Unfamiliar Asia - Christmas Traditions in the Middle East ✝️☦️ Predominantly viewed as an Islamic region, Christian minorities have celebrated Christmas across the Middle East for two thousand years. Find out more here - https://loom.ly/Mv7otHo #christmas #middleeast

Are you aged 21-28 and working on research or a project related to colonialism, exploration, technology, or memory politics in the context of #Asia? The RSAA Travel Awards 2026 could help fund your travel plans. Find out more and apply here - https://loom.ly/I4W4-e4

Catch up on last week's fascinating lecture with Syria expert Charles Lister, hosted by Mazen Gharibah. Lister provides an overview of the year following the fall of Assad, the complex challenges and opportunities and how the new government is faring. Watch here - https://loom.ly/d8Ol1kc

From toppled chief ministers to shifting welfare battlegrounds, Soumyadeep Chowdhury and Allen David Simon unpack why strong leadership and good governance no longer guarantee victory in India’s elections. Read here - https://loom.ly/URpN_vU

Unfamiliar Asia - Hong Kong Winterfest ❄️ Throughout the festive season and up to the New Year, Hong Kong celebrates with its Winterfest. Find out more here - https://loom.ly/J1fDqBM #hongkong #winterfest

Did you miss the panel discussion hosted by the RSAA, in partnership with the FCDOA and IIAS, with Dr Edward Howell, Shihoko Goto, Dr Sung-Yoon Lee and Yuki Tatsumi, on US policy towards East Asia? Catch up with the recording here - https://loom.ly/PZl1hNg

Did you miss the panel discussion hosted by the RSAA, in partnership with the FCDOA and IIAS, with Dr James Ryan, Mohammed A Salih, Steven A Cook and Dr Sanam Vakil, on US policy towards the Middle East? Catch up with the recording here - https://loom.ly/qRAQTIk

Did you miss the panel discussion hosted by the RSAA, in partnership with the FCDOA and IIAS, with Dr Bill Hayton, Elina Noor, Dr Prashanth Parameswaran and Dr Ann Marie Murphy, on US policy towards Southeast Asia? Catch up with the recording here - https://loom.ly/fpeHIIY

Did you miss the panel discussion hosted by the RSAA, in partnership with the FCDOA and IIAS, with Sophie Ibbotson, Annette Bohr, Temur Umarov and Dr Luca Anceschi, on US policy towards Central Asia? Catch up with the recording here - https://loom.ly/rGFQj9g

Did you miss the panel discussion hosted by the RSAA, in partnership with the FCDOA and IIAS, with Professor Kerry Brown, Dr James Char, Dr Gemma Cheng'er Deng and Professor Steve Tsang, on US policy towards China? Catch up with the recording here - https://loom.ly/uZ6fNiw

From opium wars to the great tea heist, Sean Paterson uncovers how a Scottish gardener helped reshape global tastes and cripple the Qing economy. Read here - https://loom.ly/Vll-g3E

Did you miss the panel discussion hosted by the RSAA, in partnership with the FCDOA and IIAS, with Dr Kamran Bokhari, Michael Kugelman, Dinaker Peri and Akriti Kalyankar on US policy towards India and South Asia? Catch up with the recording here - https://loom.ly/tsm7SeI

Last month, we were fortunate to have Dr Paul Chambers talk to the RSAA about his experience of being wrongfully imprisoned as a foreign academic in Thailand. In this dramatic story he had his passport taken, visa revoked and employment terminated. Watch the recording here - https://loom.ly/uN8NHRU

Unfamiliar Asia - Lopburi Monkey Festival 🐒 The town of Lopburi dates back more than 1,000 years and was even mentioned in Marco Polo's travel accounts. Today, this festival is one of its most distinctive. Find out more here - https://loom.ly/0up5YUQ #thailand

Lawyer Javed Gaya traces the roots of #India’s majoritarian politics, exploring how decisions from Partition to the present have shaped nationalism, federalism, and minority rights in modern India. Read here - https://loom.ly/ORAOyto

Syria: Post-Assad - join us for this online lecture with Charles Lister, marking one year since the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, hosted by Dr Rim Turkmani on 9 December 2025 at 14.00 GMT. Find out more and register here - https://loom.ly/neIHLSI

Journalist @joannalillis.bsky.social explores Uzbekistan’s shift from dictatorship to fragile reform, tracing Islam Karimov’s legacy, Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s rise, and the country’s pursuit of a “New Uzbekistan.” Read here – https://loom.ly/w-C1yTA

