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Some of the greatest efforts to challenge western dominance curiously take place in the Bloomsbury district of London at SOAS. Here, researchers work on a number of thought-provoking projects, such as i) understanding how women and the descendants of formerly enslaved populations in West Africa are building long-term resilience against climate issues; ii) bringing to light the Jain heritage in Pakistan –– a rich and spiritual history dating back centuries; and iii) using faith-sensitive support systems in Northern Ethiopia, to help shape policy for how countries approach domestic violence.
These three research projects exemplify the engaging lens of SOAS, an institution that seeks answers to the questions that other institutions — often eurocentric in education — fail to ask. Why are community-led climate strategies in Mali, Senegal, and Guinea overlooked? What happens to a culture when it’s forced into silence?
The School of History, Religions, and Philosophies is home to a number of innovative undergraduate, postgraduate, or doctoral programmes that will provide you with significant food for thought. Staff and students here work together to tackle a range of intellectual and social challenges from a Global South perspective, centring marginalised voices in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, to enrich discourse and even shape policy. The work staff and students produce is critical, interdisciplinary, and transformative.
The School of History, Religions, and Philosophies emphasises a pedagogical practice that strives for social justice. Source: SOAS University of London
A unique pedagogical approach
The School of History, Religions, and Philosophies is home to two global departments evolving students into changemakers — the Department of History, ranked 44th in the world by the QS World University Rankings by Subject, and the Department of Religions and Philosophies. Both are designed to challenge the way you see the world — and help you change it for the better.
Want to study Yoga in all its historical and cultural depth? Curious about Islamic thought and tradition? Explore either path through specialist Master’s programmes like the MA Yoga Studies or MA Islamic Humanities. You can even combine your degree with an “Intensive Language” pathway and pick up a new language along the way.
“I’ve always been struck by how vibrant and diverse the research and pedagogical portfolio in the School of History, Religions, and Philosophies has been,” Dr. Paul Giladi says. “The department thrums with creativity, is fiercely anti-eurocentric, and celebrates global ways of thinking, pedagogical experimentation, and extraordinary internationalism.”
Dr. Giladi serves as the Departmental Recruitment, Marketing, and Admissions Convenor, and the level of experience and expertise he holds is akin to the rest of the school’s global faculty. He’s published articles on topics like philosophical naturalism, critical social ontology, and more.
You’ve got experts like him leading students, like you, through innovative assessment practices and critical pedagogical practices. For the academics in the School of History, Religions, and Philosophies, teaching isn’t a mere transfer of knowledge from one mind to another. Teaching and learning are geared towards social justice – the realisation of a more caring, progressive world.
”Because we view students as robust sources of knowledge, it is to no surprise that their graduate outcomes are so positive, and that we have been able to eliminate racialised award gaps at the undergraduate level in the past academic year,” says Dr. Giladi.
The SOAS Library provides a range of resources unmatched by other institutions, contributing to world-leading research. Source: SOAS University of London
A diverse exchange of knowledge
Research and collaboration are built into the student experience at SOAS, especially at the School of History, Religions, and Philosophies. As a student here, you won’t just study contemporary global issues; you’ll be part of the conversation shaping them.
They take place across seven cutting-edge research 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.
These centres bring together students, professors, and guest experts from across SOAS and beyond. “Research students – in this way – are exposed to the best and brightest talent within SOAS and outside the University, inspiring them in turn to contribute and further enhance the knowledge exchange activities of the centres,” says Dr. Giladi.
And when it comes to resources, you’ve got one of the best tools at your fingertips: SOAS Library. It’s one of the UK’s five national research libraries, and the principal home for information on Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. It houses over 1.3 million volumes, periodicals, and audio-visual materials in 400 languages, and archival material with the SOAS Special Collections.
Check out the School of History, Religions, and Philosophies today to discover a hidden reality.
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