James Curran

James Curran is Professor of Modern History at the University of Sydney specialising in political and foreign relations history. He is also a foreign affairs columnist at the Australian Financial Review where he was international editor from 2023 to 2025. In 2025, Curran delivered one of the ABC’s Boyer Lectures on Australia’s current strategic dilemma. Prior to joining Sydney University, James served in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, the Department of Defence and at the Office of National Assessments. In 2013, he was chair of Australian history at University College Dublin and in 2010 was awarded a Fulbright Scholar at Georgetown University. Curran is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Social Sciences and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of International Affairs.