The application process is now open.

Please note that you should complete and submit this Application Form in one sitting. You are not able to save drafts of this form, nor are you able to return to your form at a later date for revision.

As such, we recommend that you make note of the questions below and work on your responses in a separate document until you are fully satisfied with your responses. You may then return to this form to input and submit your final responses.

The Alphawood Scholarships form part of the Southeast Asian Art Academic Programme (SAAAP) at SOAS University of London, generously supported by the Alphawood Foundation (Chicago).  

The mission and 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 2020, SAAAP provided almost 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.

Where there is an assessed need, 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).

The intention behind the Alphawood Scholarships is to have a beneficial impact in the Southeast Asian region. The SAAAP Scholarships Sub-board, which convenes and comprises the Selection Panel, will therefore look to make awards to students who intend to support the aims of SAAAP through employment, teaching, further study or any other relevant activity in the region upon completion of their studies at SOAS.

All applicants must apply for their chosen programme of study at SOAS before completing this application form. The Alphawood Scholarships Selection Panel can only consider Alphawood Scholarship applications from those who have already been accepted onto their programme of study.

As such, it is strongly recommended that you apply for your programme of study by, or before, 31 December 2021.  That way, the Selection Panel can be informed of your status regarding acceptance onto your programme of study when it meets to award scholarships in February 2021. You are reminded here that the deadline for your Alphawood Scholarship application is 23.59 (UTC) on Friday 14 January 2021.

If you are applying to the MA History of Art and Archaeology programme, please complete and submit the Postgraduate online application form found at:
https://app.askadmissions.co.uk/AYApplicantLogin/fl_ApplicantLogin.asp?id=soas

If  you  are applying to the Postgraduate Diploma or Certificate in Asian Art  programme, please download, complete and submit the application for admission (PDF) at:
https://www.soas.ac.uk/art/programmes/dipasart/file39296.pdf

All application forms for your programme of study, as well as further guidance, can be found through the Alphawood Scholarships web page. Please consult this page carefully before beginning your application:
https://www.soas.ac.uk/registry/scholarships/alphawood-scholarships.html

To be eligible for an Alphawood Scholarship, you should normally be resident in one of the following countries: Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar/Burma, Singapore, Thailand or Vietnam.

However, applications will be considered from candidates who are not normally resident in these countries, provided you can clearly demonstrate your intention and capacity to return or relocate to the Southeast Asian region to pursue employment, teaching, further study or to otherwise make a direct and positive impact in the countries listed above regarding the objectives of the SAAAP Remit. We ask you to include evidence of this in your Personal Statement below.

The Personal Statement section of the application should demonstrate your interest in the ancient to pre-modern Buddhist and Hindu art and architecture of Southeast Asia and your intention to pursue teaching, further study or to otherwise make a positive impact on the study, preservation or advancement of knowledge in these areas of study in the Southeast Asian region.

In your Personal Statement below, you are asked to expand upon:

• Your interest in (and engagement with) ancient to pre-modern Southeast Asian Buddhist and Hindu   art and architecture and your specific area of focus;
• How you consider your studies at SOAS will aid you in your academic and professional development;  
• How you plan to make a direct and positive difference in the SEA region through advancing the objectives of the SAAAP Remit once completing your programme at SOAS.

Your Personal Statement may be up to 1,000 words in length, and there is no minimum word count.