Dr. David Christian

Biography

David Christian is an Emeritus Professor in the Department of History and Archaeology at Macquarie University, where he has taught since 1975. He holds a D.Phil. from Oxford University. His research focuses on Big History, World History, and Russian history, and he has published extensively in these areas, garnering significant recognition for his work, including the development of the Big History Project. He returned to Macquarie University in 2009 after holding a professorship at San Diego State University, where he taught courses on World History and Big History. He has been a prominent voice in promoting interdisciplinary approaches to history, having given around 300 seminars and talks at Macquarie. As a member of the Australian Academy of Humanities and the Royal Society of New South Wales, he has participated in editorial boards such as the Journal of Global History. His public engagement includes a widely viewed TED talk titled 'A History of the World in 18 Minutes', which laid the groundwork for the Big History Project, an initiative to create a connected narrative of history, science, and the human experience. David has also been recognized with awards such as the Macquarie University Excellence in Research Award for his contributions to the humanities and social sciences.

Research Interests