Royal Society for Asian Affairs

Royal Society for Asian Affairs Advancing knowledge of Asia

From the frozen roads of Arctic Siberia to the echo chambers of wartime propaganda, a long-distance hike becomes an unin...
12/06/2026

From the frozen roads of Arctic Siberia to the echo chambers of wartime propaganda, a long-distance hike becomes an unintended journey into the psychological landscape of a country at war. In our latest blog, Charlie Walker Explore reflects on his 600-mile trek across Yakutia after the invasion of Ukraine, and what he learned about isolation, uncertainty, and belief in a tightly controlled information space. Link in the comments.

Treaty ports, revolutionary politics, gangland intrigue, and economic transformation have all shaped Shanghai into the c...
05/06/2026

Treaty ports, revolutionary politics, gangland intrigue, and economic transformation have all shaped Shanghai into the city it is today. In our latest blog, Professor Michael Dillon explores Shanghai’s remarkable journey through colonialism, communism, reform, and resurgence, and considers what the city’s future may reveal about the direction of China itself. Link in the comments.

ALTAI: Hunters and Herders of Mongolia - join us for this online talk with British photojournalist Claire Thomas Photogr...
04/06/2026

ALTAI: Hunters and Herders of Mongolia - join us for this online talk with British photojournalist Claire Thomas Photography on 18 June 2026 at 15.00 BST. Recently published by Hemeria, Claire's book invites us into the highlands, homes, and hearts of ethnic Kazakh herders. Find out more and register using the link in the comments.

Catch up on yesterday's fascinating discussion between Sophie Ibbotson and author and journalist Joe Luc Barnes, explori...
03/06/2026

Catch up on yesterday's fascinating discussion between Sophie Ibbotson and author and journalist Joe Luc Barnes, exploring his new book, Farewell to Russia: A Journey Through the Former USSR. Link in the comments.

Martin Purbrick investigates the murky tale of an alleged deal between the British authorities in Hong Kong and triad or...
02/06/2026

Martin Purbrick investigates the murky tale of an alleged deal between the British authorities in Hong Kong and triad organised crime groups during the Japanese invasion in 1941. Link in comments.

Shakar Ibrahim of the University of Sulaimani - زانکۆی سلێمانی and Zhilwan Tahir of IIUM argue that the historic power s...
02/06/2026

Shakar Ibrahim of the University of Sulaimani - زانکۆی سلێمانی and Zhilwan Tahir of IIUM argue that the historic power struggle between different groups in Kirkuk could gradually develop into a more effective political process that encourages collaboration. Link in comments.

Panch Rishi Dev Sharma of the University of Lucknow and the University of Victoria examines every invocation of ‘preside...
02/06/2026

Panch Rishi Dev Sharma of the University of Lucknow and the University of Victoria examines every invocation of ‘president’s rule’ over the past 75 years and finds it’s largely used to ‘discipline’ states ruled by different parties from those in power in Delhi. Link in comments.

Adam Burakowski of the Instytut Studiów Politycznych Polskiej Akademii Nauk tells the story of the Aam Aadmi anti-corrup...
02/06/2026

Adam Burakowski of the Instytut Studiów Politycznych Polskiej Akademii Nauk tells the story of the Aam Aadmi anti-corruption movement that swept to power in Delhi in 2015 only to be swept away again in 2025. Link in comments.

Baurzhan Rakhmetov of Maqsut Narikbayev University and Cardiff University explains the hybrid working of internet censor...
02/06/2026

Baurzhan Rakhmetov of Maqsut Narikbayev University and Cardiff University explains the hybrid working of internet censorship in Kazakhstan, combining laws with harassment. Link in comments.

Bakhytzhan Kurmanov of the University of Central Asia and Gaziz Abishev of Oxford Nizami Ganjavi Centre at the Universit...
02/06/2026

Bakhytzhan Kurmanov of the University of Central Asia and Gaziz Abishev of Oxford Nizami Ganjavi Centre at the University of Oxford show how President Tokayev is slowly undoing the previous consensus on nationality issues and creating a new, more Kazakh-focused, state. Link in comments.

Address

Nova North 11 Bressenden Place
City Of Westminster
SW1E5BY

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Royal Society for Asian Affairs posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share