Faculty of Oriental Studies

Faculty of Oriental Studies. It is a leading academic division dedicated to the advanced study of the languages, histories, cultures, and societies of Asia and the Middle East. As part of the University of Oxford, the faculty coordinates teaching and research across a vast geographical and chronological span, from ancient Mesopotamia to contemporary East Asia. Its work is supported by world-class libraries, including the Bodleian Library and the Ashmolean Museum, and it contributes significantly to global scholarship through its publications and academic networks.

History

The formal establishment of the faculty traces its roots to the 19th century, building upon centuries of European scholarly interest in the Orient. Key developments were influenced by the expansion of the British Empire and increased diplomatic and commercial contact with regions like the Ottoman Empire, British India, and Qing China. The creation of specific professorships, such as the Laudian Professor of Arabic, provided an institutional foundation. Throughout the 20th century, the faculty expanded its scope, notably after World War II and during the Cold War, incorporating new areas of study such as Modern Japanese history and the politics of the Middle East. Its evolution has been intertwined with the history of Oxford University Press and major philanthropic endowments that have supported Sanskrit studies and Egyptology.

Academic structure

The faculty is organized into several specialist sub-faculties and units focusing on major world regions and disciplines. These include dedicated centers for Hebrew and Jewish Studies, the study of the Islamic world, and the languages and civilizations of South Asia and the Himalayas. It oversees undergraduate degrees like Oriental Studies (BA) and numerous graduate programs, including the MPhil in Traditional East Asia. Teaching is conducted through a combination of lectures, tutorials, and language classes, often in collaboration with constituent colleges such as St Antony's College and Wolfson College. The faculty also maintains close ties with independent research institutes like the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies.

Research and publications

Research activity is extensive and multidisciplinary, encompassing fields from archaeology and philology to political science and religious studies. Major projects have included the editing of the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature, and studies on the Mughal Empire and the Silk Road. Faculty members regularly publish monographs and papers with prestigious academic presses and journals, contributing to series such as the Oxford Oriental Monographs. The faculty hosts several seminar series, including the James Mew Lecture and the Giorgio Levi Della Vida Conferences, fostering dialogue on topics from Zoroastrianism to Post-colonial literature.

Notable faculty and alumni

The faculty has been associated with many distinguished scholars and public figures. Renowned former faculty include Max Müller, a pioneering figure in Indology and comparative religion, and Sir Hamilton Gibb, an influential historian of Islam. Notable alumni span diverse fields, such as the explorer and archaeologist Sir Aurel Stein, the diplomat and scholar of Persian literature Sir Denis Wright, the novelist John le Carré, who studied at Lincoln College, and the former Prime Minister of Pakistan Benazir Bhutto. Other graduates have become leading journalists, curators at the British Museum, and officials in the United Nations.

Facilities and resources

The faculty's primary hub is located on Pusey Lane in the university's Radcliffe Observatory Quarter. It benefits from unparalleled library resources, most notably the collections of the Bodleian Library, which houses the renowned Hebrew and Arabic manuscript collections. The Ashmolean Museum provides direct access to artifacts from Ancient Egypt, the Levant, and Ancient China. Specialist libraries include the Indian Institute Library and the Nizami Ganjavi Library. The faculty also utilizes digital humanities resources and maintains partnerships with institutions like the British Library and the Institut Français du Proche-Orient.

Category:University of Oxford