Welcome to the Centre for Media and Film Studies
The Centre for Media and Film Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) is one of the very few centres in the world which specializes in the vital developments taking place in media, communications and film globally especially as they involve the non-Western world.
We recognize that we are now living in a multi-centred media world in which the global balance is changing rapidly. We are therefore committed to addressing theoretically and empirically the Eurocentrism which still pervades so much discussion of the non-Western world. To appreciate the richness, dynamism and complexity of media and film in regions like Asia, the Middle East and Africa requires specialist knowledge of these cultures, societies, political economies and their inter-relations, which is our concern.
Latest Update:
Recordings from the panel discussion on "Photographing Asian Dance Theatre"
Taught Masters degrees
The Centre runs three quite distinct MA degrees, each of which addresses different sets of issues in non-western media and film.
- MA Critical Media and Cultural Studies
- MA Global Cinemas and the transcultural
- MA Global Media and Post-National Communication
Phil/PhD/Research
The Centre has an exceptionally vibrant and varied research atmosphere, and draws students and post-doctoral researchers worldwide. Our special strengths are our interest in the media, communications and film worlds of different regions of Asia, the Middle East and Africa and their diasporas. We draw upon an eclectic range of disciplinary approaches – media and cultural studies, anthropology, sociology, film and performance studies and more – and accommodate perspectives and research methods from both the humanities and the social sciences. In September 2007 we are inaugurating a new route of PhD with practical component.
Media Practice
The Centre stresses the close link between theory, practice and participation. Courses have film and media showings, and students are encouraged to undertake their own media projects as part of their degrees, whether MA or PhD. We also have a PhD with practical component which enables research students to bring together written and audio-visual analyses
Collaboration
The Centre has developed close collaboration with other colleges in the University of London, which enables us to provide unparalleled depth and breadth of expertise in media and film. We are also a member of the University of London Screen Studies group, which hosts regular international symposia and has its own postgraduate training programme.
Contact:
- E-mail:
- mediaandfilm@soas.ac.uk
