Why did British and Russian Oriental studies develop differently and how were they influenced by politics and academic traditions? The lecture will compare two scientific schools and trace how the methods of studying the cultures of Asia and Africa have changed. The lecture will discuss the British tradition of Oriental studies and African studies, its formation, key stages, and the people who influenced the establishment of the scientific school. Special attention will be given to comparing British and Russian approaches. Listeners will understand where research methods diverged, which topics came to the forefront, and how the understanding of the subject itself changed. A separate topic will be the colonial legacy of British Oriental studies. The lecturer will explain how early research was linked to the political context and then gradually shifted towards academic interest. It will also be important to understand how modern researchers are reinterpreting this history, what questions they raise about past methods, and why a critical view of the scientific tradition is particularly significant today. The comparison with the Russian school will allow for the observation of differences in the intellectual environment, research goals, and ways of describing Eastern cultures. At the same time, the conversation will not be reduced to a simple opposition of two models: participants will be able to trace common trends, intersections, and the gradual transformation of views on the subject. The lecture will be conducted by Ruzana Pskhu - Doctor of Philosophy, Professor of the Department of the History of Philosophy, Head of the Department of Oriental Studies and African Studies, Senior Researcher at the Center for the Study of Philosophy and Culture of India "Purushottama" at RUDN University named after P. Lumumba.