Farewell to Russia: A Journey Through the Former USSR - join us for this online Reading Room discussion with author and journalist Joe Luc Barnes, hosted by Sophie Ibbotson on 2 June 2026 at 18.00 BST. Find out more and register for free here - loom.ly/EBwKcMA

From a rusting WWII landing ship to a frontline outpost, the BRP Sierra Madre reflects shifting conflict and territorial struggle. Bianka Venkataramani traces its history and present in the South China Sea. Link in comments. #SouthChinaSea Image - Au Nguyen — CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Succession and Secrecy: Intelligence on Mao Zedong and Kim Il-sung - join us for this online lecture with Dr Nick Miller on 28 May 2026 at 13:00 BST. Find out more and register using the link in the comments. #China #DPRK #CIA

From post-Soviet transition to the limits of market orthodoxy, development in Central Asia has followed a complex path beyond reformers’ expectations. Kaut Akizhanov examines why neoclassical approaches fall short and the case for a pluralist view of economic transformation. Link in comments.

Why is Armenia moving closer to the EU? In Asian Affairs, Agnieszka Miarka of Uniwersytet Śląski w Katowicach argues that it’s the effect of changes in domestic policy, Moscow’s displeasure and the loss of Nagorno-Karabakh. Link in comments. #Nagorno-Karabakh #Armenia #EU

Prime Minister Balendra Shah has begun his tenure with striking momentum - but can early symbolism translate into lasting change? Sumit Sharma Sameer and Dr Pankaj Adhikari assess his first month and the deeper forces shaping Nepal’s political future. Link in comments. #Nepal #GenZ #BalendraShah

From windswept valleys in western Mongolia to the bond between horse and rider, life in the Altai Mountains reveals a world where tradition is still lived rather than remembered. Claire Thomas explores Kazakh eagle hunters, nomadic herding, and horsemanship in Bayan-Ölgii. Link in comments.

From Zen philosophy to modern materialism, wabi sabi offers a quiet challenge to how we live and what we value. Michael Neale explores how imperfection, impermanence, and simplicity might serve as an antidote to an increasingly fractured world. #WabiSabi #JapaneseCulture #Philosophy

Turkmenistan Beyond Independence: State, Society and Identity - join us for this online panel discussion with Dr Victoria Clement, Dr Slavomír Horák and Anton Ikhsanov on 7 May 2026 at 18:00 BST. Find out more and register using the link in the comments. #Turkmenistan

Catch up with yesterday's fascinating online panel discussion looking at Xi Jinping Thought and the balance between power, prosperity and security in the Chinese party-state. Link to the recording in the comments. #China #XiJinping #CCP

From life in forgotten camps to the threat of starvation, the Rohingya crisis is entering a dangerous new phase. Dr Rónán Lee examines conditions in Bangladesh’s camps, the impact of aid cuts, and why policies meant to contain refugees risk deepening their vulnerability. Link in the comments.

Iran and Pakistan are neighbours without being friends. As Islamabad hosts Middle East peace talks, this article by Dr Robert Czulda of the University of Lodz takes a long view of the two countries’ difficult relationship. Link in comments. #Iran #Pakistan

Join us this evening for an panel discussion with @chizhang.bsky.social, Dr Olivia Cheung, @vicshih.bsky.social and Prof Sarah Eaton, moderated by Professor Ho-fung Hung, entitled Xi Jinping Thought and the Chinese Party-State: Power, Prosperity and Security. Link in comments. #China #XiJinping

From village songs to migration histories, Bhojpuri folk traditions preserve memory beyond archives. In our latest blog, Simit Bhagat explores how bidesia records labour and longing, why these traditions are declining, and what is at stake in preserving them. Link in the comments.

From internal discipline to regional diplomacy, the Taliban’s rule is more resilient than expected — but fragile. In our latest blog, Dr Hassan Abbas examines how power has consolidated around Hibatullah Akhundzada and what vulnerabilities still threaten the emirate. Link in comments. #Afghanistan

Xi Jinping Thought and the Chinese Party-State: Power, Prosperity and Security - join us for this online panel discussion with @chizhang.bsky.social, Dr Olivia Cheung, @vicshih.bsky.social and Prof Sarah Eaton, moderated by Professor Ho-fung Hung on 16 April 2026 at 18:00 BST. Link in comments.

From direct local votes to a proposal for indirect elections, #Indonesia’s democracy may be approaching a turning point. In our latest blog, Muhammad Aqshadigrama examines how the reform could strengthen party bossism and concerns about the drift toward illiberal democracy - loom.ly/llkeKps

From a documentary screening to a moment of uneasy reflection, the realities facing Afghan women are impossible to ignore. @lovejitd.bsky.social reflects on The Last Ambassador and asks why the world’s response to the Taliban’s system of gender apartheid remains so muted - https://loom.ly/3UaIdd4

From missile strikes to maritime chokepoints, #Iran’s regional strategy is targeting more than just its adversaries. In our latest blog, Charles J Sullivan explores how Tehran’s asymmetric warfare is pressuring the UAE, unsettling global markets, and testing US protection - https://loom.ly/6aJEGxg

Yesterday, we launched an series marking 35 years of independence for the Central Asian republics and 125 years of the RSAA. Our first event explored Uzbekistan and a decade under Mirziyoyev, with Joanna Lillis, Dilmira Matyakubova, Farkhad Tolipov and Franco Galdini - https://loom.ly/jE7Vixc

