Why SASiety?
Founders Hari Mountford and Steph Homer established SASiety in 2018 as a means to bring the nine institutes of the School of Advanced Study closer and to bridge the gap between disciplines. In Hari Mountford’s words: “The institutes which make up the university are highly specialised, and the students, from across the globe, as well as the world-class academics who teach there, make SAS a very special institution. We quickly found that the institutes didn’t really connect that much – we knew the students in our institute, but not from the others. Without a Students’ Union, or a common room, and with our Library being used by all colleges in the University of London, we didn’t really know who our fellow SAS students were. London is a big city – with lots of students – and carving out a SAS identity for us was important. But for many MA, MRes and PhD students, studying can be a solitary ad isolating experience – community, friends and colleagues are even more important at this level of education.” Since then, SASiety has continued to grow and expand, remaining dedicated to the founders’ original aim: to act as an advocate for its students and to continue establishing and maintaining relations between the institutes.
Because of our university’s dedication to public engagement, we have also breached out and facilitated conversations about things that concern London, life in the city, and academia more broadly, while we are still holding quizzes and social events for our postgraduate students (albeit virtual ones!). Based in Senate House, we are located at the heart of Bloomsbury, which places us in an ideal location in order to remain in the loop with the cultural and social scene in the city. Our aim is to produce content that not only appeals to the postgraduate community but to a set of individuals that are interested in art, history, and literature. We will be sharing with you noteworthy news, essays, reviews, and opinion pieces that revolve around postgraduate research interests. In the words of Zora Neale Hurston: “Research is formalized curiosity. It is poking and prying with a purpose. It is a seeking that he who wishes may know the cosmic secrets of the world and they that dwell therein.”
We hope you enjoy the discussions taking place and join in the fun! We are always accepting submissions but also, entries for our essay competition. Make sure to stay in the loop with our latest news through our newsletter and our social media.
What people have said about us:
SASiety gave me, personally, an opportunity to meet incredible people who work and participate in variety of events throughout the year. Perhaps most importantly, as a PhD student, we all tend to hide in our small little cubicles with books, and deadlines; SASiety then becomes a place where we could all share such anxieties and chill for a while.
SASiety sounds fun, and it is! It’s great to have such a supportive social group at SAS, where until now it’s been easy to feel quite isolated as a student. SASiety is also very proactive in pushing for changes -- like setting up the common room -- that really benefit us and make us feel we belong.