SOAS China and Inner Asia Studies

Congratulations to Nicole Cervantes, a Year 2 BA Chinese student, and Charlie Thomas, a BA East Asian Studies and Music student, who will represent SOAS in the UK Regional Final of the 25th “Chinese Bridge” Chinese Proficiency Competition. The competition will be held at SOAS this Friday. We are very proud of their achievement and wish them both the very best of luck!

Join us at the SOAS Undergraduate Open Day this Saturday, 18 April! The China Section is hosting an academic taster session for the BA Chinese programme: "Humans and Animals in Chinese and East Asian Myths" with Dr Desmond Cheung, B203, SOAS Gallery Building, 1:10pm–2:00pm.

Undergraduate Open Day Join us for our exciting Undergraduate Open Day at SOAS University of London, where you will have the chance to attend taster lectures, tour the Bloomsbury campus, meet our academics, and learn about student life.

Dr Desmond Cheung will be giving a talk on “Smashing Statues as Posthumous Punishment in Imperial China” on 20 April at SOAS. All are welcome!
Interested in premodern Chinese culture and language? Dr Cheung also teaches Classical and Literary Chinese, as well as Myths, Legends and Folkways of East Asia.

Smashing statues as posthumous punishment in Imperial China In this seminar, Dr Desmond Cheung will examine cases of statue smashing in Hangzhou during the Ming dynasty, analysing their significance.

Full scholarships available for postgraduate study in 2026 📚

If you’re a home student with a strong academic record, this could be your opportunity to take your studies to the next level. The SOAS Academic Excellence Scholarship is offering 15 full scholarships to support outstanding postgraduate students.

Apply by 29 May 2026: https://bit.ly/4b4wOBs

SOAS alumni network

Explore our postgraduate programmes (MA Chinese Studies; MA Chinese Studies and Intensive Language) and meet our academics on 4th December (5pm -8pm).

Postgraduate Open House Discover what makes SOAS different, visit our London campus, connect with students and academics and find the postgraduate path that’s right for you.

We’re pleased to share a new blog post by our MA Chinese Studies student, Helene Bode. It offers a glimpse into her MA dissertation research, which investigates the rise of #离婚派对 (divorce parties) shared on Chinese social media platform RedNote, and their social and political significance.

From Shame to Celebration: Why Chinese Women Are Throwing Divorce Parties By Helene Bode On Xiaohongshu (a popular Chinese social media platform), a woman in a black dress poses with her female friends, a banner in the background spelling out “This fu***ng marriage ends…

[Alumni News] It was wonderful to welcome Dr Heather Inwood (PhD, 2008) back to SOAS. On Monday she delivered a stimulating lecture titled “Spiritual Pollution in the Sewers: Towards an Aesthetic Theory of Chinese Netfic.” Using the netfic Sweeping Rubbish in the Wasteland 《我在废土世界扫垃圾 》as her point of departure, Dr Inwood explored the aesthetic function of netfiction, reappropriating age-old concepts to reconsider how contemporary popular writing exerts its power over readers—by turns pleasing, frightening, and angering its audience.

The book event with Shuang Xuetao, chaired by Dr Xiaoning Lu and interpreted by Year-2 PhD student Ms Yuwei Li, drew a full house last Friday! During the Q & A Xuetao shared, “Writing fiction is a way for me to connect with the world—and through that connection, to connect with readers.”

Together with Granta magazine, we’re delighted to host Chinese writer Shuang Xuetao for this special event. Join us on Friday (19 September) as Xuetao introduces his latest story collection, Hunter, translated by Jeremy Tiang.

Literary voices from contemporary China: Shuang Xuetao Join us for an evening with Shuang Xuetao 双雪涛, one of China’s most celebrated contemporary authors, as he introduces his latest story collection, Hunter, translated by Jeremy Tiang.

🎓 Congratulations, Class of 2025! 🎓Thank you to all who shared heartfelt messages for the teachers who shaped your journey. It’s inspiring to see our dedication recognized and know we’ve made a lasting impact.

Class of 2025: Who would you like to thank? (part 1!) 🎓💛 We asked today’s SOAS Grads to shout out the people who’ve helped them along the way. #Classof2025 #Graduation #SOASGrad