Department of Politics and International Studies
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About
About
Home to nearly fifty academic staff and more than 1,000 students across a mix of undergraduate, postgraduate, and PhD programmes, the Department provides expert grounding in the study of Politics and International Relations through deep engagement with the historical legacies and political realities of Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.
The Department is unique in combining unparalleled regional expertise with an approach to world politics that foregrounds perspectives from across the Global South. In the latest QS world rankings (2024), the department ranked 4th for Academic Reputation and 18th overall.
If you want to study politics from a non-western angle, this is the place to be. Most of our academics speak one or more of the languages in the regions they study and spend substantial periods of time in their countries of expertise.
This enables us to produce world-leading research. It also informs our teaching. Together with our students, we explore politics in the rich and complex worlds of Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.
Tackling the World's biggest challenges
At SOAS we aim is to tackle the World's biggest challenges through academic collaboration and cooperation. In our latest series, academics from the Department of Politics and International Studies discuss climate change and human rights issues.
