The RSAA Conferences for Schools

The RSAA conference of presentations for Schools are organised by the Royal Society for Asian Affairs (RSAA) and the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS). The aim of these meetings is to introduce students to concepts and subjects they may not have previously explored as part of their curriculum, and we hope, to inspire them to take a closer interest in Asia.

There is a vast amount happening in Asia and press and television coverage can be patchy and superficial at the least. We cannot hope to have a programme that covers the entire Continent and all issues but have tried to incorporate topics and speakers that should be of interest to the audience, endeavouring to pick hot subjects as well as more educational ones whilst allowing for what has been presented in previous years. Clearly one cannot keep everyone happy all the time!

The programme consists of presentations with time for discussion after each. The speakers are all expert in their fields and ones that most AS and A2 students are unlikely to have had the opportunity to hear. We often have an Asian Ambassador or High Commissioner as the policies and views expressed by such speakers are far more representative than what appears in the media. Generally speakers give a brief background to their subject but the level of talk is school leaver to university in nature, treating those present as intelligent adults not school children.

The meeting is not a crammer or revision course for exams and those attending should know this. Similarly some knowledge or idea (if possible) about the subjects being discussed will help enjoyment and understanding. I say this based on feedback from previous years when some attendees were under the impression that the meeting would help their exams. Students also have the chance to learn a little of and about some Asian languages.

The auditorium seats 280 people. This may make some feel uncomfortable about asking questions but the demand for places has been such that a smaller venue would leave many disappointed.

For more information, please contact Adrian Steger