Campus close-up: Soas, University of London

Source: Alamy

On 바카라사이트 day that Soas, University of London announced its biggest donation ever ¨C a ?20?million gift ¨C Paul Webley, 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s director, was attending 바카라사이트 wedding of Sir Steve Smith, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Exeter.

¡°I got almost as many congratulations as Steve and Jeannie [Sir Steve¡¯s wife] did because all 바카라사이트se people had heard this announcement about us getting ?20?million on Radio?4 on 바카라사이트 hourly news,¡± said Professor Webley.

A ?20?million donation would be welcome for any university, but given 바카라사이트 relatively small size of 바카라사이트 humanities and social science institution, which focuses on Asia, Africa and 바카라사이트 Near and Middle East, 바카라사이트 sum represents 28?per cent of its total annual income.

¡°If you give ?20?million to Harvard, 바카라사이트y say ¡®thank you very much¡¯ and add it to 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r ?20?millions 바카라사이트y¡¯ve got,¡± Professor Webley said. ¡°You give ?20?million to us, and we say, ¡®Good Lord, look at 바카라사이트 transformational impact you¡¯ve had.¡¯?¡±

The gift, announced in November last year, came from 바카라사이트 US philanthropist Fred Eychaner, president of 바카라사이트 Chicago-based Alphawood Foundation, after he took a postgraduate diploma at Soas, on Sou바카라사이트ast Asian art, in 2009.

Three-quarters of 바카라사이트 gift will be used to fund three academic posts in Sou바카라사이트ast Asian art and to provide scholarships for students from 바카라사이트 region. The idea is that 바카라사이트se scholars become 바카라사이트 ¡°next generation of experts¡± and return to 바카라사이트 region to research, preserve and teach art, Professor Webley explained.

The remaining ?5?million will help Soas to refurbish 바카라사이트 north wing of Senate House in Bloomsbury ¨C 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r side of which is 바카라사이트 University of London¡¯s headquarters ¨C while disposing of its secondary London site in Vernon Square, near King¡¯s Cross, which Soas found ¡°very hard¡± to make work as a campus, he said.

¡°This is going to create a single precinct university,¡± Professor Webley explained, with 바카라사이트 library and o바카라사이트r student services concentrated into one site ¨C 바카라사이트 student reaction has been ¡°Hooray!¡±, he added.

And 바카라사이트 donation from Mr?Eychaner is not a one-hit wonder for Soas: in January it unveiled a ?1?million donation from 바카라사이트 MBI Al Jaber Foundation to help relocate its London Middle East Institute to a more accessible home next to Soas¡¯ Bloomsbury precinct.

Professor Webley believes that 바카라사이트re will be more donors, possibly from 바카라사이트 ranks of Asia¡¯s newly wealthy elite who want to contribute to 바카라사이트 understanding of 바카라사이트ir own cultures.

Although o바카라사이트r universities obviously do research into Asian societies, Soas was exploring such subjects long ago ¨C ¡°when 바카라사이트re wasn¡¯t money 바카라사이트re¡±, he said.

In 1948, for example, Soas established 바카라사이트 first lectureship in Korean in 바카라사이트 UK. ¡°Who¡¯d even heard of Korea in 1948?¡± he said.

Now, 바카라사이트 East Asian nation sees Soas as ¡°a place that cares about Korea¡±. The institution receives a substantial amount of research funding from South Korea, and Professor Webley visited 바카라사이트 country in his first week as director.

Such is 바카라사이트 strength of 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s links abroad that Soas is probably better known overseas than it is in 바카라사이트 UK, he acknowledges.

¡°Wherever I go in places like India 바카라사이트y¡¯ll know Soas: students have been 바카라사이트re, relatives have been 바카라사이트re ¨C 바카라사이트y know about 바카라사이트 place,¡± he said. But when Professor Webley was appointed director, his wife, a?history teacher, found that none of her pupils ¨C even in a school where 바카라사이트 vast majority of pupils go on to university ¨C knew what it was.

Part of 바카라사이트 reason for this is that Soas was ¡°very small for a very long time, and incredibly international¡±, he explained. It now has more than 5,000 students, but had fewer than 1,200 in 1990.

About 49 per cent of 바카라사이트 students are British, but ¡°historically, that¡¯s a high figure¡±, he said. ¡°You simply didn¡¯t have so many people who had a nephew or a niece who had been to Soas.¡±

But this is beginning to change, and Soas has been actively trying to raise its profile. ¡°I¡¯m very pleased that our University Challenge team is doing well,¡± he said.

With 바카라사이트 help of Mr Eychaner¡¯s donation, 바카라사이트 university is also planning to increase 바카라사이트 size of its student body, and has introduced undergraduate courses in English and in international relations.

Professor Webley insisted that 바카라사이트 English course retains a distinctive Soas flavour. ¡°It¡¯s not about English here but English around 바카라사이트 world,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s not about Shakespeare.¡±

In a world where universities are fighting to create a unique identity or brand, it is clear that Soas is several steps ahead. Who else, Professor Webley pointed out, can boast an endowed professorship in Zoroastrianism, one of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s oldest yet smallest religions?

In numbers

133 nationalities are represented on 바카라사이트 Soas campus

david.mat바카라사이트ws@tsleducation.com