The Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies offers PhD students the opportunity to pursue research which spans our broad range of expertise. Our researchers are engaged in internationally recognised work in the history, literature, linguistics, social anthropology, sociology, politics and contemporary culture of the Middle East, North Africa, China, Japan and the two Koreas. In addition the work of several staff crosses traditional boundaries, both geographical and subject based.
We welcome applications from qualified applicants who wish to undertake a three-year course consisting of individual supervisions and guided research, resulting in a thesis of up to 80,000 words. The degree will be granted on the basis of this thesis and an oral examination (viva voce).
There is full information about the course and how to apply on the Postgraduate Admissions pages. You will be expected to achieve a continuation mark of at least 67% in your current Masters degree and satisfy any pre-existing requirements also set by the Degree Committee, for example the English language requirement.
EU and International students can find information about their country's equivalent continuation requirements from the Postgraduate Admissions International Qualifications page.
Before you apply, it is essential that you contact your prospective supervisor to discuss your proposed research. A full list of supervisors for Middle Eastern, East Asian and South Asian Studies, showing their research interests is found below. Please see our Research pages for more information about the kind of work carried out in the Faculty.
We encourage you to discuss your draft PhD research proposal with a prospective supervisor. We recommend writing a proposal that is fewer than 3,000 words in length. You may then submit this as one of the documents in your application.
You may also wish to look at the list of our current PhD students, including their thesis topics.
The following information is correct for entry in the 2023/24 academic year. Applications for this year open on 14 September 2023 and close in May 2024. If you wish to be considered for funding the deadline for submitting your application is 5 December 2023.
Supervisors - Middle Eastern Studies
Dr Anderson is open to receiving applications for MPhil and PhD projects from students with a training in social anthropology, who want to work on projects that contribute to current debates in anthropology, particularly in relation to the anthropology of Islam, ethics or commerce; or the anthropology of Syria.
Applicants for PhD study should have some prior academic training in anthropology, which is also usually offered as part of the MPhil by advanced study programme.
Dr Ashraf welcomes inquiries from prospective MPhil and PhD students who are interested in projects relating to the history of Iran and the Persian-speaking world, from the early modern to modern periods broadly defined.
Professor Bennison is happy to supervise graduate students in work relating to the pre-modern history of the Maghrib and Islamic cultural history, including the Medieval Islamic West
Professor Khan is happy to supervise projects relating to any area of his research.
Professor Marsham is happy to supervise graduate students in work relating to pre-modern Islamic History.
Dr Monier is open to supervising research on the following topics:
The politics of the modern Arab World.
State-Society relations in Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, the UAE, Bahrain and Oman.
Nationalism and state-building.
Identity politics and sectarianism.
Minorities.
Regional power, geopolitics and inter-Arab relations.
Arabic media.
Professor Montgomery is currently on sabbatical
Dr Olszok is happy to supervise students who wish to work in fields of Arabic literature in which she has expertise.
Prof Peleg welcomes inquiries from potential MPhil and PhD students with research interests relevant to his interests in modern Hebrew literary history, Israeli cinema and Israeli culture more generally, primarily the creation of a native Hebrew culture in Palestine/Eretz Israel at the beginning of the twentieth century and its legacy.
Prof van Ruymbeke welcomes approaches from potential graduate students with research interests relevant to hers. She requests that prospective students email her to discuss their proposed projects before sending in their applications.
Dr Christine van Ruymbeke talks about postgraduate studies in Persian Literature
Supervisors - East Asian Studies
Having supervised graduate students in a range of fields, including premodern and modern Japanese history, premodern literature as well as Buddhism, Professor Adolphson would welcome enquiries from motivated graduate students and young scholars from across the world.
Professor Chau is happy to supervise research students in the areas of Chinese religious and ritual life; social and cultural change in contemporary China; Chinese environmentalism; the local state; urban renewal; China and the overseas Chinese and other topics relating to social anthropology of contemporary China.
I welcome proposals for graduate work in the areas of late-imperial Chinese literature, print culture, and Chinese religions.
Dr Inwood is happy to supervise students in topics relating to her research on modern and contemporary Chinese literature, culture and media.
Prof. Kushner is pleased to supervise graduate students interested in imperial and postwar Japanese history, 20th century Japan-Taiwan, as well as Sino-Japanese relations, the history of the Cold War in East Asia, and history of war crimes in East Asia.
Prof Moretti welcomes graduate students interested in Japanese premodern and early modern literature. She also strongly encourages projects that investigate early modern Japanese culture more broadly, including visual culture and woodblock prints; book history and/or textual scholarship in Japan; Japanese palaeography and calligraphy, and art.. She is also keen to supervise projects that work on issues of adaptation, canon-making, intervisuality, playfulness, humour, satire, metafiction, didactic prose, medicine in popular culture, and transmedia storytelling.
Dr Nilsson-Wright is happy to supervise graduate students who wish to work on East Asian politics, international relations and diplomatic history, particularly with reference to Japan, North and South Korea and US relations with Northeast Asia.
Dr Steger welcomes inquiries from talented young scholars to work under her supervision. She is willing and able to supervise a wide range of topics related to Japanese contemporary society. Please contact her by e-mail prior to application and submit a draft research proposal (ask for guidelines).
Chinese thought; pre-imperial and early imperial cultural history; natural history; classical Chinese language.
Prof. Sterckx will be on research leave during the academic year 2024-25.
Prof van de Ven is happy to supervise graduate students in a range of topics relating to modern Chinese history. He is interested in the history of war, the history of the Chinese Communist Party, and economic and political history.
Prof van de Ven is not currently taking any MPhil students.
*** Dr Young will be on sabbatical Lent and Easter 2024 and therefore not able to take one-year MPhil applicants intending to commence study in Oct 2023 ***
Dr Young is pleased to supervise graduate students interested in modern and contemporary Japanese and Okinawan literature, particularly where linked to themes and issues of imperialism, decolonisation, gender and sexuality, multilinguality, and translation.
Supervisors - South Asian Studies
Prof. Vergiani is happy to supervise graduate students on work relating to his research.