The Faculty of Oriental Studies at Oxford is one of the world’s leading centres for research and teaching on the languages, history and cultures of Asia and the Middle East. Among subjects in the humanities, Oriental Studies is unique in introducing students to civilisations that are radically different from the Western ones that form the basis of the curriculum in most British schools and colleges. The courses run at Oxford present both the major traditions of the regions studied and, in most cases, their modern developments. The multidisciplinary Faculty has members in linguistics, philology, literature, archaeology, history, religious studies, art history and the social sciences.