-Chancellor, who serves as chief executive, managing day-to-day academic, administrative, and strategic functions while reporting directly to the Board. Professor has held this position since January 2021, succeeding prior Directors in a role now retitled Vice-Chancellor. Supporting the executive is the Executive Board, which includes the Vice-Chancellor, Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Education (Professor Joanna Newman, appointed September 2023), and Deputy Vice-Chancellors for and Operations, and and Knowledge Exchange. This body advances the institution's educational mission, research priorities, and long-term vision through coordinated leadership. Academic is informed by the , which advises the Board on strategic academic development, program directions, and scholarly policies. Various standing committees, including those for , , resources, , and nominations, underpin by addressing specialized oversight needs and ensuring robust internal controls. This framework aligns with SOAS's status as a constituent of the federal , preserving autonomy in internal administration while adhering to broader collegiate standards.

Key Leadership Positions and Figures

The Director of SOAS University of London serves as the chief executive, chairing the Executive Board and leading the institution's strategic, academic, and operational direction. Professor Adam Habib has held this position since September 2021, having previously served as Vice-Chancellor of the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa, where he focused on research intensification and transformation initiatives. Habib's tenure has emphasized global partnerships and addressing institutional challenges amid financial pressures. The Deputy Director and Provost role supports academic leadership and strategy implementation. Professor Joanna Newman MBE FSRA assumed this position in September 2023, bringing experience from prior roles at the and other higher education institutions in and . SOAS also maintains a President position for advocacy and external representation. Zeinab Badawi, an award-winning journalist and SOAS alumna, was appointed in October 2021, leveraging her broadcasting career to promote the university's mission in international affairs and . The Executive Board includes additional key figures such as the , , and Heads of Colleges for , Development and , and Languages, Cultures and , who oversee specific academic divisions and enterprise activities. Overall governance falls under the Board of Trustees, which holds responsibility for policy, mission, and .

Academic Reputation

Rankings and Performance Metrics

In global league tables, SOAS University of London ranked 508th in the 2025, reflecting a decline from its 2017 peak of 252nd, amid broader challenges in maintaining prior standings across metrics like academic reputation and employer surveys. It placed in the 401–500 band in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2025, with subject-specific strengths including 82nd in arts and humanities and 5th globally for in the QS subject rankings. positioned it 1667th overall in its Best Global Universities 2025–2026 assessment. Domestically, SOAS ranked 62nd in the Complete University Guide 2026, 65th in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025, and 90th in , where performance was weighed by factors including student satisfaction and career prospects.
Ranking BodyYearOverall Position
Complete University Guide202662nd
Times/Sunday Times Good University Guide202565th
Guardian University Guide202590th
In research evaluation, the 2021 highlighted SOAS strengths in niche areas: its law unit ranked first in the UK for research publications, while the School of Finance and Management placed second for societal impact, contributing to an institutional profile emphasizing high-quality outputs in and related fields. Student satisfaction via the National Student Survey stood at 78% overall in 2023, exceeding the sector average, but fell to 65.6% for student experience and 73.9% for teaching quality in 2024, correlating with national ranking drops. Employability metrics include a graduate outcomes rate of 74.3% in the Complete University Guide, 63rd nationally, alongside a QS score of 22.4 out of 100, indicating moderate employer recognition relative to broader peers.

Research Output and Publications

In the 2021 (REF), the 's system for assessing higher education research quality, SOAS University of London submitted outputs from 579 (FTE) staff across multiple units of assessment, primarily in and social sciences. Overall, 52% of the research was rated 4* (world-leading), 39% 3* (internationally excellent), with outputs specifically scoring 42.2% at 4* and 42.2% at 3*; impact reached 75% at 4* and 25% at 3*. This performance positioned more than half of SOAS's disciplines in the top 10 rankings, reflecting strengths in specialized fields like , where the unit achieved high marks amid a national GPA of 3.29. Key disciplinary highlights included , ranked 1st for research outputs (publications) and 6th overall with a GPA of 3.45; and , 2nd among departments and 4th overall; , 1st for impact and 3rd overall; and and , 2nd for impact after a 155% increase in 4* outputs from 2014. These results exceeded SOAS's REF 2014 outcomes, with 87% of submitted overall rated 3* or 4*, underscoring improvements in publication quality and real-world influence in non-STEM domains. SOAS's research outputs consist mainly of monographs, peer-reviewed journal articles, and edited volumes focused on , , the , and related interdisciplinary themes, disseminated via SOAS Research Online, an hosting full-text and metadata records since 2007. The institution publishes or hosts journals such as the Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, which maintains metrics like an and through , emphasizing rigorous in , , and . Impact case studies submitted to REF 2021 highlighted applications in policy, such as influencing and preservation, though quantitative citation metrics remain modest compared to STEM-heavy institutions due to the humanities' emphasis on books over articles.

