Avis sur The School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS)

The School is part of the University of London and was formed in 1916 as a School of Oriental Studies. It took its present title in 1938, by which time it had established itself as a centre of African studies. The Scarbrough Report of 1946 recommended that the whole field of Asian and African studies should be developed in London as against estricted range of subjects in other universities, and there was a considerable expansion of the School's activities. In addition, after the Hayter Report of 1961, increased attention was given to the development of the social sciences. The School thus performs a national role, and its library, containing over 850,000 volumes as well as non-book materials, acts as the national lending library in the field it covers. SOAS continues to consolidate its position as the major national centre for the study of subject concerned with Asia and Africa. New teaching posts have been established, student numbers have expanded and the School's status as a leading research institution has been enhanced.