Royal Society for Asian Affairs

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The Royal Society for Asian Affairs is a learned society based in the United Kingdom, founded in 1901 to "promote greater knowledge and understanding of Central Asia and surrounding countries". The geographical extent of the Society's interest has since expanded to include the whole of Asia. Taylor & Francis publishes the society's journal, Asian Affairs, which has been in printed since 1914.

The Society was founded in 1901 to promote greater knowledge and understanding of Central Asia and surrounding countries. With the passage of time, the area has been extended to include the whole of Asia, from the Middle East to Japan. The Society is an active and friendly organization, which provides those interested in Asia with many ways of expanding these interests. In pursuit of these aims, the Council of the Society seeks to provide a balanced programme of activities which, though by no means neglecting the past, gives opportunities for keeping up-to-date with developments and for discussion on a wide variety of topics of common interest to Asia and the West.

The Society's activities may be summarised as follows:-

Meetings are held about twice a month, at which lectures are given by authoritative speakers. The programme includes lectures, films and slides on current affairs, economics, finance, history, art, archaeology, sociology, culture, travel and other subjects of special interest connected with all parts of Asia.

Social Functions, which include an annual dinner, an afternoon tea party in the summer, an anniversary meeting, and buffets at lunch-time and refreshment at evening lectures which give members and their guests an opportunity to meet the guest speaker and others with similar interests.

A Library and Reading Room with a fine and easily accessible collection of about 7,000 books on Asian subjects.

The Journal of the Society "Asian Affairs" is published three times a year and occupies a respected place in the current literature on Asia. It contains reports of lectures, original articles and book reviews. Its world-wide circulation includes universities, institutes, companies, banks and governmental officials.

Educational Activities undertaken by the Society to further its aim of increasing the knowledge about Asia. The Society has a list of members prepared to give talks to appropriate groups, organisations such as schools and the media.

Tours specially organised by the Society in most years, to enable a group of members to make detailed visits to particular countries. Study Groups are occasionally established on subjects of particular interest; these have attracted acknowledged outside experts to work with members.