SOAS University of London

SOAS University of London was founded in 1916 as the School of Oriental Studies and is located in Bloomsbury, London. It was created to provide education focused on Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, mainly to support British colonial administration, military, and commercial interests. The school received its royal charter in 1916 and admitted its first students in 1917. Africa was added to its name in 1938. During the Second World War, SOAS temporarily moved to Cambridge and later returned to London. It played a key role in training military translators and interpreters in various Asian and Middle Eastern languages during the war.
 

After the war, SOAS expanded its academic scope and student body. The School of Law was established in 1947. Economic challenges affected its growth for some years, but from the 1970s onwards, student numbers increased significantly. SOAS became a degree-awarding institution in its own name in 2011, with students from 2013 receiving SOAS degrees.
 

The campus includes the Philips Building, Brunei Gallery, Old Building, and the Paul Webley Wing. The Brunei Gallery hosts exhibitions related to Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. The school has plans for a major campus expansion under the Centenary Masterplan. SOAS is governed by a Board of Trustees and led by Vice-Chancellor Adam Habib since 2021.

SOAS is organised into three colleges: Humanities, Development, Economics and Finance, and Law, Anthropology and Politics. It offers around 350 undergraduate programmes, over 100 one-year master’s courses, and doctoral studies. The SOAS School of Law specialises in the legal systems of Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. The school has a student-staff ratio of about 15:1 and over 6,000 students, including many international students from over 140 countries.
 

SOAS has a large library focused on Asian, African, and Middle Eastern studies, with over 1.2 million volumes and electronic resources. It ranks highly in subjects such as Development Studies, Anthropology, and Politics. The university is known for its active student body and history of political engagement. It offers student housing in central London and provides various on-campus job opportunities.
 

In 2023/24, SOAS had an income of USD 141.5 million,, with funding from research grants and contracts. It maintains partnerships with other universities and institutions worldwide and continues to develop its academic and research capabilities.

The School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) was established in 1916 in London. It began as the School of Oriental Studies at 2 Finsbury Circus, using the 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 formal inauguration took place on 23 February 1917, with King George V attending. The founding purpose of the school was to support Britain’s political, commercial, and military presence in Asia and Africa by providing education to colonial administrators, military officers, commercial managers, missionaries, doctors, and teachers. The curriculum included languages, customs, religions, laws, and history of the regions where students would work. The school aimed to advance British scholarship and compete with similar institutions in Berlin, Petrograd, and Paris. Africa was formally added to the school’s name in 1938.

Before moving to its current location, SOAS was temporarily housed at Vandon House, London SW1, in the mid-1930s. Construction delays postponed the move to Thornhaugh Street, Bloomsbury, and the incomplete building suffered damage during the Blitz in 1940. At the start of the Second World War, many University of London colleges, including SOAS, were evacuated from London. SOAS relocated to Christ’s College, Cambridge, for some time. 

By 1940, the school returned to London and was based temporarily at Broadway Court, London SW1. During the war, in cooperation with the War Office, SOAS ran a scholarship programme for training military translators and interpreters in languages such as Chinese, Japanese, Persian, and Turkish. This programme was based at Dulwich College and the students, known as the Dulwich boys, included individuals who later became notable scholars.

After the war, the 1946 Scarborough Commission recommended expanding Asian studies, leading to significant growth at SOAS. The School of Law was established in 1947 with Seymour Gonne Vesey-FitzGerald as its first head. However, post-war economic difficulties limited the school’s development for some years. Cyril Philips became director in 1956 and led the school for twenty years, raising funds and expanding its academic scope.

SOAS became part of the University of London and developed its departments across Law, Social Sciences, Humanities, and Languages, with a focus on Asia and Africa. The SOAS Library, located in the Philips Building, was designated one of the UK's national research libraries and is the largest specialised library for Asian and African studies. From the 1970s to the present, student numbers grew from under 1,000 to over 6,000, with postgraduate students making up nearly half.

In 2011, SOAS received approval to award degrees in its own name, ending its previous status where degrees were awarded solely by the University of London. New students from 2013 onwards have been awarded SOAS, University of London degrees. In 2012, the school updated its visual identity and redesigned its logo, the SOAS tree, incorporating symbols representing the cultures of England, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.

The school’s student body has been politically active, especially around social justice issues. The SOAS Student Union has a history of campaigns dating back to the 1920s. Controversies have arisen in recent years related to student protests and issues around the university’s investments and policies concerning Israel and Palestine. The school has dealt with allegations of antisemitism, with the administration responding by organising meetings and initiatives addressing campus climate.

