University of London School Oriental UK

The School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) is a college of the University of London and the only Higher Education institution in the UK specialising in the study and research of Asia, Africa and the Middle East. SOAS is a remarkable institution uniquely combining disciplinary expertise, language scholarship, and regional focus. It has the largest concentration in Europe of academic staff concerned with Asia, Africa and the Middle East. On the one hand, this means that SOAS remains a guardian of specialised knowledge in languages and periods and regions not available anywhere else in the UK. On the other hand, it means that SOAS scholars grapple with pressing issues – democracy, development, human rights, identity, legal systems, poverty, religion, social change – confronting two-thirds of humankind. SOAS is a global academic base, a crucial resource for London and a seat for international political debate and interaction. It is distinctively positioned to analyse, understand and explain the world in which we live and has become the first port of call for the media and other government departments. SOAS offers more than 400 degree combinations and ranks above the national average for student satisfaction at 86%. SOAS was also chosen to house a national teaching centre for languages and in 2010 was awarded the Queen?s Anniversary Prize for the excellence, breadth and depth of its language teaching. This is the second time the School has been awarded this prize.