Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland


Fellows of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland are individuals who have been elected by the Council of the Royal Asiatic Society to further "the investigation of subjects connected with and for the encouragement of science literature and the arts in relation to Asia".
The Society has around 700 fellows, half of whom reside outside Britain; it is run by a council of twenty fellows. The Society was established in 1823 and became "the main centre in Britain for scholarly work on Asia" with "many distinguished Fellows". Fellows are entitled to use the honorific post-nominal letters FRAS.
Past and current fellows include leading scholars, writers, and former politicians and governors who have made significant contributions to Asia and their respective fields. Previous Fellows have included British explorers Sir Richard Francis Burton, and Laurence Waddell, Officers of the British East India Company such as Sir Henry Rawlinson, Chief Justice of Ceylon Alexander Johnston, Rabindranath Tagore, and many more.

Eligibility

Fellows can be nominated by an existing Fellow, or they can submit an application for fellowship; applications are open to "anyone with a serious interest in Asian Studies", considered regularly, and processed within one month. Students are also eligible to become Student Fellows if they are enrolled in an established course of education. The Society also awards five Life Fellowships each year worldwide.

List of notable fellows of the RAS