Exactly 178 years ago, in 1837, the University of London established the UK’s first-ever professorship for Chinese, heralding the founding of Chinese Studies in this country. The Chair of Chinese is linked to a collection of Chinese books donated to the University in 1834 by the missionary Robert Morrison. The “Morrison collection” lay at the basis of what is now one of Europe’s largest collections of Chinese books, held at the
SOAS, University of London was founded as the School of Oriental Studies in 1917 and was based at Finsbury Circus. In 1938 it officially became the School of Oriental and African Studies and was based in Vandon House, St James’ Park. The School then moved temporarily to Cambridge during the Second World War. With next year’s opening of Senate House North Block due to usher in a new era, images
I graduated in African studies (Hausa and social anthropology) in 1968. When interviewed, I was told that there was a place on the Hausa programme, a language I knew next to nothing about – pure chance! I subsequently travelled to northern Nigeria to conduct my anthropology research, and this also enabled me to learn more about the rich history of the Hausa people and the complexities of their language. Whilst