Silk Mirage: Through the Looking Glass in Uzbekistan - join us for this online Reading Room discussion with author Joanna Lillis, hosted by Sophie Ibbotson on 2 December 2025 at 17.30 GMT. Find out more and register for free here - https://loom.ly/l1iAVx8

@edentravels.bsky.social explores Central Asia through landscapes, communities, and cuisine, tracing journeys across Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. From desert mosques to walnut forests, she shows how food and culture shape life. Read here – https://loom.ly/88Cn76M

Nasuh Uslu, Maksat Ajykan Uulu & Zalina Adobasheva of the Kyrgyz-Turkish Manas University compare the food and drink cultures of the Tuvan and Kyrgyz people and discover a legacy of the past. Find here - https://doi.org/10.1080/03068374.2025.2523931

Fiona Katherine Smith of @humboldtuni.bsky.social finds out what Chorkhona handbags and ‘made in China’ toqe can tell us about Pamiri cultural resilience in times of rupture. Find here - https://doi.org/10.1080/03068374.2025.2517710

Suman Das of Gauhati University asks why India is scoring so low when it comes to deploying cricket in its soft power initiatives towards Nepal. The potential is there but the finishing is poor. Find here - https://doi.org/10.1080/03068374.2025.2509100

Following a bruising confrontation with Israel and the US earlier this year, #Iran's regional influence is waning. Jack Roush explains how Tehran is turning to cultural diplomacy to project nationalism and shore up ties with Armenia. Read here - https://loom.ly/IiP6QEw

Being a Foreign Academic Imprisoned in Thailand - join us for this online lecture with Dr Paul Chambers, hosted by ‪@billhayton.bsky.social‬ on 20 November 2025 at 15.00 GMT. Find out more and register here - https://loom.ly/1ULjecA

Ronan Lee of @lborouniversity.bsky.social & @leverhulme.ac.uk and Rokon Uddin of @stockholm-uni.bsky.social show how it’s possible to make sense of public opinion surveys in autocratising Bangladesh. Find here - https://doi.org/10.1080/03068374.2025.2519632

Amit Ranjan of the National University of Singapore & ISAS-NUS discusses the ‘two-level game’ over the Ganga/Ganges Waters Treaty between India and Bangladesh and how renewal of this crucial agreement is being stymied by domestic politics. Find here - https://doi.org/10.1080/03068374.2025.2519631

Tim Summers of The Chinese University of Hong Kong investigates the politics of the Sino-British Joint Declaration, 2014-2024 and how it has been wielded as a diplomatic tool by both China and the UK well beyond its actual wording. Find here - https://doi.org/10.1080/03068374.2025.2510454

Ilhan Niaz of Quaid-i-Azam University proposes a framework for assessing the performance of Chief Justices of Pakistan – and finds a catalogue of failure. Find here - https://doi.org/10.1080/03068374.2025.2518861

Unfamiliar Asia - Pushkar Fair ☸️ Today marks the midway point of this week-long extravaganza of colorful and vibrant exhibitions, exciting competitions and fascinating events. Find out more here - https://loom.ly/_FPDaFA #india

The latest issue of Asian Affairs is out: Pakistan judiciary, Hong Kong Joint Declaration, Ganges Water Treaty, Bangladesh public opinion, China and the GCC, cricket in India-Nepal ties, Pamiri cultural resilience & Kyrgyz-Tuva food connections - see https://loom.ly/mwkIpik

Beijing and Shanghai are household names but what about Tianjin? Sean Paterson takes us on a whistle stop tour of the city's modern history and explains why this cosmopolitan city should be a go to destination when visiting #China. Read here - https://loom.ly/qwWxb8E

Are you aged 21-28 and working on research or a project related to colonialism, exploration, technology, or memory politics in the context of #Asia? The RSAA Travel Awards 2026 could help fund your travel plans. Find out more and apply here - https://loom.ly/I4W4-e4

Trump 2.0: US Policy Towards Asia - join us on 7 November 2025 for day two of our online conference hosted with the FCDOA and IIAS. Three panel discussions will look at US policy towards Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and East Asia. Find out more here - https://loom.ly/D6lUIJE

Trump 2.0: US Policy Towards Asia - join us on 6 November 2025 for day one of our online conference hosted with the FCDOA and IIAS. Three panel discussions will look at US policy towards India and South Asia, China, and Central Asia. Find out more here - https://loom.ly/D6lUIJE