Scholarships, Funding, and Accessibility

SOAS offers scholarships and bursaries to support degree-programme students, excluding distance learning, with applications typically opening between November 2024 and January 2025 for the 2025-26 academic year. The SOAS Bursary, aimed at undergraduates from low-income backgrounds, provides £4,500 in cash payments over the degree duration for September 2025 entrants, including £1,500 in the first year. Undergraduate scholarships frequently cover full tuition fees plus maintenance stipends, while first-year excellence awards target high-achieving new entrants. Postgraduate scholarships, such as the SOAS Master's Scholarships, offer partial tuition contributions or direct student payments; examples include the Global Excellence Scholarship and Felix Scholarships for specific nationalities. International students from designated countries qualify for GREAT Scholarships worth £11,000 towards 2025-26 tuition. Additional aids encompass family bursaries, alumni discounts up to 25% on postgraduate fees, and hardship funds accessed via the Student Advice Service. Tuition fees form the primary student funding obligation, with Home undergraduate rates at £9,535 for the first year in 2025 and postgraduate taught fees banded from £12,965 (Band 1 subjects) to £16,370 (Band 3, e.g., Law) annually. International postgraduate fees range from £25,320 (Band 1) to £27,840 (Band 3), with self-payers eligible for instalment plans exceeding £1,500 total. Postgraduate options extend to government loans, employer sponsorship, and SOAS-administered grants. Accessibility initiatives include dedicated support for disabled and neurodiverse students across undergraduate, postgraduate, research, and distance programmes. The Disability and Neurodiversity team facilitates online dyslexia screenings, full diagnostic assessments for conditions like SpLDs or ADHD, and Study Inclusion Plans (SIPs) outlining adjustments such as extended exam time, assistive software, and accessible accommodation. Services encompass one-to-one guidance, referrals, and implementation coordination, contactable via [email protected] or the SID portal, with drop-in sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Campus facilities offer wheelchair loans, level-access galleries, and library adjustments for SIP holders, including remote support.

Student Body and Campus Life

As of the 2023/24 , SOAS University of London has approximately 5,395 enrolled students. The student body features a gender imbalance favoring females at 63%, with males comprising 37%; undergraduates make up 61% of enrollment, while postgraduates account for 39%; and full-time students constitute 86%, compared to 14% part-time. Domicile data indicates 69% UK-based students, 6% from the , and 25% from non-EU international origins, reflecting the institution's emphasis on attracting global applicants from , , and the . Ethnic composition among UK-domiciled students shows a rising share of Black, Asian, and minority ethnic (BAME) individuals, increasing from 49% in 2017/18 to 61% in 2021/22, consistent with broader higher education patterns where ethnic diversity has grown amid urban demographic shifts. This trend aligns with SOAS's focus, which draws applicants from diverse backgrounds, though precise breakdowns for international students' ethnicities remain less documented due to varying self-reporting and data gaps, with institutional reports noting up to 35% unknown ethnicities in recent audits. Enrollment patterns reveal undergraduate growth, with their proportion rising 15% over the five years preceding 2023/24, driven by targeted recruitment in specialized programs, while postgraduate numbers declined year-on-year into 2022/23 amid competitive pressures and post-pandemic adjustments in international mobility. Overall headcount has remained stable around 5,000–6,000 since the mid-2010s, bucking some UK-wide dips in higher education participation, though financial reports highlight reliance on international fees amid domestic funding constraints.

