SOAS alumni network

09/06/2026

Anthropology Alumni, we need your help! 📚

To keep the Helen Kanitkar Library open for the 2026–27 academic year, we need to raise £2,500.

This space has always been more than a study room. It is a home for ideas, a place where conversations grow, and a community hub that has supported generations of students.

If you studied Anthropology, you will know how much this library matters. It offers calm when campus feels busy, it hosts student‑led projects, and it gives students a space to think, create and connect.

Your support also funds our paid student librarian, who helps preserve rare and older books, maintains the collection and keeps the library running day to day.

The library honours the legacy of Helen Kanitkar, a much‑loved lecturer whose care for students still shapes the department. Thanks to alumni generosity, we have been able to maintain the collection and upgrade essential cataloguing equipment, but we now need your help to continue this work.

❤️ Make your gift today: soas.ac.uk/about/news/helen-kanitkar-anthropology-library-appeal

08/06/2026

We were really saddened to learn of the death Kanya King CBE, founder of the MOBO Awards.

In 2016, she was awarded a SOAS honorary Doctorate of Music in recognition of her outstanding contributions to music, culture, and social inclusion.

Kanya King was a key figure in British culture and Black music. She used advocacy and mentorship to break down barriers and support generations of artists. Through the MOBO Awards, she addressed the underrepresentation of Black talent and challenged systemic racism across the creative industries.

"Who I was destined to become was who I decided to be", she said when giving the opening remarks at a SOAS graduation ceremony in 2018.

Sir Idris Elba, Alesha Dixon and Stormzy remember King after her death from cancer at the age of 57.

05/06/2026

How do you build a career across cultures, markets and regions?

Alumna Valerie Lynn shares how studying Southeast Asian Area Studies at SOAS shaped her work in strategic business consulting across the Asia Pacific.

Her experience reflects the importance of cultural understanding, trust and long-term relationship building in navigating complex international markets.

Her advice on working across cultures is to “come with genuine curiosity and a blank slate. Listen far more than you talk.”

👉 Discover Valerie’s story via the link in the first comment.

04/06/2026

Fantastic news for Japanese Art at SOAS and beyond!

We are pleased to share the launch of our jointly-funded lectureship in Japanese Art, in partnership with the Sainsbury Institute (SISJAC) for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures.

The Sainsbury Institute Lecturer in Japanese Art will play a central role in both teaching and research at SOAS. This has been made possible through a collaboration between SISJAC and the School of Arts at SOAS.

This significant new post reflects a shared commitment to advancing the global study of Japanese art and culture through strengthening scholarship, nurturing future academic leaders, and expanding public engagement in this important field, ensuring it continues to thrive, evolve, and reach new audiences.

The postholder will contribute to SOAS’s internationally recognised expertise in Asian art, while also engaging closely with SISJAC’s dynamic scholarly community and its programme of research and public engagement activities.

03/06/2026

We are delighted to invite you to a special upcoming event to celebrate the 2025 Study UK Global Social Action Award winner and SOAS alumnus Raju Kendre.

Raju studied Development Studies at SOAS, and he is the Founder and CEO of the Eklavya India Foundation, an organisation supporting first-generation learners from tribal and rural communities to access higher education. His work is shaped by his own journey growing up in a nomadic tribal community in rural Maharashtra.

Join Raju in conversation with Dr Subir Sinha, Director of the SOAS South Asia Institute, to explore 'Breaking Barriers: Higher Education Access for Marginalised Communities in India and the Global South'.

Together, they will explore the challenges and opportunities in expanding access to higher education for marginalised communities, drawing on both academic insight and lived experience.

📅 Monday 22 June, 6-8.00 pm
📍 Room BG01, SOAS Gallery, SOAS Campus
👉 Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/eSAuqQPY

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02/06/2026

✨ A quick reminder of your SOAS alumni benefits:
• Alumni groups and networks
• Events and receptions in your region
• SOAS World - the SOAS Alumni magazine
• Library access and e-journals
• Careers support and professional development
• Exclusive discounts on venue hire and postgraduate programmes
• LinkedIn directory: find your classmates and meet new SOAS alums!