Yesterday's panel discussion saw Professor Ali Ansari, Dr Banafsheh Keynoush and Holly Dagres, moderated by Sir Richard Dalton KCMG, discuss Iran's domestic politics, foreign relations and security as well as what the future might hold for the Islamic Republic. Catch up here https://loom.ly/nCjFfrY

The energy transition is a priority for many governments across Asia and #Mongolia is no different. Bolor Lkhaajav explains how Ulaanbaatar is using its foreign policy to incentivise investment and build green energy partnerships. Read here - https://loom.ly/x_kveYA

Unfamiliar Asia - Jidai Matsuri 🏯 Kyoto has a long and fascinating history, serving as the former capital of #Japan for over 1,000 years. This festival celebrates that history and its legacy. Find out more here - https://loom.ly/SbOptsg#Japan#japan #kyoto

The geology of the world is constantly changing creating remarkable landscapes and otherworldly terrains. Photographer Daniel Kordan takes us on a visual journey through the development of the Kyzylkup tract in #Kazakhstan. Read here - https://loom.ly/kbYMMxk

Trump 2.0: US Policy Towards Asia - join us for a two-day online conference hosted by the RSAA, FCDOA and @iias.bsky.social. Dr Edward Howell, Shihoko Goto, Dr Sung-Yoon Lee and Yuki Tatsumi will discuss East Asia. Find out more & register https://loom.ly/D6lUIJE

Trump 2.0: US Policy Towards Asia - join us for a two-day online conference hosted by the RSAA, FCDOA and @iias.bsky.social. Dr James Ryan, Dr Burcu Ozcelik, Steven A Cook and Dr Lina Khatib will discuss the Middle East. Find out more - https://loom.ly/D6lUIJE

Trump 2.0: US Policy Towards Asia - join us for a two-day online conference hosted by the RSAA, FCDOA and @iias.bsky.social. Bill Hayton, Elina Noor, Prashanth Parameswaran and Ann Marie Murphy will discuss Southeast Asia. Find out more - https://loom.ly/D6lUIJE

Trump 2.0: US Policy Towards Asia - join us for a two-day online conference hosted by the RSAA, FCDOA and @iias.bsky.social. Sophie Ibbotson, Annette Bohr, Temur Umarov and Dr Luca Anceschi will discuss Central Asia. Find out more here - https://loom.ly/D6lUIJE

Trump 2.0: US Policy Towards Asia - join us for a two-day online conference hosted by the RSAA, FCDOA and @iias.bsky.social. Prof Kerry Brown, Prof Steve Tsang, Dr James Char and Dr Yun Sun will discuss China. Find out more and register - https://loom.ly/D6lUIJE

Trump 2.0: US Policy Towards Asia - join us for a two-day online conference hosted by the RSAA, FCDOA and @iias.bsky.social. Dr Kamran Bokhari, Michael Kugelman, Dr Rudra Chaudhuri and Dr Jivanta Schottli will discuss India and South Asia - https://loom.ly/D6lUIJE

Food is intrinsically linked to the cultures and identities of Asia. Anna Ansari explains how ingredients like melons, rice, noodles, and spices travel; how they link families, histories, and empires; how they show up in the dishes we make today. Read here - https://loom.ly/f0DbOeA

Nuclear Diplomacy, Instability and the Survival of the Islamic Republic - join us for this online panel discussion with Prof Ali Ansari, Dr Banafsheh Keynoush and Holly Dagres, moderated by Sir Richard Dalton on 23 October 2025 at 14.00 BST. Find out more and register here https://loom.ly/0HWCFK4

Unfamiliar Asia - Tet Trung Thu 🌙 Although mid-autumn festivals originated in China, they are now celebrated across Asia with each country having developed its own traditions and legends. Find out more here - https://loom.ly/uJQdlAM #vietnam

As Donald Trump continues to disrupt geopolitics, little attention has been paid to #Pakistan's development of ICBMs with the aid of #China and what implications this could have for regional and international security. Marcus Andreopolous explains here - https://loom.ly/zaNJIRc

From Geo- to Astropolitics: How Taiwan Builds Outer Space Missions Amid Geopolitical Tensions - join us for this online lecture with 2024 RSAA Travel Award recipient Yi-Ting Chang, guest hosted by Sze Miller, on 1 October 2025 at 14.00 BST. Register here https://loom.ly/c7TDfnw

Yesterday, the RSAA held its annual Hugh Leach Memorial Lecture in which Sir William Patey KCMG LLD discussed continuity and change across the Middle East. If you were unable to make it you can view a recording of the lecture on our YouTube channel - https://loom.ly/psHpDV4