Housing and Support Services

SOAS University of London offers limited on-campus housing options primarily through partnerships with external providers, with no halls directly owned by the institution. Undergraduate students, particularly first-year entrants, are prioritized for accommodation in halls such as Dinwiddy House, which houses 523 residents in en-suite single rooms within shared flats, located on Pentonville Road approximately 20 minutes' walk or 10 minutes by tube from the main campus. Other undergraduate options include Wood Green Hall, Garden Halls, and Nutford House, while postgraduate halls encompass , The Stay Club Camden, and shared access to facilities like Garden Halls. Many students, especially continuing undergraduates, rely on private rentals or intercollegiate halls, as SOAS allocates rooms in these rather than maintaining dedicated facilities. The university's Student Advice Service provides free, confidential guidance on housing matters alongside finance, immigration, and funding for both applicants and enrolled students. Academic support includes personal advisors who assist with settling in, progress monitoring, and general guidance. services are accessible via ticket submission or phone consultation for counseling and wellbeing support. Disability and inclusion services offer reasonable adjustments, such as extended library loans or remote access accommodations, coordinated through a dedicated team contactable at [email protected] or by phone. The Students' Union supplements institutional offerings with peer-led advice on academic challenges and wellbeing, including referrals for additional university help. Student Engagement and Peer Support initiatives further promote successful course completion through professional services. Bursaries and scholarships are available to enhance accessibility, though specifics vary by eligibility criteria.

Extracurricular Activities and Sports

The SOAS manages extracurricular activities, including over 100 student-led societies that span academic, cultural, recreational, and political themes. These groups foster community through shared interests, such as cultural organizations like the African & Caribbean Society, Afghanistan Society, and (a society linked to ), alongside hobby-based clubs for activities including , , , and a world music choir. Additional societies cover , debating, feminist perspectives, and board games, providing opportunities for skill development and social engagement beyond academics. Sports activities at SOAS emphasize inclusivity and participation, with teams competing in inter-university leagues under the framework. Rugby union stands out as particularly active, featuring separate men's and women's teams that welcome players of varying experience levels and organize regular training and matches. Other offerings include a running club and martial arts groups like Airenjuku Aikido, reflecting a focus on accessible, student-driven athletics rather than elite competition. Facilities are shared with the broader network, supporting team sports such as , , and hockey where participation occurs.

Political Activism and Controversies

Student Politics and Ideological Climate

The student politics at SOAS University of London are dominated by radical left-wing activism, with the emphasizing anti-colonial, decolonial, and anti-imperialist causes since a marked cultural shift following . The union, described as fostering an environment where conservative views face stigma and labels like "fascist," has prioritized political engagement through protests, occupations, and policy referendums. A cornerstone of this politics is the union's pioneering endorsement of the (BDS) campaign in 2005, making it the first students' union to do so; this included banning Israeli products in union shops and bars, alongside subsequent referendums, such as the 2015 vote for an academic boycott of Israeli universities (passed by 73%) and a 2017 push to sever institutional ties, which failed due to management resistance. The ideological climate reflects this orientation, with campus murals in the depicting indigenous resistance, anti-colonial struggles, and left-wing political icons, resonating with a body committed to such narratives. often manifests in high-profile actions, including the 2015 occupation of the Brunei Gallery against corporate sponsorship and prolonged pro-Palestine encampments from 2023 onward, billed as the world's longest-running in response to Israel's Gaza operations. This climate has drawn scrutiny for hosting disproportionate numbers of events with extremist speakers—a 2019 Henry Jackson Society analysis found SOAS topped universities in such instances—while dissenting voices, including Jewish students facing reported intimidation amid anti-Israel protests, encounter challenges to open debate. Recent institutional pushback, such as the August 2025 expulsion of Palestine Society president Haya Adam for encampment-related conduct and suspensions of other , underscores friction between unchecked activism and university enforcement of safety and disruption policies.

