Awards & Other Activities at SOAS Language Centre
Along with its comprehensive range of language teaching programmes, SOAS Language Centre is involved in a number of activities including:
The Hagio Prize
A £5,000 annual travel award intended to promote international understanding of Japanese culture and society. The Prize is endowed by The Atsushi and Fumiko Hagio Fund and supported by Reuters Foundation and the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London (SOAS). The award is open to students who successfully complete the Full time SOAS Diploma in Modern Japanese or the part-time SOAS Diploma in Modern Japanese.
In 2010 the Hagio Prize celebrates its tenth anniversary. See our special anniversary pages.
HSK - Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi - Chinese Proficiency Test
SOAS Language Centre is an official HSK test centre in the UK for the HSK Department, National Office for Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language, the People's Republic of China (Hanban).
HSK - Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi - Chinese Proficiency Test
Japanese Language Proficiency Test
The JLPT is an internationally recognised qualification for non-native speakers, sponsored by the Japan Foundation and the Japan Educational Exchanges and Services. In the UK the test is administered by SOAS Language Centre, University of London, on behalf of the Japan Foundation.
Japanese Language Proficiency Test
Kanji Aptitude Test
The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation (JKATF) was established 41 years ago to promote kanji (Japanese characters) both in Japan and world-wide. Over the years, standardised tests for various levels of kanji proficiency have been carried out. The JKATF is the only kanji testing organisation authorised by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports & Technology. Over the years, more than over 2,190,000 examinees took the Kanji Aptitude Test throughout Japan and overseas. There are also 19 overseas testing sites including London. There are twelve different standards of test: levels 1 to 8 are approved by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports & Technology; levels 9 and 10, for beginners, are recognised by the Association for the promotion of Japanese Kanji.
Japanese Speech Contest: Spoken Business Japanese
Dedicated to the memory of the late Sir Peter Parker
The Japanese Speech Contest was established in 1990 by the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), London, and the Language Centre of the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London.
The Awards are widely recognised as having made a significant contribution to the recent growth in the use of Japanese in business, as well as having benefited participants in their professional careers. In 2010 the Japanese Speech Contest celebrates its twentieth anniversary.
