Southeast Asian Art Academic Programme 2023 – 2024

via SOAS: Applications for the 2023-2024 academic year are now open.

The Alphawood Scholarships form part of the Southeast Asian Art Academic Programme (SAAAP) at SOAS University of London, which is generously supported by the Alphawood Foundation (Chicago). Applications may be made on the Alphawood Scholarships online application form until 13 January 2023.

The remit of SAAAP is to: support and advance, through study and research, the understanding and preservation of Southeast Asian Buddhist and Hindu art and architecture from ancient to pre-modern times. The SAAAP remit includes study of the built environment, sculpture, painting, illustrated texts, textiles and other tangible or visual representations, along with the written word related to these, and archaeological, museum and cultural heritage studies.

Between 2014 and 2022, SAAAP provided over 100 Alphawood Scholarships which supported Southeast Asian scholars’ postgraduate study at the Certificate, Diploma, MA and MPhil/PhD levels in the Department of History of Art and Archaeology at SOAS.

Alphawood Scholarships also provide support for our students to advance their English-language proficiency through dedicated courses at the SOAS Department of International Foundation Courses and English Language Studies (IFCELS).

Through the Alphawood Scholarships scheme, it is expected that our scholars and alumni will be well-equipped to make a significant and positive impact on the understanding and preservation of ancient to pre-modern Buddhist and Hindu art and architecture in Southeast Asia.

Alphawood Scholars are selected with the expectation that, as alumni, they will be in a position to apply the learning and skills they gain while on award to the benefit of the galleries, museums, heritage organisations, universities, government departments and other institutions in the Southeast Asian region in which they may go on to work.

The geographical reach of the Alphawood Scholarships scheme, as in the wider SAAAP, includes: Brunei; Cambodia; East Timor; Indonesia; Laos; Malaysia; Myanmar/Burma; Singapore; Thailand; and Vietnam.

The Alphawood Scholarships commencing with the 2023-24 academic year will cover:

Tuition fees – scholars’ SOAS tuition fees will be paid in full for the MA/Diploma programme and the cost of a bespoke English language preparatory course at SOAS’ International Foundation Courses and English Language Studies (IFCELS) department;

Maintenance – an allowance of £18,062 per year (pro rata) will be paid to the scholar to cover costs of living and studying in central London (or, if studying remotely, an adjusted allowance will be paid to reflect local living costs);

Travel – the cost of economy flights to and from the UK at the start and end of the MA/Diploma programme will be paid by the scholarship; and

Visa and other costs – the costs of any visa, requisite Covid-19, health checks and Immigration Health Surcharge costs required for visa purposes, will be reimbursed to Scholars on arrival in the UK.

Source: Southeast Asian Art Academic Programme | SOAS