From burning streets to a political earthquake at the ballot box, #Nepal’s Gen Z movement has reshaped the country’s future. In our latest blog, Suprina Thapa explores how a protest movement toppled an entrenched political order - and what comes next. Read here - https://loom.ly/FrCj9BU

From Kurdish groups to Azeri communities, could outside efforts to mobilise minorities destabilise far more than Tehran? James M Dorsey examines the risks of turning #Iran’s diversity into a battleground. Read here - https://loom.ly/4hMDsME

From shadowy corridors of power to #Iran’s leadership, Mojtaba Khamenei has long been a figure of speculation. What does his sudden rise signal for Iran? James M Dorsey examines why his rule could shape prospects for confrontation or compromise https://loom.ly/RFxw_3U#Iran (Image - Tasnim News Agency)

From air raids to online classrooms, #Myanmar’s students are refusing to give up on their future. In our latest blog, Prospect Burma reflects on how education continues against the odds — and why hope still matters in the midst of conflict. Read here - https://loom.ly/uaLcNB0

Yesterday's Reading Room saw @meganeaves.com in conversation with Sophie Ibbotson about her new book Nightfaring: In Search of the Disappearing Darkness. If you were unable to make it, you can catch up with the recording here https://loom.ly/m5aL7XU

Mirziyoyev's Decade: What Next For Uzbekistan? - join us for this online panel discussion with Joanna Lillis, Dr Dilmira Matyakubova, Dr Farkhad Tolipov and Dr Franco Galdini, moderated by Polina Ivanova on 16 March 2026 at 14.00 GMT. Find out more and register here - https://loom.ly/ckrOmPY

From the execution of Stoddart and Conolly in Bukhara to the enduring myth of the “Great Game,” Central Asia is still cast as a chessboard for empires. But what if that says more about London and Moscow than the region? Joe Luc Barnes asks who gets to frame the narrative - https://loom.ly/b_72iVY

From Berkeley lecture halls to San Francisco safe houses, the Ghadar movement turned exile into insurrection. Scott Miller uncovers the revolutionaries who plotted to topple the British Raj - and the spies, gun-running schemes, and courtroom gunfire that followed. Read here - https://loom.ly/HxAQ2wM

Catch up on an insightful and engaging talk with Razeen Sally, in which he reflects on returning to Sri Lanka after decades away and shares personal experiences and insights from a decade of travelling across the island exploring its culture, history, and paradoxes. Find here https://loom.ly/8BJgSSE

Nightfaring: In Search of the Disappearing Darkness - join us for this online Reading Room discussion with award-winning travel writer Megan Eaves-Egenes, hosted by Sophie Ibbotson on 3 March 2026 at 18.30 GMT. Find out more and register for free here - https://loom.ly/nXi7I7Q

From the global triumph of Parasite to the polished glow of the #Korean Wave, Korean cinema travels far. But what slips out of frame? Santosh Kumar Ranjan and Aman Tripathi explore fame, inequality, and the blind spots of global success. Read here - https://loom.ly/Fu6zhgk#Korean

From Arctic Siberia to the Tibetan Plateau, thawing permafrost is reshaping Asia’s strategic landscape. Saranya Chattopadhyay traces how climate shift is becoming slow geopolitical checkmate, destabilising infrastructure, water systems, and high-altitude power. Read here - https://loom.ly/Up7wAvw

Return to Sri Lanka: Travels in a Paradoxical Land - join us for this online lecture with Razeen Sally, exploring the complex and contradictory island of #SriLanka, on 17 February 2026 at 14.00 GMT. Find out more and register here - https://loom.ly/EvP2i0k

At the end of 2025, the RSAA hosted a Reading Room event with author Joanna Lillis talking about her new book Silk Mirage. The talk provided a compelling portrait of Uzbekistan exploring its politics, economics, history, arts and culture. If you missed it, catch up here - https://loom.ly/i5sAQIo

What does it mean to see #Mumbai with fresh eyes? From Art Deco inspiration to first impressions of a city in constant motion, Timeless Mumbai captures architecture as lived experience. Our new blog brings together the voices behind this award-winning project. Read here - https://loom.ly/ObQaZzA

Rule Breakers is not just a film about technology. It’s a story of defiance, gender, and power, tracing how #Afghan girls turned education into a political act. Our latest blog explores why. Read here - https://loom.ly/UbuE1Qk

Catch up with yesterday's panel discussion on Modi's #India and whether it could become a superpower of the future. Experts Dr Sripad Motiram, Prof Kate Sullivan de Estrada and Javed Gaya, moderated by Neha Dixit, discuss India's politics, economics and diplomacy. Watch here https://loom.ly/cpHr6hA

How did #Türkiye move from limited engagement to sustained regional entrenchment in the Middle East? Buğrahan Demir examines how strategic decisions in Syria, Iraq, energy security, and regional diplomacy have made withdrawal increasingly difficult. Read here - https://loom.ly/jF3L3pI

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. Deadline - 31 January 2025. Find out more and apply here - https://loom.ly/I4W4-e4

From Josiah Harlan to YouTube adventurers, Zohra Saed traces “American Turbanismo” - the enduring fantasy that casts #Afghanistan as a stage and Afghan men as hypermasculine warriors. This colonial imagination shapes storytelling, policy, and perception. Read here - https://loom.ly/u7CTCN0

Hindutva and Modi's India: The Makings of a Superpower? - join us for this online panel discussion with Dr Sripad Motiram, Professor Kate Sullivan de Estrada and Javed Gaya, moderated by Neha Dixit on 21 January 2026 at 14.00 GMT. Find out more and register here - https://loom.ly/33yJvj4

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