The campus is located in central London’s Bloomsbury area. It includes the Philips Building, the Brunei Gallery, the Old Building, and the Paul Webley Wing. The Brunei Gallery was opened in 1995 and hosts exhibitions of Asian, African, and Middle Eastern art and culture. The school has plans to expand its facilities under a Centenary Masterplan, estimated to cost approximately £73 million, which would increase space by around 30%.

SOAS is governed by a Board of Trustees responsible for setting policy and overseeing management. The school is led by a Vice-Chancellor, a role that was renamed from Director in 2024. The current Vice-Chancellor, Adam Habib, took office in 2021. SOAS is organised into three colleges: the College of Humanities; the College of Development, Economics and Finance; and the College of Law, Anthropology and Politics, each containing various departments and research centres focused on Asian, African, and Middle Eastern studies.

Academically, SOAS offers around 350 undergraduate degree combinations, more than 100 one-year master's programmes, and doctoral research opportunities. Its School of Law is among the largest in the UK and specialises in the legal systems of Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. The school has a student-staff ratio of approximately 15:1.

SOAS maintains numerous research centres and institutes dedicated to regional studies, including the China Institute, Middle East Institute, and Centre for Taiwan Studies. Its library holds over 1.2 million volumes and electronic resources and underwent a major modernisation project completed in 2011. SOAS students have access to University of London shared libraries, including Senate House Library.

By 2025, SOAS continues to be a leading institution for the study of Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Its academic reputation includes high rankings in Development Studies, Anthropology, and Politics according to QS World University Rankings. The school’s income in 2023/24 was USD 141.5 million, with a significant portion from research grants. The student population consists of over 6,200 students, with a majority from outside the UK. SOAS remains engaged in expanding its academic offerings, developing its campus facilities, and responding to political and social challenges within its community.

SOAS offers a wide variety of courses focused on Asia, Africa, and the Middle East across undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral levels. The university is divided into three main colleges: the College of Humanities; the College of Development, Economics and Finance; and the College of Law, Anthropology and Politics. Each college hosts several departments and schools providing specialised programmes.

The College of Humanities offers courses in art, history, religion, philosophy, languages, culture, and linguistics. The School of Art & Archaeology includes programmes in Southeast Asian art and curating. The Department of History, Religions and Philosophies provides studies on world religions, Asian and African history, and philosophy. The Department of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics offers instruction in numerous languages such as Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Swahili, Turkish, and many others, alongside cultural studies.

The College of Development, Economics and Finance offers degrees in Development Studies, Economics, Finance, and Management. These courses explore economic and social issues with a focus on developing countries, global markets, and financial systems relevant to Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. The programmes are designed to equip students with analytical and practical skills to work in international organisations, NGOs, government, or the private sector.
 

The College of Law, Anthropology and Politics includes the SOAS School of Law and departments of Anthropology, Politics, and International Studies. SOAS School of Law is the only UK law school specialising in the legal systems of Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. It offers LL.B., LL.M., and doctoral research degrees. The programmes emphasise comparative and international law, human rights, transnational commercial law, and environmental law. The Anthropology and Politics departments provide studies on social and political systems, global development, gender, media, and diplomacy.

SOAS offers approximately 350 undergraduate degree combinations, with many joint honours and interdisciplinary options. At postgraduate level, there are over 100 one-year master’s courses, including taught and research degrees. Doctoral studies are available in most departments.
 

The university supports practical learning through internships, research projects, and fieldwork. Language learning is a core element of most programmes, enabling students to gain proficiency in relevant languages alongside their academic studies. The courses reflect SOAS’s mission to deepen understanding of non-Western regions and cultures through multidisciplinary study.

• QS World University Rankings overall: 508th
• QS World University Rankings for International Students: 33rd globally
• QS World University Rankings for International Faculty: 49th globally
• QS World University Rankings by Subject:
• Development Studies: 2nd in the world
• Anthropology: 10th in the world
• Politics: 15th in the world
• Arts & Humanities overall: 67th in the world
• Complete University Guide UK Ranking (2025): 71st
• Guardian University Guide UK Ranking (2025): 90th
• Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide UK Ranking (2025): 65th
• Times Higher Education World University Rankings: 401–500 band

SOAS School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London specialises in the study of Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, offering interdisciplinary programmes in languages, law, development, and humanities.

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