Make the most of your alumni experience by keeping your details up to date, so we can share events and opportunities near you: soas.ac.uk/about/alumni

01/06/2026

London & online event alert! 🚨

Join us at the SOAS Centre for Human Rights Law for a book forum on “Disabling Migration Controls: Shared Learning, Solidarity and Collective Resistance”, where author Dr Rebecca Yeo (University of Exeter) will be in conversation with Ellen Clifford (disabled activist and author) and SOAS Lecturer in Law Dr Nicolette Busuttil.

Drawing on many years of research and activism, this book argues that insights from the disabled people's movement, particularly the original Social Model of Disability, can be usefully extended to focus resistance on the disabling restrictions imposed on people subject to asylum and immigration controls.

📅 Friday 12 June, 6-7.30 pm

📍 Paul Webley Wing, Senate Wolfson Lecture Theatre (SWLT)

👉 Sign up here: soas.ac.uk/about/event/book-discussion-disabling-migration-controls-shared-learning-solidarity-and-collective

29/05/2026

London event alert!🚨

SOAS Gallery is delighted to present Embroidery Traditions of Afghanistan, a new exhibition revealing the rich diversity, skill, and beauty of embroidery from across Afghanistan.

The exhibition showcases around 100 of the finest examples from across the many cultures and traditions of Afghanistan, dating to the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, from the collections of Karun Thakar and the V&A.

📅Friday 10 July – Saturday 19 September, 10 am – 5 pm
📍SOAS Gallery Lecture Theatre
👉 More information: soas.ac.uk/about/event/embroidery-traditions-afghanistan

28/05/2026

We loved celebrating the inaugural Future Alumni Awards on 22 May ✨An inspiring evening recognising the creativity and spirit of SOAS students, while offering a glimpse into the alumni community they’re about to join.

Launched by the Alumni Team in collaboration with the SOAS Students’ Union, this new initiative aims to help students transition into the alumni community and to celebrate the talent, potential and shared identity of the next generation of SOAS alumni through fun and meaningful categories - from Sustainability Champion, to Library Legend and Most likely to make Forbes 30 under 30.

A huge thank you to the SOAS Students' Union for hosting, Darius Billimoria (Co-Chair of the SOAS London Alumni Group) for presenting and our brilliant Cuban band for bringing the joy.

Congratulations to all our nominees, winners and runners-up 🎉

27/05/2026

Explore the latest selection of books from the SOAS alumni community! 📚

Our Alumni Bookshelf series celebrates publications by SOAS alumni. Each month, three alumni authors will present their work and share why it deserves a place on your reading list.

Here are the titles for this month:

🔶 New Internationalist magazine (May-June 2026 issue) - recommended by Digital Editor Maxine Betteridge-Moes: “A century after Britain’s only general strike, this special edition revisits the dramatic events of 1926 and examines their lasting legacy. As workers around the world face mounting attacks on pay, conditions and union rights, SOAS alumni should read this issue to better understand the renewed relevance of the general strike as a tool for resistance and solidarity. Learn more at newint.org.”

🔶 A History of Modern Syria, by Daniel Neep (2026): “Few countries have had as vexed a political history as Syria. This book shows how Syrians have lived through these events, never losing sight either of the fates of ordinary people or of Syria’s rich, complex and diverse society, unwillingly or willingly brought together in such a highly contested space.”

🔶 Bollywood, Hollywood and the Future of World Cinema, by Rajesh Talwar (2026): “Bollywood meets Hollywood and the rest of world cinema, and the interaction is hypnotic. SOAS alumni, with their global outlook, will enjoy how the book connects Indian cinema with world traditions, offering fresh insights into culture, politics, and the future of films worldwide.”

Enjoy this month’s picks!

If you are an alum interested in sharing your book or article as part of the series, please email [email protected].