Antisemitism Allegations and Israel-Palestine Debates

In December 2020, an appeals panel at SOAS ruled in favor of a Jewish student's complaint, recommending an investigation into claims of a "toxic, antisemitic environment" on campus, where Jewish or pro-Israel individuals were allegedly labeled derogatorily as "Zionists" in a manner perceived as offensive and blanket antisemitic. The panel's decision stemmed from the student's withdrawal due to anxiety triggered by such incidents, leading SOAS to refund approximately £15,000 in tuition fees while expressing concern over the allegations but emphasizing the importance of diversity to its mission. Jewish student organizations, including the Union of Jewish Students (UJS), highlighted ongoing issues at SOAS, such as unchecked antisemitic behavior, though they noted it was not a complete "no-go zone" for Jewish students. SOAS has a history of student-led on the Israel-Palestine conflict, including the 1975 ban on the Jewish Society by the Student Union following the UN General Assembly's resolution equating with , which was later rescinded amid broader anti-Israel activities on campus. In 2017, the SOAS Student Union voted to adopt (BDS) against , prompting concerns from Jewish groups and others about an anti-Israel stance potentially fostering , though the union reported no formal complaints from Jewish students at the time. Pro-Palestine efforts have included 2015 calls by student leaders to sever academic ties with Israeli institutions and repeated attempts to disrupt or cancel Israel-related lectures, such as a failed 2009 bid to block a centenary series. Post-October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel, SOAS witnessed intensified pro-Palestine protests, including a 2024 solidarity encampment decrying the Gaza war's impact on higher education, alongside temporary suspensions of students for rally participation. UK Education Secretary Michael Gove criticized such campus protests, including at SOAS, in May 2024 as "antisemitism repurposed for the Instagram age," arguing they made Jewish students unwelcome unless they denied their identity, amid broader debates over extremism in university activism. Allegations persist that SOAS's institutional tolerance for one-sided anti-Israel rhetoric, such as events hosted by its Center for Palestine Studies featuring calls for Israel's elimination, contributes to a hostile environment for Jewish students, though the university maintains it takes antisemitism seriously without adopting specific definitions like IHRA.

Academic Freedom Incidents and Institutional Responses

In March 2024, SOAS Director publicly stated that foundational university values including free speech and were under attack from activist intimidation, with staff and students self-censoring due to fears of and reputational harm. He criticized university leaders for denying free speech issues on campuses, arguing that such denial constituted a failure to prevent harm from aggressive activism. Disciplinary actions against students engaged in pro-Palestinian activism have drawn scrutiny for potentially chilling expression. In August 2025, law student and SOAS Palestine Society co-president Haya Adam was expelled following her involvement in a Gaza solidarity encampment established in May 2024, prompting the British for Middle Eastern Studies' Committee on to express concerns over the treatment of student activists and implications for free expression. SOAS rejected claims of viewpoint discrimination, asserting that the expulsion resulted from violations of conduct policies, including unauthorized occupation of university spaces, rather than pro-Palestinian views or peaceful protests, and emphasized its commitment to accommodating such within legal and safety bounds. Dozens of other students faced suspensions or campus bans in July 2025 for participating in related encampments and protests against university ties to , with the institution obtaining a possession order to dismantle the site. SOAS has defended faculty against ideological pressures in specific cases. In 2021, the university resisted student and staff demands to dismiss law lecturer Gunnar Beck after he joined Germany's party, prioritizing over political objections and highlighting inconsistencies in calls for his removal compared to tolerances for other partisan affiliations. Events hosting controversial speakers, such as the UN Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, proceeded despite external calls for cancellation, with SOAS reporting no instances of rejecting events based on topic or speaker identity over a 19-month review of approximately 900 hosted activities. Disruptions by non-university groups have occurred, obstructing discussions, but institutional policies require peaceful dissent without undermining community safety.

