The Royal Society of New South Wales is delighted to learn that Professor Theo Farrell FRSN FAcSS, currently the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic and Student Life) at the University of Wollongong, has been appointed as the next Vice-Chancellor of La Trobe University in Melbourne from February 2024.

Professor Farrell joined the University of Wollongong in 2017 as an Executive Dean and was promoted to Deputy Vice-Chancellor in 2019. He is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences (UK), a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (UK), a Fellow of the Royal Society of New South Wales, a Senior Associate Fellow of the Royal United Services Institute, a Visiting Professor in War Studies at King’s College London, and a former President of the British International Studies Association.

Before moving to Australia, Professor Farrell held leadership and prestigious professorial roles in the UK at King’s College London and City, University of London. He received ten UK research council awards, including a three-year Global Uncertainties research fellowship. His book, Unwinnable: Britain’s War in Afghanistan (Penguin Random House 2017) was shortlisted for three national book awards and selected book of the year by The Sunday Times. A leading scholar of the Afghan war, he previously acted as a strategic advisor to the UK government and US-led command in Kabul and participated in track II peace talks with the Taliban.

The Council of the Royal Society of New South Wales extends its warm congratulations to Professor Farrell and wishes him well in his new role at La Trobe University.