In Ethiopia, where faith and tradition remain central to daily life, 34% of ever-married women between the ages of 15 and 49 have experienced physical, emotional, or sexual violence from their partner. Dr. Romina Istratii — a UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Future Leaders Fellow at SOAS University of London — found through her research that many survivors of Orthodox faith would not seek help, held back by shame and fearing divorce. Instead, they turn to their spiritual fathers and cultural elders.
This presents a pressing challenge: many religious teachers and clerics lack the theological and safeguarding training needed to support domestic violence survivors effectively.
It’s a tough situation to navigate, and even tougher to fully solve — but at SOAS, it’s never about finding the easy way out. Researchers like Dr. Istratii have dedicated years to confronting the challenges and perspectives that have shaped the global status quo into something unjust and unequal.
Founded in 1916, the school initially offered 20 taught subjects in its early years, increasing to 74 by the 1930s. Prominent figures like Lao She, a 20th-century Chinese writer, and Paul Robeson, a Hollywood star who studied Swahili and spoke 20 languages, were part of its teaching staff. Today, the community is just as diverse and committed to breaking the Eurocentric worldview by amplifying the voices of Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.
Students in the MA History programme can pursue a language like Arabic, Indonesian, Swahili, Urdu, and more as part of their studies. Source: SOAS University of London
What making a difference looks like at SOAS
Addressing domestic violence against women in Ethiopia is part of the larger Project dldl/ድልድል, which aims to forge integrated and decolonial responses to the crisis. Funded by the UKRI and led by Dr. Istratii, a study found that a faith-sensitive training approach — one that is embedded in theological traditions instead of typical Western frameworks and delivered by trusted trainers — works best in religious contexts like the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo.
In the School of History, Religions, and Philosophies, these are the kinds of challenges that you’ll tackle through critical, decolonial, and interdisciplinary research. Whether you’re pursuing the MA History or MA Religion, Politics, and Society programme, the goal is clear: debunking Western-centric and Eurocentric disciplinary models to build knowledge systems that serve a more equal world.
SOAS has developed partnerships with universities across Asia, Africa, and Africa to amplify a non-Eurocentric perspective in society. Source: SOAS University of London
There’s no limit to the range of perspectives you’ll encounter. SOAS is one of the most internationally diverse universities in the UK. You’ll meet students from all around the world, with different backgrounds and professions.
In the MA History and MA Religion, Politics, and Society programmes, the curriculum is customisable to your career goals, with students required to complete a 10,000-word dissertation with supervision from an assigned faculty advisor. To expand your worldview even more, you can reach out to the SOAS Careers service to land a work placement or internship.
With nearly 600 experts active in a wide range of disciplines, the day-to-day never looks truly the same. Research takes place across seven cutting-edge centres covering different history, theology and religious studies, and philosophy subjects: Study of Japanese Religions, World Christianity, Buddhist Studies, Jaina Studies, Institute of Zoroastrian Studies, Yoga Studies, and Global and Comparative Philosophies.
And with over 1.3 million volumes, periodicals, and audio-visual materials in 400 languages at the SOAS Library, you’ll have full access to a living archive of the Global South. Materials even span rare and endangered languages. The Archive and Special Collections is filled with over three kilometres of materials, and 60,000 rare books and manuscripts in 140 languages.
This commitment to global knowledge has catalysed scores of careers. Graduates from the School of History, Religions, and Philosophies have been hired by top organisations around the world, ranging from the British Council to Princeton University to the United Nations Development Programme. If you’d like to become one of them, then check out the School of History, Religions, and Philosophies at SOAS here.
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