Duncan Bell

Duncan Bell is a Professor of Political Thought and International Relations at the University of Cambridge and a Fellow of Christ's College. He serves as Co-Director of the Cambridge Centre for Political Thought and Co-Convener of the POLIS History and IR programme. He has held visiting positions at Columbia, Harvard, Darmstadt, and the FU Berlin.

• B.A. in War Studies, King’s College London
• M.Phil in International Relations, University of Cambridge
• PhD in History, University of Cambridge (2004)

His research spans political theory, intellectual history, and international relations, focusing on empire, settler colonialism, and the intersection of political theory with science fiction. Current projects include a history of ideas about the future from Darwin to AI and a monograph on H. G. Wells's social and political thought.

His work has been recognized with the Philip Leverhulme Prize (2012) and election as a Fellow of the British Academy (2021). He has edited multiple volumes on empire, realism, and global ethics, and his articles analyze themes like Anglosphere ideologies, cybernetic imperialism, and techno-utopian governance.

At Christ's College, Duncan is the Part II Director of Studies for Politics and Sociology. He contributes to interdisciplinary collaborations, particularly linking political theory with architecture and trauma studies.