Other Notable Disputes and Criticisms

In 2017, students at SOAS launched a campaign to "decolonise" the philosophy curriculum by reducing emphasis on white European thinkers such as Plato, Aristotle, Kant, and Hume, arguing that their dominance perpetuated Eurocentric biases and marginalised non-Western perspectives. The initiative, which sought to prioritise philosophers from Africa and Asia, provoked widespread criticism for rejecting foundational Western intellectual traditions without sufficient justification, with detractors labelling it as ideologically driven and dismissive of universal philosophical contributions. In 2024, SOAS faculty released "Decolonising Philosophy: A Toolkit," which recommended sidelining figures like Socrates and Aristotle in favour of alternative thinkers, drawing condemnation from academics who argued it erased key achievements of Western civilisation and prioritised racial categorisation over merit-based inquiry. In May 2023, SOAS faced accusations of "wage theft" from unionised staff after the university deducted up to 100% of pay from fractional and hourly workers participating in a marking and assessment boycott organised by the (UCU) over national pay disputes. Critics, including affected lecturers, highlighted cases where deductions occurred despite minimal participation—such as one instance of full deduction for just 10 days of action—or even when staff were absent due to medical reasons like heart surgery, prompting claims of administrative overreach and incompetence. SOAS defended the deductions as compliant with employment contracts, but the episode underscored tensions in handling amid broader higher education funding pressures. During the in early 2021, a student-led tuition fee strike emerged at SOAS, with hundreds withholding payments—primarily international students citing fees up to £20,000 annually—over what they described as substandard online delivery, lack of in-person teaching, and inadequate support services. Organisers criticised university management for hypocrisy in demanding full fees while failing to maintain educational quality, leading to negotiations that resulted in partial refunds and concessions for some participants, though the action highlighted ongoing dissatisfaction with administrative responsiveness. In March 2021, shortly after assuming the role of director, sparked controversy by using the N-word during an online meeting with students discussing anti-Black , claiming contextual usage from his South African background mitigated offence. The incident prompted demands for his , an independent investigation costing £108,000, and his temporary stepping aside; while cleared of upon return, it exposed divisions over cultural sensitivities and at the institution.

Notable Individuals

Prominent Alumni

David , who obtained a from SOAS in 1993, has served as the 's Foreign Secretary since July 2024, following roles as Shadow Foreign Secretary from 2021 to 2024 and for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office from 2002 to 2010. Aung San Suu Kyi pursued a in as a research student at SOAS from 1985 to 1987; she later became Myanmar's State Counsellor from 2016 to 2021 and received the in 1991 for her non-violent struggle for and . Zeinab Badawi, holder of a from SOAS, is an award-winning broadcaster and who presents programs such as and Global Questions; appointed SOAS President in 2021, she authored An African History of Africa in 2024. Inger Andersen, who earned a Master's degree in development economics and African politics from SOAS, has directed the United Nations Environment Programme since 2019, after serving as Vice-President for the Middle East and North Africa at the World Bank from 2016 to 2018. Achim Steiner completed a Master's at SOAS and led the United Nations Development Programme as Administrator from 2017 to 2025, following his tenure as Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme from 2006 to 2016. Paul Robeson, who studied Swahili at SOAS in the 1930s, was an American singer, actor, and civil rights activist known for performances in Show Boat and advocacy against racial injustice, including testifying before the U.S. House Un-American Activities Committee in 1956. Other notable alumni include Mette-Marit, Crown Princess of Norway, who attended SOAS for development studies; John Atta Mills, President of Ghana from 2009 to 2012; and Bülent Ecevit, Prime Minister of Turkey on multiple occasions between 1974 and 2002.

Influential Faculty and Staff

Sir Edward Denison Ross, the inaugural Director of SOAS from 1916 to 1937, was instrumental in founding and developing the institution as the first Professor of Persian. His leadership established the school's focus on , expanding its academic scope amid post-World War I demands for expertise in Asian and Middle Eastern languages and cultures. Roland Oliver, Professor of African History at SOAS from the until 1986, pioneered the academic field of African history in the UK by challenging Eurocentric narratives and promoting primary source-based research across the continent. He co-founded the Journal of African History in 1960 and organized interdisciplinary seminars that fostered collaboration among historians, anthropologists, and linguists, significantly influencing global historiography of pre-colonial and colonial . John collaborated with at SOAS from 1959 to 1963, contributing to the early institutionalization of African historical studies through joint publications and teaching that emphasized empirical analysis over colonial stereotypes. Their work laid groundwork for recognizing indigenous African agency in historical narratives, though later directed the Centre of West at Birmingham University. Professor Muhammad Abdel Haleem, holding the King Fahd Chair of Islamic Studies since 1992, has advanced Qur'anic scholarship through his widely used English translation of the Qur'an, first published in 2004 and revised in 2010, which prioritizes linguistic fidelity and contextual interpretation over interpretive biases. His editorial role in the Journal of Qur'anic Studies and authorship of over 100 publications have shaped contemporary understanding of texts and Islamic theology in academic circles.

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