Doctoral Open Day: Asian and African Collections

Explore our Asian and African collections in this Doctoral Open Day for PhD students.

Our Doctoral Open Days are designed for current and prospective PhD students interested in working with our collections during their studies, but are open to researchers at all career stages particularly those who are new to our collections. Each Open Day showcases a different area of our collection, with the aim of making our materials as accessible as possible.

African CollectionsEast Asian CollectionsSoutheast Asian CollectionsSouth Asian CollectionsMiddle Eastern and Central Asian CollectionsIndia Office RecordsVisual Arts CollectionsWorld and Traditional MusicFor this session, we are also joined by SOAS Library and the School of Advanced Study’s Institute of Languages, Cultures and Societies (ILCS) to give a comprehensive overview of relevant collections in the Bloomsbury area.

SOAS Library is one of the world's most important academic libraries for the study of Asia, Africa and the Middle East. SOAS librarians will introduce you to their collections, including their archives and special collections, including rare books and manuscripts. More information about SOAS Library is available on their website.

ILCS is the national centre for research in languages, cultures and societies across the UK and beyond. Librarians from Senate House Library, University of London will introduce you to their relevant collections, take you through the basics of accessing them and show you how to navigate the catalogue. More information about ILCS, including details of their free Research Training Programme, is available on their website.

Our Open Days give you the opportunity to:

understand how to access our collectionget expert advice from our Reference Specialistsspeak with curators of collections relevant to your studiesmeet researchers with similar research interests and develop your academic network.The day will consist of:

a drop-in session with our Reference Specialists, who can advise you on the practicalities of accessing our collectionspresentations by our curators, introducing you to their collection areasa ‘Meet the Curators’ session, during which you can view highlights from our collections and talk to our curators about your researcha panel discussion with PhD researchers and Library staff exploring their experiences working with our collections.If you have any questions about this event or would like to discuss accessibility or dietary requirements, please contact pgr@bl.uk.

Looking for a different Doctoral Open Day? Explore our other Doctoral Open Days currently available to book.